Scorsese on Filmmaking and Faith

by Martin Scorsese, Antonio Spadaro

'Have I succeeded, in my own life? I don't know. I don't think so. I'm in my eighties now and I just don't know. But then, maybe "success" is the wrong way of framing it. You just try, and when you fail, you keep trying.'

Over the course of eight years, Martin Scorsese and Jesuit theologian Antonio Spadaro discussed filmmaking and faith.

From his Catholic upbringing amidst the brutality of 1950s New York to the heights of Hollywood, Scorsese sketches a unique self-portrait. And from Mean Streets to Killers of the Flower Moon - and especially the spiritual reckonings of The Last Temptation of Christ and Silence - he grants readers a new understanding of his films.

Reflecting on grace and violence, fear and hope, passion and belief, these rich and intimate conversations offer a remarkable insight into the director's life and work.

76 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 6, 2025

About the author

Martin Marcantonio Luciano Scorsese is an American Academy Award-winning film director, writer, and producer. Also affectionately known as "Marty", he is the founder of the World Cinema Foundation and a recipient of the AFI Life Achievement Award for his contributions to the cinema and has won awards from the Golden Globe, BAFTA, and Directors Guild of America. Scorsese is president of the Film Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to film preservation and the prevention of the decaying of motion picture film stock.

Scorsese's body of work addresses such themes as Italian American identity, Roman Catholic concepts of guilt and redemption, machismo, and the violence endemic in American society. Scorsese is widely considered to be one of the most significant and influential American filmmakers of his era.[3] He earned an MFA in film directing from NYU's Tisch School of the Arts.

Reviews

[Peter Castrisios · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love it. Beautiful, powerful short read. Scorsese is such a genius and endlessly inspiring. Loved the short script at the end. I can only assume that if he ever does make another film about Jesus, it’d be the greatest film of all time.

[Kobe · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm a movie fan who likes Scorseses movies but wouldn't call myself a diehard fan. Not being religious either really made this an interesting read, but it definitely felt like something that would hit hard for anyone who is fully committed to one of the two main aspects of this book.

[Oscar O'Sullivan]

Always a joy to listen to Scorsese on any topic, thoughtful and direct.

[Simon Sweetman · Rating 3 out of 5]

A worthwhile read for anyone interested in filmmaking, or faith, or both.