"Marty should have won at least seven"- Thelma Schoonmaker opens up on Martin Scorsese's Oscar curse

Martin Scorsese has yet again established why he is considered one of the greatest filmmakers of all time with his latest epic, Killers of the Flower Moon, but the most fabled award in Hollywood seems to never grasp the true essence of the enigmatic director.

Despite his glittering career filled with accolades, Scorsese has only won the Oscar once for The Departed, with the director missing out on the same many other times.

This has always been a topic of discussion among fans, especially because some of Martin Scorsese's greatest masterpieces, such as Raging Bull and Goodfellas, failed to win Hollywood's most prestigious award.

In a recent interview with Esquire about Killers of the Flower Moon, Scorsese's long-time friend, Thelma Schoonmaker, who has worked in as many as 22 films with Scorsese, addressed Scorsese's Oscar curse.

"Yeah, we're not very lucky with the Oscars," Schoonmaker said. "I mean, Marty has deserved many. ... I know, and that's not fair. Because they're really his as well as mine. But Marty should have won at least seven, as far as I'm concerned. But we're very unlucky at the Oscars, because the films are sometimes very unusual. And people are sometimes not used to it, or they resist it, or [resist] voting for it."

She also outlined the projects for which she believes Martin Scorsese should have received an Oscar.

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"It was devastating that he didn't win"—Thelma Schoonmaker on Martin Scorsese not winning the Oscar for Raging Bull

While fans would point out other films for which Martin Scorsese could have received an Oscar, Thelma Schoonmaker noted that the loss of Raging Bull was the most upsetting. Interestingly, Robert Redford won it for Ordinary People, which sparked debate among fans.

Schoonmaker recalled that this was the loss that hit them the most when it happened in 1980. She said:

"I think he would have liked to win for Raging Bull, ... When we were standing there, those of us who did win, I was waiting for Marty to come with his Oscar. And he didn't. It was the worst night of my life. It was devastating that he didn't win. A movie like that, that is so brilliantly directed. But it was a tough movie. And Ordinary People, I understand it's a very good movie."

She added:

"But people were maybe a bit put off by the toughness of Raging Bull. But look how it's lasted. It's a benchmark movie."

This almost sums up Martin Scorsese's filmography, which has often failed to impress the Oscar crowd but, years later, has outlasted and outshined almost all the films it lost to.

Killers of the Flower Moon may end up following the same pattern, bringing Scorsese's filmography to a perfect circle, or it could break the curse and become an Academy favorite, which it has a great chance of.

But this year too, Killers of the Flower Moon will have to face off against some huge films in the Academy Award ceremony, including the likes of The Killer, Barbie, Oppenheimer, and Maestro.

Killers of the Flower Moon is currently playing in theatres.