‘Mr. Scorsese’ Is a Joy to Watch (Unless You’re Martin Scorsese)

“Mr. Scorsese” Is a Joy to Watch (Unless You’re Martin Scorsese)

The Apple TV documentary miniseries Scorsese offers a vivid, layered portrait of one of cinema’s greatest living filmmakers. Directed by Rebecca Miller, it gathers an extraordinary lineup of Martin Scorsese’s collaborators to celebrate and reflect on his life and work.

Creating the Definitive Portrait

Miller assembled figures from across Scorsese’s vast career: Robert De Niro, Leonardo DiCaprio, Daniel Day-Lewis, Robbie Robertson, editor Thelma Schoonmaker, and Margot Robbie. Joe Pesci was the only major collaborator who chose not to participate. Scorsese himself sat for nearly 20 hours of interviews, offering deep insight into his creative process and private struggles.

Honesty and Introspection

The series delves into Scorsese’s personal and professional milestones. He opens up about his battle with addiction in the 1980s, his relationship with faith, early ties to organized crime figures, and his evolving family dynamics, including his wife Helen Morris’ fight with Parkinson’s disease.

An Insider’s Journey Through Film

Scorsese unfolds as both a documentary and a film school experience, revisiting the making of GoodFellas, The Wolf of Wall Street, Raging Bull, and more. The series not only documents his artistry but immerses viewers in the culture and craft of cinema itself.

Rebecca Miller: "Well, I think to spend such a long time talking to this artist—it's like you are learning about his life, but you're also learning about film and all the films that influenced him. So there was almost like a going to graduate school quality about it."

Author’s Summary

A luminous and intimate documentary, Scorsese captures the filmmaker’s soul through rare honesty, cinematic history, and the voices of his lifelong collaborators.

GQ — 2025-11-04