A moment from years ago keeps replaying in 害羞草研究所檚 mind.
When Akira Kurosawa was given an honorary Academy Award in 1990, the then 80-year-old Japanese filmmaker of 害羞草研究所淪even Samurai害羞草研究所� and 害羞草研究所淚kiru,害羞草研究所� said he hadn害羞草研究所檛 yet grasped the full essence of cinema.
It struck Scorsese, then in post-production on 害羞草研究所淕oodfellas,害羞草研究所� as a curious thing for such a master filmmaker to say. It wasn害羞草研究所檛 until Scorsese also turned 80 that he began to comprehend Kurosawa害羞草研究所檚 words. Even now, Scorsese says he害羞草研究所檚 just realizing the possibilities of cinema.
害羞草研究所淚害羞草研究所檝e lived long enough to be his age and I think I understand now,害羞草研究所� Scorsese said in a recent interview. 害羞草研究所淏ecause there is no limit. The limit is in yourself. These are just tools, the lights and the camera and that stuff. How much further can you explore who you are?害羞草研究所�
Scorsese害羞草研究所檚 lifelong exploration has seemingly only grown deeper and more self-examining with time. In recent years, his films have swelled in scale and ambition as he害羞草研究所檚 plumbed the nature of faith ( ) and loss ( ).
His latest, about the systematic killing of Osage Nation members for their oil-rich land in the 1920s, is in many ways far outside Scorsese害羞草研究所檚 own experience. But as a story of trust and betrayal 害羞草研究所� the film is centered on the loving yet treacherous relationship between Mollie Kyle (Lily Gladstone), a member of a larger Osage family, and Ernest Burkhart (Leonardo DiCaprio), a WWI veteran who comes to work for his corrupt uncle (Robert De Niro) 害羞草研究所� it害羞草研究所檚 a profoundly personal film that maps some of the themes of Scorsese害羞草研究所檚 gangster films onto American history.
More than the back-room dealings of 害羞草研究所淐asino,害羞草研究所� the bloody rampages of 害羞草研究所淕angs of New York害羞草研究所� or the financial swindling of 害羞草研究所淭he Wolf of Wall Street,害羞草研究所� 害羞草研究所淜illers of the Flower Moon害羞草研究所� is the story of a crime wave. It害羞草研究所檚 a disturbingly insidious one, where greed and violence infiltrate the most intimate relationships 害羞草研究所� a genocide in the home. All of which, to Scorsese, harkens back to the tough guys and the weak-willed go-alongs he witnessed in his childhood growing up on Elizabeth Street in New York.
害羞草研究所淭hat害羞草研究所檚 been my whole life, dealing with who we are,害羞草研究所� says Scorsese. 害羞草研究所淚 found that this story lent itself to that exploration further.害羞草研究所�
害羞草研究所淜illers of the Flower Moon,害羞草研究所� a $200-million, 206-minute epic produced by Apple that害羞草研究所檚 in theaters Friday, is an audacious big swing by Scorsese to continue his kind of ambitious, personal filmmaking on the largest scale at a time when such grand, big-screen statements are a rarity.
Scorsese considers 害羞草研究所淜illers of the Flower Moon害羞草研究所� 害羞草研究所渁n internal spectacle.害羞草研究所� The Oklahoma-set film, adapted from , might be called his first Western. But while developing Grann害羞草研究所檚 book, which chronicles the Osage murders and the birth of the FBI, Scorsese came to the realization that centering the film on federal investigator Tom White was a familiar a type of Western.
害羞草研究所淚 realized: 害羞草研究所榊ou don害羞草研究所檛 do that. Your Westerns are the Westerns you saw in the late 害羞草研究所�40s and early 害羞草研究所�50s, that害羞草研究所檚 it. Peckinpah finished that. 害羞草研究所榃ild Bunch,害羞草研究所� that害羞草研究所檚 the end. Now they害羞草研究所檙e different,害羞草研究所� he says. 害羞草研究所淚t represented a certain time in who we were as a nation and a certain time in the world 害羞草研究所� and the end of the studio system. It was a genre. That folklore is gone.害羞草研究所�
Scorsese, after conversations with Leonardo DiCaprio, pivoted to the story of Ernest and Mollie and a perspective closer to Osage Nation. Consultations with the tribe continued and expanded to include accurately capturing language, traditional clothing and customs.
害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 historical that Indigenous Peoples can tell their story at this level. That害羞草研究所檚 never happened before as far as I know,害羞草研究所� says Geoffrey Standing Bear, Principal Chief of Osage Nation. 害羞草研究所淚t took somebody who could know that we害羞草研究所檝e been betrayed for hundreds of years. He wrote a story about betrayal of trust.害羞草研究所�
害羞草研究所淜illers of the Flower Moon害羞草研究所� for Scorsese grew out of a period of reflection and reevaluation during the pandemic. COVID-19, he says, was 害羞草研究所渁 gamechanger.害羞草研究所� For a filmmaker whose time is so intensely scheduled, the break was in some ways a relief, and it allowed him a chance to reconsider what he wants to dedicate himself to. For him, preparing a film is a meditative process.
