Martin Scorsese reveals why he quit seminary and chose cinema over the church

Legendary filmmaker Martin Scorsese has opened up about a chapter of his life that could have taken him on a very different path: his early days at a Catholic seminary.

The 82-year-old director shared his personal journey in Rebecca Miller’s new documentary, ‘Mr. Scorsese’, which premiered at the New York Film Festival.

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Scorsese spoke about how religion has always been a central part of his life. He recalled attending Mass at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City when he was just seven years old. This experience ended up leaving a deep impression on him. He continued his religious education into his teenage years, exploring the teachings and rituals of the Catholic Church.

“There was a preparatory seminary on 85th Street,” Scorsese said in the documentary. “I did okay for the first few months, but then something changed. I started noticing the world around me. Early rock and roll was everywhere, and it felt like the old ways were fading. I began feeling emotions I hadn’t felt before. Falling in love, being attracted to girls. Suddenly, I realised life was more complicated than I had thought. You can’t shut yourself off from it.”

He added, “The idea of becoming a priest, devoting yourself to others, that’s what it’s about. But I realised I didn’t belong there. I tried to stay, but eventually they spoke to my father and said, ‘Get him out of here.’ Apparently, I had been behaving badly.”

Martin Scorsese didn’t give details about what counted as “bad behavior”. But childhood friend Joe Morale mentioned in the documentary that the young director “had a heavy eye for the ladies.”

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Despite leaving the seminary, Scorsese’s fascination with faith never faded. Religion has been a recurring theme throughout his filmmaking career.

From the controversial 1988 film ‘The Last Temptation of Christ’ to the 2017 historical drama ‘Silence’, Scorsese has explored spiritual questions.

He also directed ‘Kundun’ in 1997. The film tells the story of the 14th Dalai Lama.

‘Mr. Scorsese’ delves deep into the director’s lifelong relationship with faith and filmmaking. The documentary covers his entire career and includes interviews with many of his collaborators and friends, such as Robert De Niro, Leonardo DiCaprio, Daniel Day-Lewis, Jodie Foster, Sharon Stone, Mick Jagger, Robbie Robertson, Thelma Schoonmaker, Steven Spielberg, and cinematographer Rodrigo Prieto.

Scorsese’s family also appears, including his three daughters Cathy, Domenica, and Francesca, and his wife Helen Morris.