Martin Scorsese has given the world some of its greatest films, be it The Irishman or The Killers of the Flower Moon. Scorsese has proven himself to be a class act when it comes to filmmaking, inspiring a host of young directors with his breathtaking visual style and story.
One such young talent, that Scorses ended up inspiring was none other than Spike Lee, who has directed critically acclaimed films, such as The BlacKkKLansman, Crooklyn, and Get On The Bus. The director revealed to GQ, that had it not been for Scorses, his career might have looked completely different.
Spike Lee credits his mother for showing him Martin Scorsese’s films
Speaking to GQ, Lee talked about how he discovered his love for filmmaking. Lee’s father, the actor said, had his reasons for not going to the films. He said:
“My father wouldn’t go to movies, he hated films, particularly for how they portrayed Black people at that time”.
The actor praised his mother for introducing him to Scorsese. The actor credits her for taking her to films and calls her “responsible for being a great fan of Martin Scorsese”. The director was also unaware of how films were made, thinking of them as just a source of recreation rather than a full-time job. The director was not sure of when he saw it, but Mean Streets was a film he saw in theatres, at the age of 16. He said:
“Whatever year that was, that’s the year we went.“At that time, I didn’t want to be a film man. I didn’t even know people made films, you just went to the movie theatre. But that film really made an impact on me.”
Lee was convinced that he wanted to be a filmmaker after Scorsese’s film left a deep impact on him. Even if the film was set in Little Italy, Lee found himself connecting with the characters in the film, unlocking his mind to the potential that films had.
Also Read: 1 Actor Who Made Even Leonardo DiCaprio Go “Oh S—t, Game on!” During a Martin Scorsese Movie
Lee and Scorses eventually became good friends and peers
Lee and Scorsese might not have started filmmaking in the same generation, but the two directors have grown close together as filmmakers, peers and friends. Lee said:
“I remember the first time I met Marty. I was at NYU, he had a screening of After Hours, and afterwards, I went up to him and I told him the story. He still remembers it. So, I knew I made an impact on him by just talking to him, telling him how much I liked the film, and we’ve been friends ever since.”
Lee has since become a great filmmaker in his own right, often receiving praise from Scorsese for his directorial offerings. While one can see the influence of Scorsese’s films on Lee’s filmography, Lee has made his name in the industry, also perhaps successfully inspiring another generation of filmmakers to produce quality cinema.
