Martin Scorsese is already a towering figure in cinema history, known for masterpieces like Taxi Driver, Goodfellas, and The Irishman. But beyond his artistic genius, a new side of the director is gaining attention—thanks in part to social media. His daughter Francesca Scorsese has made him a regular presence on Instagram, TikTok, and even Letterboxd, giving the public glimpses into the man behind the movies.
Now, Scorsese is stepping into the spotlight once more in a new Apple TV+ documentary, Mr. Scorsese, directed by Rebecca Miller (She Came to Me, Maggie’s Plan). This five-part series explores “the man, the films, and the city that made them,” and it promises stories that even die-hard fans haven’t heard—like how Taxi Driver was nearly derailed by censorship… and how Scorsese almost took drastic action to stop it.
The battle over blood: How Taxi Driver almost got censored
In the documentary’s first teaser, Steven Spielberg, Brian De Palma, and Martin Scorsese himself recount an almost unbelievable tale. Back in the 1970s, Scorsese had completed his gritty, intense thriller Taxi Driver—but the studio, Columbia Pictures, wanted to cut the film’s most violent scene, fearing backlash from the MPAA (Motion Picture Association of America).
According to Spielberg:
“Marty was furious. He called me and said, ‘Steve, they want me to cut the blood. They want me to remove the guy losing his hand.’”
Brian De Palma adds:
“He was completely out of control. Honestly, he wanted to kill the head of the studio.”
Whether they were exaggerating or not, one thing is clear: Scorsese wasn’t going to give up without a fight.
Scorsese’s rage: “I wanted to grab a gun”
In a surprisingly candid moment, Scorsese confirms just how far his anger pushed him. When asked by a journalist if he actually considered taking a weapon to the studio, the director responded:
“I wanted to grab a gun… but I wasn’t really going to do it. I was angry. I said I’d threaten them. What I actually wanted to do—not with a gun—was break in, find the raw cut, smash the glass, and take it back. They were going to destroy the film anyway… so better it be me. But before they could, I was going to steal it.”
Even Spielberg and others had to step in to stop him. As Scorsese puts it:
“The more people told me ‘no,’ the more I said I’d do it.”
The brilliant workaround that saved Taxi Driver
In the end, Taxi Driver was spared not by violence, but by creative compromise. Spielberg recounts how someone—possibly Scorsese himself—came up with an ingenious idea:
“What if we took the whole sequence… and desaturated the colors? Made it look more like a tabloid photo? Made it grainier?”
By muting the blood-red colors into brownish tones, the scene remained intact but appeared less graphic. The MPAA was satisfied, and Scorsese didn’t have to sacrifice his vision.
This color shift, now iconic in the film’s final shootout scene, allowed Taxi Driver to premiere uncensored, securing its place as a cinematic milestone.
Why Taxi Driver mattered so much to Scorsese
Though Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore had earned Scorsese critical acclaim—and even won Ellen Burstyn an Oscar—Taxi Driver was the film that truly launched him into cult status. Its raw portrayal of urban alienation, combined with Robert De Niro’s unforgettable performance, made it one of the most influential American films of the 20th century.
If the studio had gotten its way, one of the most intense, emotionally charged sequences in film history would have been lost—or severely diluted. Instead, thanks to a combination of rage, passion, and problem-solving, Scorsese got his way.
