After the critical success of his recent Hugo, the director says he would make every future film in 3D. Approaching age 70, Scorsese is more concerned with movies that perfect his take on American life than with technology.
Scorsese speaks about how he forged a career spanning more than 45 years, the film he is currently working on how striving to be in the league of the greatest film directors keeps him going on.
Is it important to be in that league of directors?
Yes. I would like to be one of them. But I realise that I am who I am and pretty much, I am at the end of the spectrum so to speak. So I am trying to make it and trying to make the stories count. It’s an interesting challenge because of the marketplace, the change in the industry, the change in technology.
Speaking of the technological changes, would you do another 3D animated film after the critical success of Hugo?
Yes. In a second.
What about another movie for kids?
I don’t know if I have time but if something like that comes up, I wouldn’t mind trying again. But right now, I’m trying to complete other things in my life — for instance a movie on about certain statements; about life, American life, particularly the life I know.
You have made some epic films about American life. What is on your mind at this moment?
Although I am just as much enamored with Italian, British, French Russian and Japanese cinema, I feel my culture, background and foundations are here. And so it is really just trying to find out where you really belong and when you tell a story, it should reflect where it is coming from.
What about your next film, The Wolf of Wall Street with DiCaprio again? What will it say about our financial system?
The film hopes to portray the reversal in values I think. Everything seems to be twisted and turned around in our society. I thought that this country, in terms of what we were founded on, is the idea of a common good. And I don’t see that when when people unleash this kind of behavior. People are people, people are human and when they have the ability to fall into the trap of corruption, they sometimes go for it. But the problem is the reversal of values, I think, and not feeling compassion for others as well as the people you have hurt.
You’ve spent nearly 50 years making movies, and Hollywood is tough. How have you not become cynical? Any regrets?
No, I don’t think they are regrets. I think you just have to be realistic as to what the elements of the situation are at this given time. In the 70s it was one way, by the early 80s it became something else, and then it was disappointing, greatly. Somehow by the late 80s, I seemed to fall back into a situation where I was able to make more pictures, but during the 80s, it was great struggling. And the industry had changed completely.
I was very lucky for example to be involved with actors like Leo DiCaprio and De Niro because together we were able to do some very difficult and thematic subjects.
Published in The Express Tribune, April 16th, 2012.
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