GQ wrote a feature recently on Scorsese and his experiences directing. There’s plenty of wisdom present, even if it’s disjointed, but that’s not relevant right now. There are two quotes that were taken out of context by Variety to stir up needless debate. The internet took the bait, with people embodying the film-equivalent of the Spider-Man pointing meme. You know, the one that’s been parodied in several Spider-Man movies?
I hate this conversation. I hate how overblown it’s gotten, and I hate how it’s encouraged more bad-faith statements than the Rotten Tomatoes controversy. Most-importantly, I hate how tiring it is. We’re currently at the tail-end of a joint-writers’ and actors’ strike. That’s less-important than what a famous director thinks? Seriously!
I should backtrack and explain what bugs me about Variety’s repackaging. First and foremost, there’s this bit:
“…[W]e have to then fight back stronger. And it’s got to come from the grassroots level. It’s gotta come from the filmmakers themselves. And you’ll have, you know, the Safdie brothers, and you’ll have Chris Nolan, you know what I mean? And hit ’em from all sides. Hit ’em from all sides, and don’t give up. Let’s see what you got. Go out there and do it. Go reinvent. Don’t complain about it. But it’s true, because we’ve got to save cinema.”
I’m going to be completely honest: I have no idea what Scorsese’s talking about. Ignoring how I should be allowed to criticize directors, even Martin Scorsese, this paragraph leaves plenty of room to challenge him. For example, what makes The Safdies more credible than James Gunn? Is it because they’ve mastered drama? Is it because they get you to care about their characters? Because if it’s both, I’ve got news about the Guardians of the Galaxy films…
Then there’s Christopher Nolan. I love his take on Batman, even considering The Dark Knight one of my favourite movies, but Nolan’s a product of the studio system. He has a unique voice, but he’s no different than the dozens of action directors. He participated in the superhero craze three times, each time helping shape Hollywood’s current landscape. He’s as guilty of “ruining cinema” as anyone else.
There’s also this idea that action films lack an identity. That isn’t true, even for The MCU. There’s some “uniformity” to them, but the films aren’t rigid. I can easily distinguish the Ant-Man movies from the Iron Man films, and I’m not trained in film analysis! Saying that corporately-driven media can’t have a unique footprint is an insult to the voices responsible for its creation. That’s one of the reasons the strikes happened!
The cherry on the cake is saying “We’ve got to save cinema!”, like it’s the masses’ responsibility. That fault lies on the studios. Ever since the Star Wars franchise debuted, and especially following the failure of Heaven’s Gate, studios have been playing it safe and sticking to tried and true trends. In the 21st Century, that happens to be long-running blockbuster franchises, extensions of pulp serials from the 1920’s and 30’s. Factor in that movie tickets are pricey, and that modern theatre experiences suck, and it’s no wonder the average person only sees tentpole films.
There’s also this idea that action films lack an identity. That isn’t true, even for The MCU. There’s some “uniformity” to them, but the films aren’t rigid. I can easily distinguish the Ant-Man movies from the Iron Man films, and I’m not trained in film analysis! Saying that corporately-driven media can’t have a unique footprint is an insult to the voices responsible for its creation. That’s one of the reasons the strikes happened!
The cherry on the cake is saying “We’ve got to save cinema!”, like it’s the masses’ responsibility. That fault lies on the studios. Ever since the Star Wars franchise debuted, and especially following the failure of Heaven’s Gate, studios have been playing it safe and sticking to tried and true trends. In the 21st Century, that happens to be long-running blockbuster franchises, extensions of pulp serials from the 1920’s and 30’s. Factor in that movie tickets are pricey, and that modern theatre experiences suck, and it’s no wonder the average person only sees tentpole films.
Why’s this getting lost in the shuffle? Remember how International Cinema Day had movie ticket costs halved? Remember how box-office revenue that day was amazing? Remember how no one learned the right lessons? It’s not my responsibility to “save cinema”, it’s the responsibility of executives to gamble on new voices.
Of course, saying this publicly is like yelling at wet paint to dry faster. Nuance is frequently drowned out in favour of yelling and name-calling. That’s not only not healthy, it doesn’t fix anything. And for sure it doesn’t address the issue, something Scorsese hasn’t fully-addressed either. But no one will pay attention, so who am I kidding?
Okay, I don’t agree with Scorsese on saving cinema. But he’s entitled to his opinion. What does bother me, however, is a statement he mentions about franchises:
Of course, saying this publicly is like yelling at wet paint to dry faster. Nuance is frequently drowned out in favour of yelling and name-calling. That’s not only not healthy, it doesn’t fix anything. And for sure it doesn’t address the issue, something Scorsese hasn’t fully-addressed either. But no one will pay attention, so who am I kidding?
Okay, I don’t agree with Scorsese on saving cinema. But he’s entitled to his opinion. What does bother me, however, is a statement he mentions about franchises:
“It’s almost like AI making a film. And that doesn’t mean that you don’t have incredible directors and special effects people doing beautiful artwork. But what does it mean? What do these films, what will it give you? Aside from a kind of consummation of something and then eliminating it from your mind, your whole body, you know? So what is it giving you?”
Did he have to do filmmaking dirty like that?! Martin Scorsese calling modern action movies “not cinema” isn’t new, but comparing the craftwork of artists to AI is an insult. VFX, like scripting and acting, is an art-form filled with artists. They might be overworked and underpaid, hence why Marvel’s VFX teams recently unionized, but they’re not robots. There’s a certain craft and care that goes into making each composition, and Scorsese’s doing it a disservice here. Especially since The Irishman used similar technology for its de-aging effects, all to varied results.
I wouldn’t be bothered if film nerds and Marvel detractors didn’t use this as an excuse to be ignorant. Having a film degree doesn’t make you an “authority” on MCU productions. And the insistence that “woke-ness”, whatever that means, has “killed Disney-adjacent productions” isn’t true. Never mind that the box-offices, and the critical reception, of many of these “woke” productions were good-to-excellent. That’d be too easy!
Maybe this is a losing battle. Maybe I’m shouting into a void, hoping that someone will hear me. I don’t know. Nevertheless, the average person isn’t as invested in Hollywood drama as movie nerds. In a world that grinds people down for profit, movies are a brief escape from that. If the average person sees an MCU or blockbuster venture and isn’t bothered that it’s “not cinema”, whatever that means, then it’s time to let it go. Your sanity will thank you!
Also, Martin Scorsese’s oeuvre, save for Hugo, has yet to really wow me. But that’s something I’ve already discussed, so I won’t rehash my thoughts.
Maybe this is a losing battle. Maybe I’m shouting into a void, hoping that someone will hear me. I don’t know. Nevertheless, the average person isn’t as invested in Hollywood drama as movie nerds. In a world that grinds people down for profit, movies are a brief escape from that. If the average person sees an MCU or blockbuster venture and isn’t bothered that it’s “not cinema”, whatever that means, then it’s time to let it go. Your sanity will thank you!
Also, Martin Scorsese’s oeuvre, save for Hugo, has yet to really wow me. But that’s something I’ve already discussed, so I won’t rehash my thoughts.
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