Scorsese is one of the two most overrated filmmakers in the world. Spielberg is the second, but he assured his place in the history of film by completely changing the nature of blockbuster. Before Spielberg blockbusters ("Lawrence of Arabia", "Cleopatra", "War and Peace") were based on their cinematic strength. After Spielberg and Lucas they are based on the cult following, which happens after the movie has been released and seen by the public, selling of toys, character dolls, cosplay and other emblems of the movie having no particular relationship to the plot or the movie imagery.
The movie has a stunning cinematography (though only showing that Scorsese took the lessons of Kurosawa close to heart) but it is psychologically primitive and cliched. Particularly disappointing is a poorly explained transformation of the zealous missionary into the persecutor of Christianity after he performed the act of apostasy. Much more logical would be him demanding his own execution after the prisoners have been released and perishing in a futile struggle when his request was denied.
