There was always a part of me that wanted to be an old-time director. But I couldn't do that. I'm not a pro. Martin Scorsese More Quotes by Martin Scorsese More Quotes From Martin Scorsese Food tells you everything about the way people live and who they are. Martin Scorsese people way I know that I come from mid-20th century America, urban, specifically downtown New York, specifically an Italian-American area, Roman Catholic - that's who I am. And a part of what I know is there's a decency to people who tried to make a living in the kind of world that was around us and also the Skid Row area of the Bowery; it impressed me. Martin Scorsese italian new-york america That subject matter has never left me...The more you're in the material world, the more there is a tendency for a search for serenity and a need to not be distracted by physical elements that are around you. Martin Scorsese serenity elements needs The creation of the island, or the impression of the island, as it changes in the mind of the character also came in to play... there was another very important collaborator, Rob Legato, on special visual effects. And then ultimately there's Thelma Schoonmaker, who keeps me focused during the editing of the picture. Martin Scorsese editing islands character Actually, I was rock climbing on this film at 7 in the morning. It was quite unique! But in any event, the colour of the leaves disturbed me so we had to work on that. On the other hand, I didn't want to drench it in a kind of depressing tone. Martin Scorsese depressing unique morning If everything moves along and there are no major catastrophes we're basically headed towards holograms. Martin Scorsese holograms catastrophe moving If your mother cooks Italian food, why should you go to a restaurant? Martin Scorsese restaurants italian mother If I'm not complaining, I'm not having a good time, hah hah! Martin Scorsese having-a-good-time good-times complaining Could you double-check the envelope? Martin Scorsese envelopes checks As a kid I watched the Academy Awards on television and always wanted one - or several - like one of my favorite directions, John Ford. He won six. On the other hand, Orson Welles, who's on the top of my list, didn't win any. Alfred Hitchcock didn't win any. Howard Hawks didn't win any. Martin Scorsese awards winning kids I tried for about two semesters in a preparatory seminary. But I was about 15 and didn't fully understand what a vocation means. Martin Scorsese vocation two mean I think when you're young and have that first burst of energy and make five or six pictures in a row that tell the stories of all the things in life you want to say... well, maybe those are the films that should have won me the Oscar. Martin Scorsese things-in-life should-have thinking When I was growing up, I don't remember being told that America was created so that everyone could get rich. I remember being told it was about opportunity and the pursuit of happiness. Not happiness itself, but the pursuit. Martin Scorsese pursuit-of-happiness growing-up opportunity For me, the key image is the boat coming through the fog at the beginning. It's something I imagined and liked and I guess there are other references in other films I make - the similar type of image. But I think it's interesting, it's breaking through the mystery, or maybe it stays in the fog... we don't really know. Where is he at the beginning of the film, who is he? Martin Scorsese fog keys thinking Our world is so glutted with useless information, images, useless images, sounds, all this sort of thing. It's a cacophony, it's like a madness I think that's been happening in the past twenty-five years. And I think anything that can help a person sit in a room alone and not worry about it is good. Martin Scorsese our-world past thinking I think if you think of yourself as religious and if you're given a gift, some may not think it's that great a gift - some critics. But others might, you know. So you say, look - whether it's good, bad or indifferent, this is what I do. Martin Scorsese religious looks thinking Working with HBO was an opportunity to experience creative freedom and 'long-form development' that filmmakers didn't have a chance to do before the emergence of shows like 'The Sopranos.' Martin Scorsese hbo opportunity long Vertigo is probably my favourite Hitchcock film and probably one of my favourite films of all time. It's a film that I'm obsessed with. I saw it on its first release in vista vision, projected in vista-vision, at the Capitol Theatre in New York. That moment when the nun comes up in the end... it's just an extraordinary shot. Martin Scorsese vision theatre new-york Death comes in a flash, and that's the truth of it, the person's gone in less than 24 frames of film. Martin Scorsese flash film gone You gotta understand, when moving images first started, people wanted sound, color, big screen and depth. Martin Scorsese color people moving