Martin Scorsese Reveals Plans to Steal Taxi Driver Film in Apple TV+ Documentary

Martin Scorsese nearly resorted to drastic measures to protect his vision for the 1976 film Taxi Driver, which was threatened by studio demands to cut its graphic violence. In the upcoming Apple TV+ docuseries Mr. Scorsese, both Scorsese and Steven Spielberg recall how the Motion Picture Association of America pressured the director to remove explicit scenes, including a bloody shootout and a character losing a hand. Scorsese admits he contemplated threatening the studio with a gun, or stealing and destroying the film to prevent its mutilation, though he never intended to act on these threats. Ultimately, a creative compromise was reached by desaturating the blood to a brownish hue, allowing the film to retain its intensity and secure an R rating instead of an X. Taxi Driver went on to become iconic, earning critical acclaim, multiple Oscar nominations, and cementing Scorsese's reputation as a leading filmmaker. The docuseries, directed by Rebecca Miller, features in-depth conversations and archival footage that explore Scorsese's career and artistic vision.