Martin Scorsese has been one of the most admired and prolific directors and producers of feature films over the past 50 years. His films are known for their unflinching takes on some of the darker aspects of life (though they do not represent his entire oeuvre, he is perhaps best known for his crime-drama works like “Goodfellas,” “Casino,” and “The Departed”). This means he has not produced much of what we might call “family-friendly” movies (the prolific use of vulgar language and scenes permeate many of his works, particularly in those organized crime movies). While his subject matter has often been based on these matters, it would be a mistake to suggest that he glamorizes these lifestyles or advocates for their pursuit. Indeed, these movies often show the depravity of lost men and women, as well as the inevitable consequences for those who pursue those such ends. Sadly, many of these movies end without any real message of true justice (ironic because of the genre in which he has often worked) or hope.
Such an understanding of the fruit of Scorsese’s professional life causes a statement the 77-year-old director made in a New York Times piece published on Jan. 2, 2020, in which he spoke on a wide range of topics but most notably death: “Often, death is sudden. If you’re given the grace to continue working, then you’d better figure out something that needs telling.” For Scorsese, his films have been vehicles through which he could delve into and explore various themes of life. For instance, in his most recent release “The Irishman,” the plot follows Frank Sheeran (a man who claimed to have killed Jimmy Hoffa) in his final days. On its surface, we might see another mobster movie, one of many in Scorsese’s catalog, but the theme in the movie is much deeper. The movie considers a man who is at the end of his life, looking back on what he has done and what it has cost him. As Scorsese puts it himself, “It’s all about the final days. It’s the last act.”
The director recognized at a young age that a person’s vocation is a “calling” from God after failing out of a preparatory Catholic seminary. Though Scorsese is Roman Catholic and has said that he believes in the tenets of Christianity such as the Resurrection and the Incarnation, it’s interesting that he has chosen over the years to neglect using the gifting he was given by God to compellingly tell a story for the purpose of pointing people to those amazing truths. Rather than figuring out that the Gospel needs to be told, he chose instead to tell about other aspects of our existence – aspects that illustrate our need for Christ, but without ever pointing us to the Savior. In fact, in the one instance where Scorsese approached the subject of Jesus (in the movie “The Last Temptation of Christ”), he did so in what can only be described as blasphemous.
Yet Scorsese’s assertion – “If you’re given the grace to continue working, then you’d better figure out something that needs telling” – represents truth that is beyond that of which the director even realizes, but one that you and I as believers must not overlook. This past week, we entered a new year and a new decade, but we did so with an old, old story that still needs to be told. It’s the story of the Gospel, one we see developed and revealed to us through the pages of God’s Word. It’s the story of creation, fall, redemption, and consummation. It’s the story of rebels who are redeemed and adopted into the royal family. It’s the story of how we are unable to restore our relationship with God, but His initiative to do so through the sending of His Son. It’s the story of the Incarnation, the perfect life, the vicarious death, and the glorious resurrection. It’s the story of grace – and it’s one that has been entrusted to us to share wherever God has placed us: in our families, in our friendships, and in our places of employment. Jesus said in Acts 1:8, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” You don’t need to be an Oscar-winning director to tell this story compellingly, you just need to be willing to let others know about what Jesus has done for you. Just something to think about…
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