- A new Apple TV+ documentary series, “Mr. Scorsese,” reveals the legendary director’s near-fatal battle with drug addiction in the late 1970s.
- The five-part series explores what ex-wife Isabella Rossellini calls Scorsese’s “saint/sinner” complex, linking his deep-seated religious beliefs to the moral chaos in his films.
- Featuring candid interviews with Scorsese, Robert De Niro, and Leonardo DiCaprio, the documentary uncovers the career-threatening slumps the director repeatedly overcame.
- Hailed by critics as essential viewing, the series offers an intimate and unflinching look at one of cinema’s greatest minds.
A Master’s Unfiltered Confession
Rebecca Miller’s enthralling new five-part documentary series, “Mr. Scorsese,” now streaming on Apple TV+, pulls back the curtain on the iconic filmmaker in a way audiences have never seen. The series plays like an intimate conversation, where the 82-year-old director speaks with shocking frankness about his professional failures, personal shortcomings, and the obsessions that have defined his life and work.
From Death’s Door to Raging Bull
Perhaps the most stunning revelation comes from the late 1970s, a period when Scorsese’s heavy partying and drug use nearly cost him his life. Hospitalized with severe internal bleeding, Scorsese admits, “I was dying.” It was at this critical moment that his friend and collaborator, Robert De Niro, intervened at his bedside. De Niro urged him to finally make Raging Bull, a project Scorsese had repeatedly rejected. “He looked at me and said, ‘What the hell do you want to do? Do you want to die like this?'” Scorsese recalls. That desperate ultimatum not only saved his life but also set in motion the creation of one of cinema’s most celebrated classics.
The Saint and the Sinner
At the heart of the documentary is an exploration of Scorsese’s lifelong wrestling match with good and evil, a conflict deeply rooted in his Catholic upbringing. His third wife, Isabella Rossellini, perfectly captures this duality, telling Miller, “I would say Marty is a saint/sinner.” This internal battle is the engine behind his most powerful films. Scorsese himself acknowledges the allure of transgression, stating, “The problem is, you enjoy the sin.” He views his filmmaking gift as a “religious connection,” a “sacred thing,” which explains the profound moral weight and visceral violence present in films like Taxi Driver and Goodfellas.
Career on the Brink
The series reminds viewers that Scorsese’s path to legendary status was far from smooth. He faced multiple career-threatening downturns. The 1982 film The King of Comedy, now considered a masterpiece, was a box-office disaster that left him disillusioned. More than a decade later, the commercial failures of Kundun (1997) and Bringing Out the Dead (1999) made his career, as he bluntly puts it, “dead again.” It was Leonardo DiCaprio who used his Hollywood clout to get Gangs of New York (2002) made, sparking a major career revival.
Controversy and a Glimpse of the Man Today
The documentary also revisits the firestorms his work has ignited, most notably the controversy around Taxi Driver and its connection to John Hinckley’s assassination attempt on President Ronald Reagan. Beyond the professional turmoil, “Mr. Scorsese” offers rare glimpses into his private life, from his candid admission of being a distant father to his older children to the quiet strength he draws from his wife of 26 years, Helen, who was diagnosed with Parkinson’s. In a modern twist, the series also acknowledges his newfound fame as a TikTok star, courtesy of his youngest daughter, Francesca.
@francescascorsese
Ultimately, “Mr. Scorsese” is a rich, bracingly honest portrait of an artist still at the height of his powers, making it essential viewing for anyone who loves film.
Image Referance: https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20251013-mr-scorsese-review