Scorsese says he wants a break from Hollywood

ROME, Oct 16 (Reuters) Despite the big early success of his new film ''The Departed'', Martin Scorsese plans to take a break from Hollywood blockbusters and focus on the adaptation of a Japanese novel for his next work.

Scorsese won the only standing ovation so far at the Rome Film Festival with the screening of his modern-day cops versus mobsters thriller starring Jack Nicholson, Leonardo DiCaprio and Matt Damon.

The film, a 90 million dollar remake of the Hong Kong drama ''Infernal Affairs'', scored the best opening in Scorsese's career at the US box office last weekend, and has been touted as a likely Oscar contender.

Scorsese yesterday said he had had no particular problems with Warner Bros Pictures, the studio behind the film, but that he was finding it harder and harder to work on big productions, and felt Hollywood studios restricted the creativity of directors.

''I think I am finding that when there are very big budgets there is less risk that can be taken,'' Scorsese told reporters in Rome after a press screening of his film.

He said Warner had been supportive and patient as he shot ''an experimental film like 'The Departed', which we only finished three weeks ago''.

''But I don't know how much longer that can hold out, with regard to what kind of movie they -- the major studios -- would like to make and the kind of film I'd like to make''.

His next project could not be more different from the crime stories he is renowned for. It's an adaptation of Shusaku Endo's novel ''Silence'' and tells the story of two 17th century Portuguese missionaries.

''It's a small-scale, lower-budget film. I have wanted to do it for 15 years,'' he said.

But Scorsese said that if he came across another script like ''The Departed'' and could rely on the same type of budget and freedom to do things his own way, he would not say no.

''I'd be tempted, because it's like a disease. It's like a drug''.

Reuters AKJ RS0834