A Memoir
Author: Abel Ferrara
Genre: Autobiography/Entertainment
Hardcover: Digital Book (Audiobook Available)
ISBN #: 971668097670
Simon & Schuster
272 Pages
$29.00; $14.99 Amazon
October 21, 2025
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Throughout his five-decade career, film director Abel Ferrara -- now in his seventies -- has been one of cinema's most provocative and critically revered figures. Since beginning as an independent filmmaker in Manhattan in the early 1970's -- before "indie films" were a genre -- and refining his craft as a director for the TV show Miami Vice, he has directed more than thirty feature films, most notably the cult classics Bad Lieutenant, King of New York, and Dangerous Game.
His work, often controversial for its depictions of sex, violence, and drugs, has been praised for its sincerity and depth, with critics noting that his films take spirituality and morality more seriously than most films do. In Scene, Ferrara opens up about the inspiration for his creativity detailing his dramatic life journey, from his tough upbringing in the 1950s Bronx to reaching the pinnacle of his career while struggling with addition. This memoir is not just a recounting of his life but a manifesto on what it means to be a true artist -- one who refuses to compromise and continues to create boundary pushing work.
Scene is a profound, beautiful, and inspiring account of an artist's relentless pursuit of creativity, making it a must-read for film fans and anyone interested in the gritty realities of the entertainment industry.
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First off, I will tell you that I am a huge film fan. So much so, that I have hundreds of biographies of Hollywood, the Golden Era, actors, directors, studios, etc. There isn't much that I haven't researched and read up to this point. I will also tell you that I own thousands of films, most from the Golden Era of Hollywood.
Now I will tell you that occasionally I watch films that are from a later era, (anything past 1960) but not often. I have heard very little of Mr. Ferrara, but being a fan of Christopher Walken, I have seen King of New York. Giving you what I know (or did know before reading this) of Mr. Ferrara. While this isn't the most fascinating memoir that I've read, it is the grittiest, digging deep into the soul of this director and who he is.
I don't believe in drugs and I don't drink, so my view may be skewed somewhat, but I never judge others on what they do in their private lives. That's not for me to do. Yet I felt something while reading this; something akin to empathy for him. Struggling with addictions is always difficult; people don't always make it. But surrounding yourself with others doing the same things perhaps isn't the best thing to do, so I couldn't feel sorry for him (Empathy and sorrow are two different things).
This memoir is raw, giving us everything from his being born and raised in the Bronx; living with a father who had addictions of his own; his family members, and people he knew along the way. Some you won't like, others you might. His upbringing wasn't easy. But his journey to making films was never tempered, he always knew what he wanted to do. He is not by any means a part of Hollywood, but the Indie scene captivated him in the fact that it allowed him to make the type of films he wants to.
Lastly, I will say that this memoir was definitely intriguing the more I read, and while his films might never be my favorites (as I stated above, I love the Golden Age of Hollywood), I know what part of his soul he put into making them, and that makes all the difference. Recommended.
I was given an advance copy of this book from the publisher and NetGalley but this in no way influenced my review.
More on Abel Ferrara: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001206/?ref_=fn_all_nme_1
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