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As one of the most gifted and fecund directors go today , Martin Scorsesecan balance a wide range of cinematic tones . He ’s work acrossa variety of different genresand , by extension , a variety of different emotion . His films have give viewers scenes that are heartbreaking , screaming , harrowing , and scene that keep us on the edge of our seats .
Scorsese has only directed a couple of thrillers and tends to go for more intellectual subject subject , but he ’s delivered his fairish part of anxiety - fire set spell . So , here are the 10 most suspenseful scene from Scorsese ’s filmography .
The XF-11 Crash (The Aviator)
One of Scorsese ’s most overlooked gems isThe Aviator , his spectacularly made biopic of Howard Hughes . In one of the movie ’s most breathtaking sequences , Hughes take the prototype XF-11 airplane for a whirl .
Something start horribly wrong , and the plane begins plummet towards the Earth , finally crashing on a suburban street in Beverly Hills . In this scene , Scorsese dead seize the affright of being in a airplane that ’s going down .
“Funny How?” (Goodfellas)
The suspense in this scene is not a effect of well - paced editing or in - television camera trickery ; it ’s all down tothe power of Joe Pesci ’s functioning . Pesci ’s character Tommy DeVito separate his Friend an anecdote at the bar and Ray Liotta ’s Henry Hill tells him he ’s a peculiar guy . Suddenly , the atmospheric state sours as Tommy is offended and asks Henry what he means by “ rum . ”
After a furious tirade followed by a few tense bit of quiet , Henry says , “ Get the f*ck outta here , Tommy ! , ” and everyone at the mesa pop laugh as the whole matter is reveal to be a japery .
Jordan Belfort Takes Quaaludes (The Wolf Of Wall Street)
Scorsese ’s riotous pitch - pitch blackness comedyThe Wolf of Wall Streethas been criminate ofglorifying the lifestyle of cozenage - happy stockbroker Jordan Belfort , but Belfort ’s desperate struggle to get place while tripping on Quaaludes does n’t look too fun . assume the drugs were n’t working , he direct a lot of them , and then drove to the land club to take a call , discover that his earpiece have been intercept by the feds .
And then , the drugs reach . As the ‘ ludes take impression , the audience , like Belfort , does n’t know what ’s substantial and what ’s not , and as mirthful as the on - screen events may be , that incertitude keep us on the boundary of our ass .
Daniels Breaks Into Ward C (Shutter Island)
Whenever a character in a flick is prohibited from die somewhere , there ’s inevitably a scene in which they go to that place . InShutter Island , Teddy Daniels smash into the restricted Ward C to find some answers . It ’s a terrific conniption as it ’s unclear what Daniels will find out in there .
In the Mary Augusta Arnold Ward , he meets George Noyce , a patient role in only confinement who urgently tries to win over Daniels that he ’s being trick and he ’s part of a huge conspiracy . At the fourth dimension , Noyce sounds like the craziest eccentric of all , but he afterwards turns out to be the only one tell the truth .
Costigan Chases Sullivan Through Chinatown (The Departed)
The Departedis a particular sort of cat - and - mouse thriller because it ’s not just about one cat tail one computer mouse ; the mouse is also chasing the cat . Colin Sullivan is a crooked pig on mob boss Frank Costello ’s payroll , and Billy Costigan is an undercover cop who ’s infiltrated Costello ’s gang , and they ’re each trying to figure out the other ’s identity operator .
At the pic ’s midpoint , they amount very close to a confrontation as Costigan chases Sullivan through the crowded streets of Chinatown . Although neither of them sees the other ’s face , it ’s an incredibly nail-biting sequence .
Frank Flies Out To Kill Jimmy (The Irishman)
One of Scorsese ’s directorial hallmark is choosing the perfect caterpillar tread from his criminal record collection to act over a given scene . But inThe Irishman , when Frank Sheeran is send to pilot out to hisclose acquaintance and associateJimmy Hoffa ’s home to kill him , Scorsese lets the entire 20 - minute sequence play out in nigh - secretiveness . Without music to disquiet us , we ’re left with all the thoughts that are going through Frank ’s head teacher as he ’s sent to perform this grisly deed .
The whole meter , we do it the outcome is inevitable , but there ’s a hope that possibly Frank will change his mind at the last second . And then , of course , he does n’t , andthe violent death is depict very bluffly .
The Thumb-Sucking Scene (Cape Fear)
After the sadistic Max Cady is released from prison , he ’s dictated to claim revenge on Sam Bowden , the public shielder who get him locked away , and his home . In one ofCape Fear ’s creepiest scenes , Cady approaches Bowden ’s teen daughter Danielle at school under the pretense of her Modern dramatic play teacher . He kisses her and puts his thumb in her mouth .
Since we know who Cady is , and Danielle does n’t — not to mention that the real content of the scene is disturbing — we ’re fraught with anxiousness throughout the whole succession .
Travis Bickle Attempts To Assassinate Senator Palantine (Taxi Driver)
After being dumped by one of Senator Palantine ’s employees , condescended to in his cab by Palatine himself , and more often than not disappoint by Palantine ’s direction of his city , New York ’s self - appointed savior Travis Bickle guide down to one of his campaign exchange to assassinate him .
To Palantine , Travis is just a face in the gang , but we know his intention . Before the Vietnam veterinarian can pull up the trigger , he ’s spotted by some Secret Service agents and flees the scene .
The Lighthouse Scene (Shutter Island)
WhenShutter Island , the nigh thing Scorsese has made to a repugnance moving picture , comes to a oral sex in its net human activity , Teddy Daniels arrives at the beacon light where patients get lobotomized ; the place that curb the solution to his questions .
Those solvent could provide some much - need relief , or they could offer an outcome more shocking and horrifying than Daniels — or the consultation — ever imagined . Of naturally , the latter turns out to be the guinea pig .
In the climactic succession ofGoodfellas , arguably Scorsese ’s chef-d’oeuvre , Henry Hill is organizing a Brobdingnagian drug tidy sum , racing all over town to put it together . Mentally , he ’s all over the place as he ’s descended into cocaine addiction from getting gamy on his own supply . And then , he spots a helicopter in the sky , and venerate he ’s being follow by the feds .
Scorsese does a fantastic Book of Job of reflect Henry ’s headspace with the filming , editing , and medicine . As the camera by design hides the helicopter , and the soundtrack goes through five abrupt song change , it ’s undecipherable whether or not the helicopter is a delusional result of Henry ’s drug - addled paranoia — until there ’s a gun direct at his head .
NEXT : Quentin Tarantino ’s 10 Most Suspenseful Sequences
