Margot Robbie reveals Martin Scorsese’s thoughts on what makes a great film
Margot Robbie made her feature-length debut in 2013 in Martin Scorsese’s The Wolf of Wall Street, and the actor has recently shared what it was like working with the legendary filmmaker during a BAFTA event in London. Robbie went on to explain what Scorsese thinks makes a great film.
According to Robbie, Scorsese believes that the best films all have one thing in common. She said, via Deadline: “We were shooting the shot where I’m running up the stairs, and he turns to me and goes, ‘Every great movie has a stair shot’. I’ve told so many directors since that Martin Scorsese says every great movie has a stairwell shot, so get the stairs in there.”
Robbie also noted that Scorsese appears to have great trust in the cast of his films. He did not give her any direction on how she ought to perform, even though he spent a lot of time with her during production.
“We spoke all the time,” Robbie said. “I’d sit at video village, and he would tell stories about the Mafia and old film stars, but he didn’t actually give direction.” It goes to show the iconic director’s confidence in his actors. He knows they would not have got the role unless he knew that they are capable of giving themselves direction, having understood the characters they are portraying.
Robbie had also recently opened up on the early part of her career and the fact that she almost quit after she gained widespread attention following her debut film role. She said, “Something was happening in those early stages, and it was all pretty awful. If my mom dies in a car accident because you wanted a photo of me going in the grocery shop, or you knock my nephew off a bike – for what? For a photo? It’s dangerous, but still, weirdly, nothing feels like it changes.”
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