Rebecca Miller’s five-hour Apple TV+ documentary, ‘Mr. Scorsese,’ offers an unprecedented and deeply intimate exploration of Martin Scorsese’s life and career, delving into his creative compulsions, spiritual struggles, and relentless fight to bring his cinematic visions to the screen, as seen through the eyes of collaborators, family, and the filmmaker himself.
For decades, Martin Scorsese has been a towering figure in cinema, a director whose name is synonymous with powerful storytelling and unflinching examinations of the human condition. Yet, for all his renown, the inner workings of his creative mind and the personal struggles that fuel his art have remained largely in the realm of myth. Now, filmmaker Rebecca Miller offers an extraordinary new perspective with her expansive documentary series, “Mr. Scorsese,” which premiered recently at the New York Film Festival and is set to debut on Apple TV+.
The series, initially conceived as a two-hour film but expanding by necessity into a five-hour epic, is a “cubist approach” to its subject. Miller’s vision was to illuminate Scorsese from various angles: his own candid recollections, insights from his closest collaborators, and perspectives from his family and lifelong friends. It’s a tapestry woven from over 20 hours of interviews conducted by Miller over five years, commencing during the production of Scorsese’s latest masterpiece, “Killers of the Flower Moon.”
A Youthful Spirit on the Edge of Greatness
Miller’s first encounter with Scorsese was on the set of 2002’s “Gangs of New York,” where her husband, Daniel Day-Lewis, was starring. She recalls finding him unexpectedly youthful and deeply invested, almost anxious, before a massive fight scene. “He seemed like a young man, hoping that he had chosen the right way to shoot a massive scene,” Miller shared, adding, “I was stunned by how youthful and alive he was.” This vital energy, Miller notes, permeates the documentary, showcasing a filmmaker whose passion for cinema remains undiminished.
The documentary delves into Scorsese’s legendary “mythic arc”—the asthmatic kid from Little Italy who absorbed old movies and grew up to define New York cinema. However, Miller’s film transcends this narrative, offering a more intimate, reflective, and often humorous dialogue about the profound questions that have shaped him. These include recurring themes of morality, faith, and the very essence of filmmaking itself. As Scorsese poignantly asks in the series’ opening moments, “Who are we? What are we, I should say? Are we intrinsically good or evil? This is the struggle. I struggle with it all the time.”
Scorsese’s Self-Portraits and the Voices of His World
While Scorsese has never penned a formal memoir, his own documentary works have long served as personal windows into his inspirations and worldview. Films like “Italianamerican” (1974), where he interviewed his parents, and his cinematic surveys, “A Personal Journey With Martin Scorsese Through American Movies” (1995) and “My Voyage to Italy” (1999), have revealed the profound influences that shaped his unique artistic voice. “Mr. Scorsese” continues this tradition, but expands it with a chorus of voices.
The documentary is enriched by contributions from a constellation of personalities who have witnessed Scorsese’s journey firsthand. This includes his indispensable editor Thelma Schoonmaker, frequent collaborators such as Paul Schrader, Robert De Niro, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Daniel Day-Lewis. Beyond the professional sphere, the series also features insights from his children, ex-wives, and childhood friends from Little Italy. In one particularly fascinating revelation for fans, Salvatore “Sally Gaga” Uricola is identified for the first time as the real-life inspiration for Robert De Niro’s iconic, troublemaking character, Johnny Boy, in “Mean Streets.”
The respect Scorsese commands within the industry is evident in the tributes captured in the film. Leonardo DiCaprio states, “Cinema consumed him at such an early age and it never left him.” Echoing this sentiment, Steven Spielberg declares, “There will never be anyone like him again.”
The Enduring Fight for Artistic Vision
Despite his status as arguably the most revered living filmmaker, “Mr. Scorsese” serves as a vital reminder that Scorsese’s path to artistic freedom was far from inevitable. The documentary highlights how often he found himself battling against the conventions of Hollywood. Whether due to box-office disappointments, clashes of style, or the controversial nature of his chosen subjects like “Taxi Driver” or “The Last Temptation of Christ,” Scorsese consistently had to fight for his films to be made.
Rebecca Miller vividly describes this struggle: “He was fighting for every single film. Cutting this whole thing was like riding a bucking bronco. You’re up and you’re down, you’re dead, then alive.” This relentless pursuit of his vision offers a crucial lesson for contemporary film executives, often criticized for being risk-averse. The series recounts illuminating anecdotes, such as producer Irwin Winkler’s insistence in the late 1970s that United Artists greenlight “Raging Bull” if they wanted to proceed with “Rocky II,” a testament to the power of backing unique artistic voices IndieWire.
An Education in Cinema: Miller’s Personal Journey
For Rebecca Miller, herself an accomplished filmmaker with works like “The Ballad of Jack and Rose” and “Maggie’s Plan,” the process of creating “Mr. Scorsese” was a profound education. She observed that Scorsese’s cinematic sensibilities began to “infect” her own documentary, influencing its editing style. “In proximity to these film,” Miller explains, “you start to breathe the air.”
An ongoing benefit of her collaboration with Scorsese is a steady stream of film recommendations. The master director continues to send her movies, a practice that delights Miller. One recommendation that particularly resonated was Shōhei Imamura’s 1963 Japanese drama, “The Insect Woman,” a powerful film chronicling three generations of women. This exchange highlights Scorsese’s enduring passion for cinematic history and his role as a tireless advocate for the art form.
A Festival Premiere and a Family Affair
The premiere of “Mr. Scorsese” at the New York Film Festival was a momentous occasion, marked by enthusiastic celebration. Notably, the festival also saw the directorial debut of Miller’s son, Ronan Day-Lewis, with his film “Anemone.” This project was significant as it marked his father, Daniel Day-Lewis’s, much-anticipated return from retirement to star in the film, as reported by the Associated Press. The convergence of these family milestones underscored the deep personal connections woven throughout the cinematic world.
At the “Mr. Scorsese” premiere, the packed audience at Lincoln Center’s Alice Tully Hall provided a powerful testament to the subject’s profound impact. Miller recounted the palpable enthusiasm, from laughter with Scorsese to bursts of applause for figures like Thelma Schoonmaker or during a sequence from “The Last Waltz.” Daniel Day-Lewis eloquently summarized the evening’s atmosphere: “It reminded everyone of how much they love him.”
“Mr. Scorsese” is more than just a chronological account; it is an immersive experience that deepens appreciation for a filmmaker whose career is an ongoing argument for the enduring power of cinema. It promises to be an essential watch for both long-time devotees and new generations discovering the unparalleled legacy of Martin Scorsese, officially coming to Variety reports, on Apple TV+.
