Which film earned Martin Scorsese his only Best Director Oscar?

The Departed earned Martin Scorsese his only Best Director Oscar. He won the award at the 79th Academy Awards in 2007 for directing the 2006 crime thriller, which follows an undercover police officer and a mole inside the Massachusetts State Police.

The film stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, Jack Nicholson, Mark Wahlberg, Vera Farmiga, and Martin Sheen. William Monahan adapted the screenplay from the 2002 Hong Kong thriller Infernal Affairs. Set largely in South Boston, the story combines undercover operations, divided loyalties, and institutional corruption.

The Oscar was especially notable because Scorsese had previously received five Best Director nominations without winning. His earlier nominated films included Raging Bull, The Last Temptation of Christ, Goodfellas, and Gangs of New York. The Departed also won Best Picture, Best Adapted Screenplay, and Best Film Editing, giving it four Oscars overall.

A frequent mix-up is confusing Scorsese’s personal directing award with the film’s Best Picture win, which went to producer Graham King. Scorsese has won other major directing honors, including Golden Globe and BAFTA awards, but The Departed remains his sole Best Director Oscar victory.