This Is Why Martin Scorsese Turned Down Directing Schindler's List
"Schindler's List" is a pivotal moment in Steven Spielberg's career. It is a masterpiece of a movie that not only signified a personal achievement for Spielberg when he finally got his Oscar, but it also showed he was able to craft incredible dramas as well as genre fare. It also saw Spielberg putting his Jewish upbringing and faith on screen in a more profound and personal way than he had ever done before. But this is also a movie that had a long and winding road to getting made, and we almost got a very different version — one directed by Martin Scorsese.
Speaking to Deadline, Scorsese opened up about his failed "Schindler's List" adaptation and why he ultimately passed on making the movie. Turns out, it has a lot to do with another one of his films that dealt with faith.
"I did ['The Last Temptation of Christ'] I did it a certain way, and 'Schindler's List' was scuttled by its reception," Scorsese said. But he did work on "Schindler's List" long enough to hire Steve Zaillian to work on the script with him. "I used the phrase at the time, 'I'm not Jewish.' What I meant was, it's the old story that the journey had to be taken by a Jewish person through that world, and I think Steven also learned that."
Indeed, Scorsese ultimately passed on making the film after realizing a Jewish filmmaker would capture something he couldn't. "I wasn't being altruistic, but it just made sense to me that he was the person who really should go through this," Scorsese added. "I was concerned that I wouldn't be able to do justice to the situation."
The right choice
Though he didn't specify how his version of the film would have been different, Scorsese did admit that "If I did it, it would not have been the hit that it became." He also states it had potential, saying it "may have been good," but what's interesting is that Scorsese had a different ending, which he sadly doesn't reveal.
Ultimately, of course, this worked out for everyone. When Scorsese passed on doing "Schindler's List," he traded the rights to the film to Steven Spielberg, who instead offered a different title he was trying to adapt but passed on, "Cape Fear."
As for Scorsese, deciding he simply wasn't the right person to the story is rather insightful of him. The conversation of who gets to tell a story has only grown bigger and more important in recent years, and a story as raw and important as "Schindler's List" would not be the same without someone who understands the significance of it at the helm.