82 years, 30 films, 1 Oscar! This series about Martin Scorsese lasts 5 hours, but every second is worth it

82-year-old Martin Scorsese is undoubtedly one of the most famous film directors. From Taxi Driver to Waltz of the Dolls via Goodfellas, The Wolf of Wall Street or more recently Killers of the Flower Moon, the American director has spanned the decades with a goldsmith’s regularity.

The artist, winner of the Oscar in 2007 for The Departed, has given us major works (simple streets), often iconoclastic (Kundun), sometimes unclassifiable (The Last Temptation of Christ), but always of incredible depth. On October 17th, New York is in the Apple TV+ spotlight thanks to an absolutely gorgeous documentary series: Mr. Scorsese.

Scorsese’s Last Temptation

And whether you’re an absolute fan of the maestro, an informed cinephile, a film buff or just a casual viewer, you shouldn’t miss these 5 episodes on the life and work of one of the greatest filmmakers of all time!

Directed by Rebecca Miller, Mr. Scorsese’s series focuses on the director’s colorful life experiences and how they fueled his artistic vision, with each film leaving a lasting impression with its originality.

From his childhood to his NYU student short films to his most recent work, the documentary explores major themes that have always inhabited him, particularly the place of good and evil in human nature.

Chronologically, Mr. Scorsese spans over 60 years of his career in 5 episodes, all of which are enhanced by extraordinary testimonies from the man himself, but also from his closest collaborators.

Extraordinary speakers

Robert De Niro, Jodie Foster, Leonardo DiCaprio and Daniel Day-Lewis take turns talking about different experiences with the maestro. These precious, highly relevant testimonies form a beautiful web that ultimately creates a sublime mural of the extraordinary existence of a cinema genius.

We also hear from Scorsese’s director friends Steven Spielberg and Brian De Palma, who are full of praise for him. However, they also lead directly back to some amazing anecdotes, such as the moment when Scorsese “went crazy” When he heard that Taxi Driver was going to be censored because of its bloody final scene.

Marty’s three daughters also contributed, speaking candidly about their illustrious father’s career. Scorsese’s childhood friends also talk to the director and recall the difficult times in Little Italy amid the mafia gangs.

They talk about their childhood in the Lower East Side, which they nicknamed “District of Five Mafia Families”And tell an amazing anecdote: the discovery of a corpse, an event that was not an exception at that time.

I have seen serious things. Violence was everywhere.

“I saw serious things. Violence was everywhere.”explains Scorsese, especially in the first episode, which largely harkens back to his childhood and adolescence in New York. The director also recounts his struggle with asthma, a respiratory disease that forced him to stay at home and think outside the window of life on the street.

Scorsese explains, for example, that the taste for high-angle shots necessarily comes from there. In his misery, little Marty developed an imagination and a sense of observation. Director Spike Lee interjects with humor and sings: “Thank God for asthma!”

Subsequently, by examining all of her works, emphasizing thematic repetitions and stylistic evolution, Rebecca Miller achieves a remarkable balance. He especially draws on the valuable collaboration of legendary editor Thelma Schoonmaker, who oversees his editing workshop, as well as animations inspired by Scorsese’s first hand-drawn stories.

gray areas

In addition, the series does not hide the gray areas of Scorsese, who went through an extremely dark period in the late 70s and early 80s (including cocaine addiction). His ex-wife Isabella Rossellini returns “His Ruinous Temper” of time.

“He could destroy a room.”He testifies. The actor also remembers mornings when he woke up angry and whispering “Damn, damn!” Again and again, without explanation. He also admits that he channeled that anger into his work. “It gave him the stamina to continue filming”She said, shortly before Scorsese gave her life-saving therapy.

Without a doctor, 5 days a week, weekend phone calls, constant work to get my mind right, I would be dead.

“Without a doctor, 5 days a week, weekend phone calls, constant work to get my mind right, I’d be dead”– the director tells us. Anyway, if you want to know everything about Martin Scorsese, don’t hesitate and start this fabulous documentary series, available from October 17th on Apple TV+!