The august film critic Roger Ebert recognized Scorsese's talent early, praising the young director as one of the next great directors. In this book of criticism, Ebert insightfully dissects what it is that makes a Scorsese film a Scorsese, and what it is that makes a Scorsese film great.
This book is one of a series of anthologies of interviews with great directors. Scorsese is most interesting in his own words, and this collection is just that. The interviews cover a wide-ranging assortment of topics from Scorsese's personal life to his views on cinema and art.
This non-fiction history book by Peter Biskind is a fascinating, page-turning, un-put-downable history of the sex, drugs and rock n' roll-fueled world of the 1970s film scene. In addition to sharing some juicy tidbits about then-young auteurs like Scorsese, Steven Spielberg and Roman Polanski, the book gives an inside look into a decade that has permanently changed the look and feel of American movies. A fun read.
Authors Thompson and Christie essentially got Scorsese on the record for a series of long, book-length interviews. In this series of conversations, Scorsese shares insights into his background, his filmmaking process and what inspires him to create art. Definitely an interesting read.
Scorsese received a copy of Wharton's The Age of Innocence shortly after he finished Raging Bull, and spent a decade thinking about the movie he wanted to make. While the period costumes and social intrigue of Wharton's 19th century drama may seem an odd choice for the maker of Mean Streets and Gangs of New York, it's actually not as great a departure as you might think. Wharton's novel explores the gray areas of morality and judgment that so inspire Scorsese.
Scorsese chose this children's book as the inspiration for his forthcoming 3-D movie Hugo Cabret, scheduled for release in 2011. This beautifully illustrated book (it won the Caldecott Medal for illustration) is about a 12-year-old orphan living in a Paris train station in the 1930s. Read it and get excited for Scorsese's interpretation.