At 81, Martin Scorsese remains deeply engaged with cinema, shaping ideas through scenes that move like music. He continues to work, measuring life by the craft of filmmaking rather than the calendar, with his feet firmly on the ground.
The New Yorker recalls how fortunate she was that Paul Newman offered to shoot with her, yet there were other moments when no one answered the phone. It’s a reminder of the unpredictable road behind every collaboration.
Scorsese’s latest visit to Spain followed Apple Original Films’ production of The Moon Killers, a film that drew ten Oscar nominations, including best picture, best director, and best leading actress for Lily Gladstone, who accompanied the maestro on a Madrid trip. She did not join him for the Film Academy discussion this Friday where he spoke with Spanish director Rodrigo Cortés about cinema.
Apple, the event organizer, imposed strict access and a ban on audio or video recording, turning the talk into a coveted, intimate moment that many scholars and fans could not witness firsthand.
In Madrid, Scorsese delivered a masterclass in film history, effortless and precise in memory. He spoke about cinema, life, and music—an almost inseparable trio for him—and shared anecdotes featuring his longtime collaborators Robert De Niro and Leonardo DiCaprio.
He recalled his first collaboration with Al Pacino, where the actor kept repeating a moment until it felt perfect. The director noted that when an actor loves the process, he allows the moment to unfold, even if certain elements are never used, because later they might be useful.
“I’m talking about movies, not years”
The filmmaker behind One of Ours has created 27 films, joking that if it’s 27, he isn’t counting. Each project has been a journey toward building a universe, and every new work requires a different kind of effort. The focus remains on movies rather than time itself.
He reflected on pushing his technique as far as possible, noting a shift toward camera movement and storytelling structure. He has begun to favor documentary approaches when they fit the narrative, though he doesn’t embrace the label, as it sometimes implies a different aim than traditional storytelling.
He spoke about setting boundaries and resisting the trap of telling the audience everything. The hardest part, he said, is the plot itself. Why must viewers know every detail? He joked that he still doesn’t fully grasp what happened in The Departed, suggesting the writer may not either, earning another wave of laughter from listeners.
From his early love of Soviet cinema to discussions of Battleship Potemkin, he connected the texture of New York’s underground film movement with his own working-class roots. He recalled how blackout experiences had fascinated him for years, a fascination sparked by Otto Preminger and carried forward in his own work.
“I don’t need pyrotechnics in my cinema anymore”
There was a time when technology did not exist to stitch shots into seamless illusions. Today, if images lose their meaning, they must be reimagined. He embraces a shift away from unnecessary spectacle, choosing to rethink and feel something fresh rather than showing off technical prowess with sound and camera. His stance is clear: pyrotechnics no longer define his cinema.
The director’s openness to new audiovisual trends continues to impress, underscoring a blend of intelligence and agility that keeps audiences engaged across generations. If a movie is to be watched, he argues, it should begin with immediacy. Long credits still have a nostalgic pull for him, but he acknowledges the audience now expects the film to start quickly, a sign of changing viewing habits.
He places immense value on the opening scene, believing that a compelling start sets the tone, pacing, and momentum. A striking image at the outset can be as risky and powerful as a well-crafted montage, drawing viewers straight into the story.
Looking back at The Moon Killers, he described feeling a twinge of guilt at its end, wishing to address the audience personally during re-airings of radio programs with less-than-ideal scripts. He said it was an emotional moment, one of the rare instances when the seriousness breaks through the usual cadence. The film portrays forgiveness and the complex history of Native Americans, featuring the Osage people as central figures.