Scorsese ‘threatened to get gun’ after request to cut violence from Taxi Driver

By Rosie Shead, PA

Director Martin Scorsese said he was “threatening” to get a gun and destroy a cut of his 1976 hit Taxi Driver after being asked to cut violence from the film.

In the first look at Apple TV+’s upcoming documentary series about the director, titled Mr Scorsese, fellow filmmaker Steven Spielberg says Scorsese called him at his office while he was “very upset” after being asked to reduce violence in a scene from the psychological thriller.

Recalling their conversation, Spielberg said: “’Steve, Steve, it’s Marty, Steve. Can you come over to the house?’

 

“’They want me to cut all the blood spurting, they want me to cut all the blood spurting, they want me to cut the guy who loses his hand’.”

In the teaser, Scorsese is asked whether he had a gun at this time, which he denied, but admitted he was threatening to get one.

“I was going to get one,” Scorsese said.

“But I wasn’t going to get it, really?”

The Oscar winner added: “I was angry and said I’m going to threaten them or maybe just shoot or something, I had no idea, I mean I was threatening.

“What I wanted to do, and not with a gun, I would go in, find out where the rough cut is and break the windows and take it away.

“They’re going to destroy the film anyway, you know, so let me destroy it.

“I’ll destroy it but before destroying it I’m going to steal it.

“Spielberg and a number of others said ‘Marty, stop that, Marty, you can’t do that’.”

Scorsese said of the sequence in question that he “toned the colour down”, which Spielberg said meant none of the violence had to be cut from the film and “saved the movie”.

Taxi Driver features Robert De Niro as Travis Bickle, a former US marine who becomes a taxi driver, which earned him his first Oscar nomination and saw co-star Jodie Foster nominated in the best supporting actress category.

The five-part documentary series, directed by award-winning filmmaker Rebecca Miller, features Scorsese’s personal archive and interviews with collaborators including actors De Niro, Daniel Day-Lewis and Leonardo DiCaprio.

It follows the director from his time as a New York University student to the present day, exploring the themes that have influenced his work.

The series will be released on the streaming platform on October 17.