Martin Scorsese received the AFI Life Achievement Award in 1997.
The American Film Institute established the award in 1973 to honour an individual whose lifetime contribution to motion pictures and television enriched American culture. Scorsese became the award’s 25th recipient, recognized primarily as a director and screenwriter, at age 54.
The honour reflected the influence of films such as Mean Streets, Taxi Driver, Raging Bull, The King of Comedy, Goodfellas and Casino. It also placed Scorsese among a prestigious group that began with director John Ford and included major figures such as Alfred Hitchcock, Bette Davis, Billy Wilder and Steven Spielberg.
The year is easy to mix up with nearby honorees. Clint Eastwood received the award in 1996, while Robert Wise followed Scorsese in 1998. Robert De Niro, one of Scorsese’s most important collaborators, received the same lifetime-achievement honour in 2003—not in 1997.