Martin Scorsese regrets being "too harsh" to some people during his career.

The film director is behind some of the best known movies in the world, among them Taxi Driver, Raging Bull and Goodfellas.

He is currently promoting his new picture Hugo, which is about an orphan living in a train station in Paris who becomes embroiled in a mystery.

Martin has been thinking about his lengthy career of late and sometimes worries he has made mistakes.

"You are rejecting them, which is part of the process - to be angry and saying, 'This is no good at all,' and then you come back 20 years later and think maybe you were a little too harsh," he replied to Cover Media, when he asked how young people treat those with more experience. "I was a little too harsh on certain people."

Hugo stars Asa Butterfield as the title character and Chlo Moretz as Isabelle. The two bond over their love of movies, including the work of earlier film pioneer Georges Mlis.

New movie The Artist also focuses on olden-day Hollywood, this time following a silent movie star called George Valentin. Martin says it's just a coincidence that both pictures are out around the same time.

"A lot of this has to do with timing. We had no plan. I didn't know what was going on in California. I live in Manhattan, my manager calls me. I had no idea that these films are coming up," he said.

Hugo is released in the UK on December 2.