Is the Aviator a Forgotten Scorsese and DiCaprio Gem?

Leonardo DiCaprio is easily one of the best actors of all time, but his career may have panned out differently if Martin Scorsese hadn’t decided to work with him so frequently. It’s arguably thanks to the legendary director that DiCaprio became the incredible star he is today, and that all began in the early 2000s when he first started appearing in Scorsese’s flicks.

The Aviator was the second film that the two worked on together, but it didn’t become quite as iconic as many of the other films they collaborated on.

Casino Industry Shows Aviator Themes Still Hugely Popular

There’s a good chance that if The Aviator had been released today, it may have had more of an impact on popular culture. That’s because Aviator themes are hugely prevalent right now. This is highlighted by the online casino industry, where Aviator is the latest offering in a brand new game type. An Aviator bet involves staking on a small plane as it rises across the screen. As it ascends, the win multiplier increases, and players need to decide when to cash out. If the plane flies away before they withdraw, they lose their stake.

There are other similar offerings in popular culture that give people a taste of aviator themes. In cinema, Top Gun: Maverick was recently regarded as one of the best movies of 2022. It was nominated for various accolades and won the Academy Award for Best Sound. Despite its predecessor having been released in 1986, the fresh offering from Joseph Kosinski was a major hit.

There are also simulator titles in which people can get a sense that they are flying airplanes themselves. Microsoft Flight Simulator has been going strong for 41 years now, and it’s more realistic than ever. Indeed, some pilots even use the title to practice their takeoffs and landings.

Could The Aviator be Considered a Classic?

Scorsese has set a high bar for himself, and many of his movies are considered up there with the best of all time. In various rankings of the best films from the 80-year-old, The Aviator is among the lowest-rated titles. That’s not to say that it wasn’t a success, though. The movie was nominated for 11 Academy Awards and won five of those. It was also a box office smash, earning $214 million against a $110 million budget.

Hypothetically, if The Aviator had been made by a director without the reputation of Scorsese, it could well be considered that person’s best work. It was also a massive leap forward in DiCaprio’s career, signifying the step from being a heartthrob to a more serious actor. For fans of both the director and actor, the movie is worth revisiting, and it could be considered a classic.

Scorsese and DiCaprio may have realized that the problem with making so many great films is that a few are bound to be forgotten. The Aviator is one such movie, as it was quickly overshadowed by the brilliant The Departed in 2006. The 2004 offering is still up there with some of the greatest movies ever made, though, and should be remembered.