This interview, conducted by Kent Jones, takes Scorsese through the golden years of Hollywood and covers Bait, Strange Fascination, and all sorts of directing styles. 

But the real gems happen later. 

Hearing Scorsese talk about old Hollywood is awesome, but knowing he stays current on new releases makes me even happier. Skip to 16:43 to hear his thoughts on Hereditary and we can talk after the jump. 

Thanks to Film at Lincoln Center for the video and interview! 

Did Martin Scorsese like Hereditary? 

“That’s a remarkable film…The restraint in the frame is extraordinary. Again there’s one cut, one camera move when she stands up that’s quite something. The restraint in the frame is extraordinary. About the whole movie. I try to watch films, it’s very hard sometimes to be able to find the time, and when you do, something that stands out is amazing. This did. I was really electrified by the dynamic, which you see, that’s expressed in this scene. Now the story… I’ve forgotten some of it I’m sorry, but what I didn’t forget was the family, the three of them. That’s what’s important in terms of this filmmaker. And these actors, they’re astounding. Toni Colette, I mean, she’s…. [shakes head].” --- Martin Scorsese

Man, Ari Aster must have chills hearing Scorsese compliment him. 

Scorsese felt electrified by the family dynamic in the movie and the trauma within the story. Hearing him wax poetic about the actors and direction is special. What I think we can all learn from this is how Scorsese appreciates the silences within the movie. 

So much of writing and directing feels active, but there are times when you just need to let the silence in to create something eerie and ominous. Know when not to touch the camera and let the story unfold. 

He went on with the compliments:

“By the way, if you haven’t seen this thing, it is a horror picture and there are sequences later… but the real thing is the sequences where she goes into his room and it intercuts with him in flames… the intercutting and how it’s done. It’s just wonderful filmmaking. Disturbing, there’s no doubt, it’s a horror film in that way. But it’s more than that. It reminds me of the best of horror films.”

The movie works because when you take the horror away it still survives on the family dynamic. 

So the next time you sit down to write, ask yourself how the genre adds to the story? What can you add in to continue to build out the tale? 

What's next? Learn more about genres! 

Film and TV genres affect who watches your work, how it's classified, and even how it's reviewed. So how do you decide what you're writing? And which genres to mash-up? The secret is in the tropes.  

Click to learn more!