And about time too. The shamefully delayed moment when Scorsese picked up a statuette for best director, not so much for The Departed (although that's what it says on the Oscar) but for a life of intense and dynamic work. Spare a thought for his fellow-contenders - including Clint Eastwood and Stephen Frears - who must have known the game was up when Scorsese pals Francis Coppola, Steven Spielberg and George Lucas emerged to present.