In the shadows and spotlights of cinema, an uncanny number keeps cropping up - a quiet, almost superstitious thread weaving through Martin Scorsese’s legendary work. Could “11” be his secret ingredient?

Let’s set the scene: It’s autumn, the air in New York thick with the scent of wet leaves (maybe a hint of espresso wafting from a Little Italy corner café). Martin Scorsese - not just any filmmaker, mind you, but a fella whose birthday falls on today - blows out the candles, and, perhaps, wonders once again about numbers. Rumor has it (well, more than rumor actually - see National Today and The Cinema Group) that Marty harbored a real, visceral anxiety over the number 11 during the wild seventies. Paranormal? Maybe not. But superstitious? Absolutely.

He’d avoid hotel rooms with elevens, kept away from project numbers ending in 11, and, if the story’s to be believed, even sidestepped airline tickets that spelled trouble in double-ones. Is it a Sicilian thing? Or just a Scorsese thing? Who can say for sure. Either way, it’s the kind of quirk that seeps into one’s bones - and, in Scorsese’s case, onto celluloid.

When 11 is Everywhere - But Nowhere Loud

The iconic Blueberry Muffin scene from Scorsese’s ‘Casino’

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Ever notice how the smallest things have power in Marty’s movies? The scene in Casino with the blueberries - Ace Rothstein (De Niro) counts them, insists on order, a kind of nervous precision. Eleven, someone might imagine, is the tipping point; ten too safe, twelve chaotic, eleven just on the edge. Now, I can’t say Scorsese literally planted elevens in every corner, but once you start looking, you see patterns - The Hugo connection, again: the film bagged 11 Oscar nominations in 2011. Coincidence? Maybe Scorsese would scoff. Or maybe, quietly, he’d grin.

Scorsese's ‘Hugo’ bagged 11 Oscar Nominations at the 84th Academy Awards ceremony, which took place in February 2012, honoring films from 2011.

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Look at Raging Bull. That opening - Jake LaMotta in the ring, dancing alone, the rounds measured in silent, almost spiritual tension. Was it the 11th take, the 11th round? No, not literally (film isn’t that neat), but the tension you feel, that’s what 11 is - waiting, a ghost in the machine

The opening sequence from Raging Bull directed by Scorsese.

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Despite industry changes - whether the dominance of franchises or the rapid evolution towards digital platforms - Scorsese’s passion for authentic storytelling and character-driven narratives never wavers. He encourages young filmmakers to “ask what a single shot means,” reminding us all that great films enrich life and provoke meaningful dialogue. Scorsese recently engaged with Indian cinema, hosting the New York screening of Homebound, illustrating his boundless curiosity and appreciation for global voices in film.

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As Martin Scorsese continues to create, collaborate, and celebrate stories beyond borders, his legacy endures - not only in the awards and masterpieces he has amassed, but also in the generations of artists he’s inspired to keep cinema’s persisting vision alive. Wishing a very Happy Birthday to the Cinematic Maestro!