Joey Magidson
There are very few directors on the planet with more name recognition than Martin Scorsese. A quintessential New York filmmaker, he evolved from an angry young man who wasn’t getting the respect he deserved for his shocking and violent films to a universally regarded master. So, it only makes sense that a documentary about his career and life would need to be spread out to about five hours in length, split over five episodes. The end result? Mr. Scorsese, an engrossing, supremely entertaining, and even curious doc about the man. Screening the first two episodes at the 63rd New York Film Festival (though I’ve subsequently seen the entire docuseries), this is a complete look of one of the great filmmakers of our time.
Mr. Scorsese is a patient work, one that naturally evolves from one point in his career to the next. There’s never a feeling that it’s rushing, though when it’s time to focus in one particular film or moment, it smartly does so. The doc flows well, offering up the full meal that is the career of the man many here will call, simply, Marty.
The documentary series looks at Martin Scorsese, from his childhood up until his modern output. The first two episodes focus largely on his early days, with episodes three through five getting into the late 1980s and beyond. The initial two sections hone in on the formation of the man who would go on to change cinema. Growing up in a tough section of New York and suffering from asthma, he has to observe the world, as opposed to participate in it. It’s there that he would begin his fascination with organized crime, which was all around him. The second episode also introduces us to Robert De Niro, his first acting muse.
Later parts focus on elements like his long running Oscar snubs and lack of a Best Director statue, as well as, in the final section, his working relationship with Leonardo DiCaprio. These sections cover far more expansive territory and build on what was in the first ones, though it is more film focused. Early on, it’s chronicling his growth as a human being. By the end, it’s as much focused on the movies and how they often came together despite studio obstacles (The Last Temptation of Christ notably getting the most time).
Director Rebecca Miller and subject Martin Scorsese explore all sides of the man. Miller has talking heads of all kinds singing the man’s praises, often in their own manner. Listening to Daniel Day-Lewis be the only one to refer to him as Martin, instead of Marty, is interesting, while his childhood friends add an angle we’ve never hear before. There’s also filmmakers who have been influenced by him, including Ari Aster, while Scorsese himself is taking part in a long form interview with Miller. It all flows well and is as entertaining as it is informative.
Mr. Scorsese is very much my kind of documentary, so it’s not surprising that I really enjoyed it. Now, while it may not be as “important” as many of the other docs playing at NYFF this year, it fully deserves to be included in the festival, given how many times Scorsese himself has been a part of it. If you have an even passing interest in the auteur, this is a must watch!
SCORE: ★★★1/2
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