Martin Scorsese Hits Gold, takes Oscar for Best Achievement in Directing for “The Departed.”

While it may not be his best film, “The Departed” will always be remembered as the film that brought Martin Scorsese his first Oscar Award. Scorsese has been chasing an Academy Award since being nominated for “Raging Bull” in 1980.

Scorsese had been nominated on five previous occasions for directing.

Backed by an all-star cast that included Jack Nicholson, Leonardo DiCaprio, Mark Wahlberg, and Matt Damon, “The Departed” beat out directing efforts by Alejandro González Iñárritu for “Babel,” Clint Eastwood for “Letters from Iwo Jima,” Stephen Frears for “The Queen,” and Paul Greengrass for “United 93.”

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