Academy Award winning director Martin Scorsese details his recent Marvel criticism in a penned essay for The New York Times.
Over the course of the press tour for The Irishman, the attention has fallen on Martin Scorsese for his criticism of Marvel films that have been dominating the box office in recent years. The main point Martin Scorsese said that has caught the attention of many is that he doesn’t consider Marvel movies “cinema.”
Martin Scorsese has received a ton of backlash since his Marvel comments by everyone from Disney’s Bob Iger to various MCU filmmakers. But, Martin Scorsese has also gained support from legendary directors like Francis Ford Coppola. To clarify his Marvel criticism after various weeks of comments, Martin Scorsese penned an essay for The New York Times. In the essay, Martin Scorsese recognizes the hard work put into Marvel films, but explains why it isn’t cinema to him:
“Many of the elements that define cinema as I know it are there in Marvel pictures. What’s not there is revelation, mystery or genuine emotional danger. Nothing is at risk. The pictures are made to satisfy a specific set of demands, and they are designed as variations on a finite number of themes.”
As someone who has recently turned to Netflix, Martin Scorsese also goes into detail on the main reason why he is worried about Marvel films taking over theaters:
“So, you might ask, what’s my problem? Why not just let superhero films and other franchise films be? The reason is simple. In many places around this country and around the world, franchise films are now your primary choice if you want to see something on the big screen. It’s a perilous time in film exhibition, and there are fewer independent theaters than ever. The equation has flipped and streaming has become the primary delivery system. Still, I don’t know a single filmmaker who doesn’t want to design films for the big screen, to be projected before audiences in theaters.”
You can read the entirety of Martin Scorsese’s Marvel essay over at the New York Times.
What are your thoughts on Martin Scorsese’s Marvel criticism presented in the essay? Do you agree with him or not? Feel free to share your own thoughts in the comments below!
Here is the synopsis for Marvel Studios’ Avengers: Endgame:
The grave course of events set in motion by Thanos that wiped out half the universe and fractured the Avengers ranks compels the remaining Avengers to take one final stand in Marvel Studios’ grand conclusion to twenty-two films, “Avengers: Endgame.”
Directed by Anthony and Joe Russo, Avengers: Endgame stars Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner, Don Cheadle, Paul Rudd, Brie Larson, Karen Gillan, Danai Gurira, Benedict Wong, Jon Favreau, Bradley Cooper, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Josh Brolin.
Avengers: Endgame is available on Digital HD, 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray, and DVD.
Source: New York Times