害羞草研究所淚 don害羞草研究所檛 use a computer because I tried a couple times and I got very distracted. I get distracted as it is,害羞草研究所� Scorsese says. 害羞草研究所淚害羞草研究所檝e got films, I害羞草研究所檝e got books, I害羞草研究所檝e got people. I害羞草研究所檝e only begun this year to read emails. Emails, they scare me. It says 害羞草研究所楥C害羞草研究所� and there are a thousand names. Who are these people?害羞草研究所�
Scorsese is laughing when he says this, surely aware that he害羞草研究所檚 playing up his image as a member of the old guard. (A moment later he adds that voicemail 害羞草研究所渋s interesting to do at times.害羞草研究所�) Yet he害羞草研究所檚 also keen enough with technology to and make cameos in
Scorsese has for years been the preeminent conscience of cinema, passionately arguing for the place of personal filmmaking in an era of moviegoing where films can be devalued as 害羞草研究所渃ontent,害羞草研究所� and big-screen vision can be shrunk down on streaming platforms.
害羞草研究所淚害羞草研究所檓 trying to keep alive the sense that cinema is an artform,害羞草研究所� Scorsese says. 害羞草研究所淭he next generation may not see it that way because as children and younger people, they害羞草研究所檙e exposed to films that are wonderful entertainment, beautifully made, but are purely diversionary. I think cinema can enrich your life.害羞草研究所�
害羞草研究所淎s I害羞草研究所檓 leaving, I害羞草研究所檓 trying to say: Remember, this can really be something beautiful in your life.害羞草研究所�
That mission includes spearheading extensive restoration work with the along with a regular output of . Scorsese and his longtime editor Thelma Schoonmaker are currently producing a documentary on
Cinema, he says, may be the preeminent 20th century artform, but something else will belong to the 21st century. Now, Scorsese says, 害羞草研究所渢he visual image could be done by anything by anybody anytime anywhere.害羞草研究所�
害羞草研究所淭he possibilities are infinite on all levels. And that害羞草研究所檚 exciting,害羞草研究所� Scorsese says. 害羞草研究所淏ut at the same time, the more choices, the more difficult it is.害羞草研究所�
The pressure of time is weighing more heavily on Scorsese, too. He has, he害羞草研究所檚 said, maybe two more feature films left in him. Currently in the mix are an adaptation of Grann害羞草研究所檚 latest book, 害羞草研究所� and an adaptation of Marilynne Robinson害羞草研究所檚 害羞草研究所淗ome.害羞草研究所�
害羞草研究所淗e害羞草研究所檚 uncompromising. He just does what he feels he really wants to look into,害羞草研究所� says Rodrigo Prieto, Scorsese害羞草研究所檚 cinematographer on 害羞草研究所淔lower Moon,害羞草研究所� as well as his last three feature films.
害羞草研究所淵ou can feel that it害羞草研究所檚 a personal exploration of his own psyche,害羞草研究所� adds Prieto. 害羞草研究所淚n doing that, he allows growth for everybody, in a way, to really look into these characters who might be doing things we might find very objectionable. I can害羞草研究所檛 think of many other filmmakers who attempt at such a level of empathy and understanding.害羞草研究所�
Yet Scorsese says he often feels like he害羞草研究所檚 in a race to accomplish what he can with the time he has left. Increasingly, he害羞草研究所檚 prioritizing what害羞草研究所檚 worth it. Some things are easier for him to give up.
害羞草研究所淲ould I like to do more? Yeah. Would I like to go to everybody害羞草研究所檚 parties and dinner parties and things? Yeah, but you know what? I think I know enough people,害羞草研究所� Scorsese says with a laugh. 害羞草研究所淲ould I like to go see the ancient Greek ruins? Yes. Go back to Sicily? Yes. Go back to Naples again? Yes. North Africa? Yes. But I don害羞草研究所檛 have to.害羞草研究所�
Time for Scorsese may be waning but curiosity is as abundant as ever. Recent reading for him includes a new translation of Alessandro Manzoni害羞草研究所檚 害羞草研究所淭he Betrothed.害羞草研究所� Some old favorites he can害羞草研究所檛 help but keep revisiting. 害羞草研究所淥ut of the Past害羞草研究所� 害羞草研究所� a movie he first saw as 6-year-old 害羞草研究所� he watched again a few weeks ago. (害羞草研究所淲henever it害羞草研究所檚 on, I have to stop and watch it.害羞草研究所�) Vittorio De Sica害羞草研究所檚 害羞草研究所淕olden Naples害羞草研究所� was another recent rewatch.
害羞草研究所淚f I害羞草研究所檓 curious about something, I think I害羞草研究所檒l find a way 害羞草研究所� if I hold out, if I hold up 害羞草研究所� to try to make something about it on film,害羞草研究所� he says. 害羞草研究所淢y curiosity is still there.害羞草研究所�
So too is his continued astonishment at cinema and its capacity to transfix. Sometimes, Scorsese can hardly believe it. The other day he watched 1945 horror film 害羞草研究所淭he Isle of the Dead,害羞草研究所� with Boris Karloff.
害羞草研究所淩eally? How many more times am I going to see that?害羞草研究所� Scorsese says, laughing at himself. 害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 their looks and their faces and the way (Karloff) moves. When I first saw it as a child, a young teenager, I was terrified by the film and the silences of it. The sense of contamination. I still get stuck on it.害羞草研究所�
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