"Scorsese's body of work addresses various themes such as the Italian-American identity, Roman Catholic concepts of guilt and redemption, machismo, modern crime, and gang conflict." (Tribute.ca, 2011) He has directed landmark films such as the crime film Mean Streets (1973), the dramedy Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore (1974), the psychological thriller Taxi Driver (1976), the biographical sports drama Raging Bull (1980), the black comedy The King of Comedy (1983), and the crime film Goodfellas (1990), all of which he collaborated on with actor and close friend Robert De Niro. Scorsese has directed over twenty feature films and documentaries spanning four decades. He has also written a number of screenplays since his first film was released in 1968. His work is often based on his life experience as an Italian-American Catholic. The filmmaker's success can be credited to his keen understanding of the human nature and his ability to use that understanding to create many of Hollywood's most memorable characters. Lee's films, also colloquially known as "A Spike Lee Joint" are known for their controversial topics, bold, saturated colors, and also dynamic filmography. He is also known for his technical style such as his fondness for mixing color tones, changing film stocks and aspect ratios and also his trademark dolly shots. In almost all of his films, he would have a character which would appear to be floating toward the camera. "For Lee's double dolly shot, he set up a dolly per usual, then puts the actor on another dolly, and moves the camera and the actor at the same time. So, essentially, the actor is standing on a small board that is mounted on a track, and the board is then pushed forward, as the camera is pushed away." (Andsoitbeginsfilms.com, 2013) Martin Scorsese also utilized this filming technique in the films Goodfellas, Mean Streets, Taxi Driver.
