Widely considered to be one of the greatest film directors of all time thanks to films such as Taxi Driver and Goodfellas, Martin Scorsese, who turned 80 this month, has a rich and varied filmography that spans 50 years. In his career, he has explored different genres and dealt with thought-provoking themes including masculinity, insecurity, nihilism and violence.
Scorsese's films include some of the most memorably violent and outright dangerous characters in cinema history. Most are villains, although a few could be classified as antiheroes. Still, they remain menacing and, at times, terrifying. From Travis Bickle to Jordan Belfort, these figures are mad, bad and would be extremely dangerous to know.
Jordan Belfort - The Wolf Of Wall Street (2013)
Leonardo DiCaprio earned his fourth Oscar nomination thanks to Scorsese's 2013 black comedy The Wolf of Wall Street. A story of excess and crime, the film follows Jordan Belfort, a New York stockbroker whose company engaged in fraud and corruption, leading to his ultimate downfall.
Belfort is a criminal, but he's not a heartless killer. However, he remains a dangerous figure thanks to the considerable and ill-gained power he wielded and how he chose to waste it. Jordan's charm and salesmanship make him even more menacing, especially considering his selfish and ruthless pursuit of money and influence.
Ginger McKenna - Casino (1995)
Sharon Stone earned her only Oscar nomination for playing one of the most memorable characters in any Scorsese film. Ginger McKenna is Sam "Ace" Rothstein's wife, a hustler and former prostitute with an erratic and turbulent personality worsened by her drug and alcohol addiction.
Ginger is a force of nature. She is reckless and violent, making her a dangerous threat to her husband's already delicate business. Casino is among Scorsese's all-time best films, a chaotic exploration of addiction, power, greed, and betrayal, themes best embodied by Stone's flawless and layered performance.
William "Bill The Butcher" Cutting - Gangs Of New York (2002)
2002's Gangs of New York features William "Bill the Butcher" Cutting, arguably the most complex villain in any Scorsese film. Brilliantly played by three-time Oscar winner and notorious method actor Daniel Day-Lewis, who earned another nomination for his performance, Bill is the ruthless leader of the Five Points slum in New York.
Violent and decisive, Bill is manipulative but charming, making him a dangerous enemy. He is a tyrant but shows enough humanity to make him compelling. Still, Bill is choleric and dominant, a leader who would rather die before relinquishing control.
Frank Sheeran - The Irishman (2019)
The Irishman follows the life of Frank Sheeran, a truck driver turned hitman in service of the Buffalino crime family. The film explores his time working for Jimmy Hoffa and his involvement in Hoffa's disappearance and mysterious death.
Like many other Scorsese mobsters, Sheeran is violent, impulsive, ruthless and menacing. He is the ultimate enforcer, becoming increasingly brutal as his mob career advances. Furthermore, Sheeran's loyalty and pragmatism, qualities that make him an ideal asset for the mob, make him even more dangerous.
Travis Bickle - Taxi Driver (1976)
The dangers of untreated mental health issues are front and center in Scorsese's psychological thriller Taxi Driver. Set against a bleak and morally bankrupt post-Vietnam New York City, the film follows Travis Bickle, played by a never-better Robert De Niro, a veteran dealing with PTSD and spending his nights as a taxi driver.
Bickle becomes increasingly unstable as the film progresses, going from erratic but seemingly harmless to radical and violent. Bickle's thoughts, worsened by what he considers a corrupt and failing society, make him one of the most intriguing but vicious characters in Scorsese's iconic and revered lore.
Nicky Santoro - Casino (1995)
Joe Pesci is a frequent collaborator of Scorsese. The actor played Nicky Santoro in Casino, his third collaboration with the director, giving one of his most memorable and unrestrained performances. Santoro is the film's primary antagonist, a dangerous sociopath who kills first and asks questions second.
Santoro is brutal and impulsive. He cares little about collateral damage or consequence, letting his hot temper dictate his actions. Santoro's fierce loyalty to Ace prompts him to commit all kinds of crimes, but his wounded pride ultimately leads him to betray his former friend.
Frank Costello - The Departed (2006)
Three-time Academy Award winner Jack Nicholson played Frank Costello, the main antagonist of Scorsese's 2006 crime thriller and one of the best gangster movies of the 2000s, The Departed. Costello is the ultimate survivor, working hard to become a feared mob boss and doing everything in his power to keep his status and business afloat.
Costello has a unique moral compass that guides his every action. Suffice it to say it's flexible and highly adaptable, depending on the situation. Costello is cunning but unpredictable, a true question mark that makes him all the more dangerous and terrifying.
James Conway - Goodfellas (1990)
Goodfellas might be Scorsese's magnum opus. A tale of violence, loyalty, ambition, family, and tradition, Goodfellas chronicles the rise and fall of mobster Henry Hill and his associates, Jimmy Conway and Tommy DeVito. Conway, played by Robert De Niro, is the film's rock, a cold and selfish man willing to do everything in pursuit of power.
Conway is calm and collected but brutal and cold-hearted. He is clinical in his approach, killing only when necessary and preferring to keep a low profile. However, Conway is ruthless and savage, a true pragmatist whose careful nature makes him all the more menacing.
Tommy DeVito - Goodfellas (1990)
In the pantheon of iconic Scorsese mobsters, none hold a higher place than Joe Pesci's Tommy DeVito. One of the central figures in Goodfellas, DeVito is dangerously unstable and mercurial. He loses his temper over the slightest incident, resorting to brutality when provoked or cornered.
Pesci won a richly deserved Oscar for his performance, crafting a chilling villain for the ages. DeVito is every mob stereotype brought to life: cunning, charming, and clever but scary, vicious, and extremely dangerous. Few Scorsese characters could face him and come out alive.
Max Cady - Cape Fear (1991)
Robert De Niro's unsettling portrayal of Max Cady in Scorsese's 1991 thriller Cape Fear ranks among his best. A remake of the 1962 classic, the film follows Max Cady, a convicted statutory rapist who seeks revenge against Sam Bowden, the public defender he blames for his 14-year imprisonment.
Cady is, for lack of a better word, a monster. Brutal and unstoppable, he harbors a deep hatred for Bowden, torturing and killing anyone in his way. Cady is terrifying because he is heartless and ferocious in his pursuit of revenge. No other characters in Scorsese's filmography are quite as irredeemable and unsympathetic.