Film enthusiasts are well aware of filmmaker Martin Scorsese's impact on Hollywood through his critically acclaimed filmography, the legendary director had once considered becoming a priest in his early years of life before stepping into the world of cinema.
The director has been open about his fascination towards religion and is often reflected in his work like The Last Temptation of Christ and Silence, but he revealed that once wanted to pursue priesthood, but was "kicked out" as he "behaved badly".
In the first episode of Mr. Scorsese, a new docuseries from Rebecca Miller chronicling the life of the veteran director, he shared that he attended his first Catholic mass at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City at the age of seven, which inspired him to pursue a religious education for many years afterwards.
"There was a preparatory seminary, and that was on 85th Street somewhere. I did okay for the first few months, but something happened," he spoke in the series which premiered at the New York Film Festival on October 4.
Scorsese was engulfed with fascination for the world, but soon, he started becoming more aware of the life around him and realised that the world was changing. "It was early rock and roll and the old world was dying out. I became aware of life around me. Falling in love or being attracted to girls, not that you’re acting out on it, but there were these feelings, and I suddenly realized it’s much more complicated than this. You can’t shut yourself off," he said, adding that he eventually understood that he didn't want to take the path of priesthood anymore.
"The idea of priesthood, to devote yourself to others, really, that’s what it's about. I realized I don't belong there," he recollected, "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 doesn't mention what specific "bad" behaviour he indulged in. Scorsese later pursued 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.
In his six-decade-long film career that began in 1967 with Who’s That Knocking at My Door, he had made many influential and acclaimed films like Taxi Driver, Hugo, Raging Bull, Goodfellas, Casino, Shutter Island, Gangs of New York, The Departed, The Wolf of Wall Street and many others.
Mr Scorsese has five episodes and will premiere on Apple TV+ on October 17. It features interviews with Scorsese along with his family members and fellow directors and contemporaries, veterans in the industry including Robert De Niro, Daniel Day-Lewis, Leonardo DiCaprio, Mick Jagger, Robbie Robertson, Thelma Schoonmaker, Steven Spielberg, Sharon Stone, Jodie Foster, Margot Robbie, and others.
