Berlinale 2024: Inside the Martin Scorsese press conference
David Mouriquand
There’s little need to introduce Martin Scorsese at this point.
The director behind Taxi Driver, Raging Bull, Goodfellas, Casino, The Wolf of Wall Street recently became the most nominated filmmaker at the Oscars with Killers of the Flower Moon.
To say he's cinema royalty at this point is a little like saying coffee goes well with cigarettes, that Lozenges are Tom Waits' natural enemy, or that the Spice Girls fell apart without Geri. Evidences.
The legendary filmmaker is at the Berlin Film Festival this year to receive an honorary Golden Bear, and we weren’t about to miss out on one of his only press moments of the festival...
2: 30: I get here stupidly early and there's already a small, eightperson queue. I bump into a friend of mine who got here even earlier, and engages me in conversation. We chat about the highlights of our festival so far. Three minutes in, a rude, Fabien Barthezlooking Scorsese stan with daggers for eyes interrupts the ongoing conversation.
"You do know you're going to have to go to the back of the queue right? You can't just stay with this guy. Not for this press conference."
"No no, he can stay," replies my colleague.
"No, he can't. He doesn't know you."
Putting aside that I've known him for about 6 years, which is apparently not long enough, it was never my intention of skipping the queue. Having grown up in the UK, there are certain things you just don't do.
Not wishing to create an incident, considering this fanboy has clearly been waiting his entire lifetime for the opportunity to see the 81-year-old director, I say my goodbyes and head to the back - which is just four people behind milk-of-human-kindness over here. No biggie. Still, no laughing matter, this one. But after the Spielberg event last year, I expected passions would run high.
2: 42: My mind starts its usual strange dance - does one ever really know anyone?
Leave it be, David.
More topically, what's my favourite Scorsese film?
I think Cape Fear was the first one I saw. Taxi Driver and King of Comedy spring to mind, obviously. even
I have very fond memories of Bringing Out The Dead with Nic Cage. That's an underrated one.
They're showing 2006’s The Departed tonight at the Palast to hand the director his honorary golden bear. That's got to be up there. Not The Irishman though - still can’t get with that one.
2: 53: How did Mark Wahlberg's Staff Sergeant Dignam figure out that Matt Damon's Sullivan was the rat in The Departed? It's always bothered me. Dignam was suspended until he returned to murder Sullivan right at the last minute. There wasn't anyone still alive who had proof of Sullivan's connection to Jack Nicholson’s Frank Costello. So how did he know??
3: 25: Still queuing, and replaying The Departed in my mind.
Isn't the life of a film critic exciting?
The current thing I'm focusing on is Matt Damon's character. Do we think Sullivan might be in the closet? Anyone who spouts that amount of homophobic slurs clearly has something to hide. Speaking of hiding, his whole character is about hiding in plain sight. Next time I watch it, which won't be tonight since I have reviews to catch up on, I'm going to focus on any subtext that may lead to convincing me that Sullivan is a closeted gay man.
As you can imagine, I'm a laugh a minute when it comes to kicking back for movie night.
3: 30: They still haven't opened the press conference room and the line is growing. Why am I here? It's been an hour already. I could be watching another film, which is technically why we're all here at the Berlinale. I could be getting a review out of the way... But no. I'm sandwiched between Italian journalists who, from what I can make out, are talking about what questions to ask Marty. They are delightful though - I hope they get the mic later.
3: 37: The security guards are starting to get busy. That's some progress. One journalist is currently using her phone as a mirror to better use her eyelash curlers. Those always looked like a medieval torture device to me, so fair play to you, madam.
3.53: "Ladies and gentlemen, we're about to open the doors. One person, one chair." Seems simple enough. Let's see how this goes.
3: 55:
The mad dash begins.
These things really do remind you of the worst the profession has to offer at times. But I'm part of the problem by contributing to this nonsense, so more fool me. I've secured a central spot on the second row. My editor would be proud. It’s all for his approval, really.
4: 05: I wonder if Marty has names for his glorious eyebrows. This is where I'm at. Clearly delirium is setting in. My editor would be less proud.
4: 07: Some very excited grownups are already taking pictures of themselves in front of the stage where Scorsese and outgoing Berlinale artistic director Carlo Chatrian's name tags are.
4: 20: It's getting very loud in here. It's jammers but there's a distinct lack of drama or insults. Every seat is taken, and there are rows of journos standing at the back behind the cameras. It’s actually quite impressive.
4: 26: Like Spielberg's press conference last year, I’m nervously anticipating this one. There weren't too many cringey questions for The Beard, so hopefully there won't be too many for Eyebrows. However, press conferences are where film critics lose all common sense. You would not believe the amount of hilariously awful questions that get asked at these things. It’s a chance to share a space with A-list actors and directors, and some journalists can't help but cream themselves and use these get-togethers as a platform to make themselves feel important or look good. They rarely do. Still, hope springs eternal.
4: 35: I love how Scorsese gets a colourful booster cushion. That's nice. He's deserved it.
4: 50: The main man arrives - in a dashing blue suit and that signature smile that could light up a room. He's bang on time, so thank you Marty for making this already very long afternoon a little less painful.
I'm ditching the Captain's log schtick and will stick to his best quotes and replies...
It all starts off sweetly enough. A journalist invites him to Georgia and thanks him for the person she is today. The fan (because it’s fandom, not journalism at this point) invites him to share some glorious Georgian wine (and it is glorious) and asks him how he would describe himself in one word.
“A mystery,” he replies with a big grin.
Scorsese then goes on to reflect on how watching international films when he was younger, from Satyajit Ray or Akira Kurosawa, helped expand his understanding of the world and his empathy for people far from his New York neighbourhood.
“Maybe, similar kids around the world might see a film and be affected by it; they might not make films or anything, but it could change their lives,” he said.
There is a ludicrous amount of clapping, wooping and laughing at pretty much everything Marty says. Granted, he’s cinema Jesus for many, but this crowd is in full fawning mode, lapping up everything he says. If he passed gas at this point, I’m sure he’d get a standing ovation.
Don’t get me wrong, everything he says is lovely - he’s articulate and insightful, and I could listen to him and his comments on film conservation for hours. But the overly deferential reaction he gets for practically every comment feels a little grating, to be honest.
A touching moment does come when the director mentions the impermanence of life.
“I’m very sad about the impermanence of life, but it doesn’t have to be that impermanent so soon. People say the whole world’s going to die and I know we’re heading toward the sun or the moon or something, but in the meantime, we’re all here. So let’s communicate. Let’s communicate through art.”
When asked if there are any young directors who Scorsese is inspired by (one of the rare sensible questions during this press conference), he replies:
“At 81, time is an issue. I need to select the films I watch. There’s Celine Song’s Past Lives, Wim’s film Perfect Days...”
Both fine choices.
“I try to keep up as much as I can.”
You’re lovely, Marty. Just lovely. When asked if cinema could be dying, Scorsese says: "Cinema isn’t dying - it’s just transforming. It was never was meant to be just one thing. We were used to it being one thing. Growing up, if you wanted to see a movie you went to a theatre. It was always a communal experience.”
He continues:
“But the tech