This is an old debate. I think Scorsese has been quite vocal about the way he compromises - essentially, he makes some movies for the studios and uses that clout to make his more personal projects. Hence Cape Fear for The Age of Innocence orThe Color of Money for The Last Temptation of Christ. Regardless, when you watch his films, even his more commercial ones, do you feel his vision is compromised? I only once felt this, to be honest, with the silly romantic subplot and action movie trappings of Gangs of New York, but even there I'm not so sure they were mandated by the studio. What I usually feel is that he makes movies that are fiercely personal and thematically uncompromising like The Wolf of Wall Street. If that isn't the work of a "free man", I'm not sure what is.Quoting baby doll (view post)
I think some filmmakers are simply luckier than others in that the stuff they want to make/watch aligns a bit more with popular taste. I don't feel doing long, silent takes or films with characters that are hard to empathize with makes you a more personal filmmaker. In fact, I think those elements that you associate with "free" cinema are also tropes that can be mimicked by bad directors.