Los Angeles: Celebrated filmmaker Martin Scorsese has revealed that he once considered joining the priesthood before realizing it was not his path.
In “Mr. Scorsese,” a new five-part docuseries by Rebecca Miller that premiered at the New York Film Festival on October 4, the director reflects on his early life and the profound influence of religion during his childhood, reported variety.com.
Scorsese recalled attending his first Catholic mass at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York at the age of seven, an experience that inspired him to pursue a religious education. He enrolled in a preparatory seminary but soon found himself drawn to the world beyond the church.
“I began to realize the world is changing. It was early rock and roll and the old world was dying out,” he said in the series, adding that his awareness of love and attraction made him realize life was “much more complicated” than he had been taught.
Although he tried to continue, Scorsese admitted: “The idea of priesthood, to devote yourself to others, really, that’s what it’s about. I realized I don’t belong there. And I tried to stay, but they got my father in there, and they told him, ‘Get him out of here.’ Because I behaved badly.”
The documentary does not detail the specific “bad behavior,” but Scorsese later channeled his experiences and fascinations into cinema, often exploring themes of morality, violence and temptation.
After leaving the seminary, he went on to earn a B.A. in English from New York University’s Washington Square College and later an M.A. from the university’s School of Education. His directorial debut came in 1967 with “Who’s That Knocking at My Door,” marking the start of a six-decade career that produced acclaimed films including “Taxi Driver,” “Raging Bull,” “Goodfellas,” “Casino,” “Gangs of New York” and “The Irishman.”
Scorsese has been nominated for the Academy Award for Best Director ten times, winning in 2006 for “The Departed.”
“Mr. Scorsese” will be released on October 17 and features interviews with his family, collaborators and peers, including Robert De Niro, Leonardo DiCaprio, Daniel Day-Lewis, Mick Jagger, Thelma Schoonmaker, Steven Spielberg, Sharon Stone, Jodie Foster, Margot Robbie and Cate Blanchett.