In response to criticism of fellow filmmaker Martin Scorsese, Guillermo del Toro has offered to sacrifice years of his own life, in exchange for letting Scorsese live longer. We’re not even joking.
Del Toro made the offer after reading an article filled with criticism of Scorsese, the director behind crime thriller movies Goodfellas and Taxi Driver, which has been circulating online. He responded to the article in an uncharacteristically enraged manner, taking to social media to say that he was offended by the article’s “sloppy innacuracies [sic] and hostile adjectives not backed by an actual rationale”. He then described the piece as “cruel and ill-intentioned”.
After criticising the content of the article, Del Toro began a full-throated defence of Scorsese himself and, most remarkably, offered to give up years of his own life so that Scorsese could live longer. He said “To be clear: If God offered to shorten my life to lengthen Scorsese’s- I’d take the deal.”
Del Toro then continued by praising Scorsese’s virtues as a filmmaker. He said “This man understands Cinema. Defends Cinema. Embodies Cinema. He has always fought for the art of it and against the industry of it. He has never been tamed and has a firm place in history.”
So, there you have it. If del Toro had the option, he would sacrifice years of his life for Martin Scorsese. Barring rapid, dramatic technological advancements, that’s probably something that del Toro isn’t going to be able to do. But the strength of his feeling on the topic, and his passion for Scorsese remains clear for all to see.
Alongside Scorsese, del Toro has made some of the best movies of all time, and has been a gift to cinema and movie fans around the world. His next movie is the stop-motion animated movie Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio.
If that wasn’t enough drama for you, check out our guide to the best drama movies of all time.