There are volcanic tales of his explosive temper, shocking footage of nuns protesting his Christ movie and vast amounts of detail in this rich, info-packed docuseries. Then it reaches the 90s and it all peters out
T
he world is not short on documentaries about Martin Scorsese. Those wanting to see his inspirations and methodology can already seek out 1995’s A Personal Journey With Martin Scorsese Through American Movies, 2004’s Scorsese on Scorsese or any of the endless biographies compiled by fans on YouTube.
But all of these are incomplete, either frozen in time at a midpoint in Scorsese’s career or lacking direct input from the man himself. Rebecca Miller’s sprawling Apple TV documentary Mr Scorsese is an attempt to correct that. If it isn’t entirely successful, it’s because five hours is nowhere near enough time to do justice to the man’s multitudes.
The project does feel somewhat necessary. The Scorsese of 2025 has a cast-iron reputation. He is perhaps the greatest film-maker in the history of the medium. He is lauded and respectable, a pillar of the monied establishment. What Mr Scorsese does well is remind you this was not always the case.
