Martin Scorcese, the native New Yorker and director best known for his ultra-gruesome, gruff fiction films like “Taxi Driver,” “Gangs of New York” and “The Departed,” has decided to take on a more Southern and realistic subject — well, as realistic as a documentary about a politician can be — by directing a documentary about Bill Clinton.
The HBO documentary will depict the Arkansas-bred former president’s life and career. Scorcese agreed to do the project because he considers Clinton “a towering figure who remains a major voice in world issues,” according to The New York Times.
“Through intimate conversations, I hope to provide greater insight into this transcendent figure,” Scorcese said. The director will have Clinton’s “full cooperation,” according to the Times.
“I am pleased that legendary director Martin Scorsese and HBO have agreed to do this film,” Clinton said in a statement to the Times. “I look forward to sharing my perspective on my years as president, and my work in the years since, with HBO’s audience.”
This will be Scorcese’s third documentary for the cable network after 2011’s “George Harrison: Living in the Material World” and “Public Speaking,” about author Fran Leibowitz. Both of his previous documentaries were critically successful and both have over 90 percent “fresh” ratings on film review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes.