Film Martin Scorsese - Marvel movies are 'not cinema'

Sweet Square

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Martin Scorsese, one of cinema’s most venerated current directors, has decried superhero movies – the dominant force in today’s industry. The director of films such as Taxi Driver, Raging Bull and Goodfellas told Empire magazine that his attempts to get up to speed with contemporary superhero films had failed.

“I tried, you know?” the director said when asked if he had seen Marvel’s movies. “But that’s not cinema.”

He continued: “Honestly, the closest I can think of them, as well made as they are, with actors doing the best they can under the circumstances, is theme parks. It isn’t the cinema of human beings trying to convey emotional, psychological experiences to another human being.”

https://www.theguardian.com/film/20...marvel-movies-are-not-cinema?CMP=share_btn_tw
Old man yells at clouds or does he have a point ?
 

Relevated

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In America Chicken ain't chicken no more either but people still buy it.
 

Amar__

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They are pure shite - it's what he forgot to add.
 

Ødegaard

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How many people watched the marvel movies?
Guess there are tons that disagree with him.
 

Siorac

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Well, "cinema" always had films like them. In that sense they're very much cinema: this sort of mindless entertainment has always been present.

It was never really this dominant, though. It seems like Hollywood produces nothing but superhero stuff these days which is quite depressing.
 

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They're often decent entertainment for what they are although the bad ones are barely watchable. I can see his point.
What amuses me is people rooting for them to be top in the highest grossing charts as if it justifies their love for marvel. Yay, Disney got richer, isn't it great!
 

do.ob

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I'm no cinema connoisseur, not even close, but even I am disgusted at how they keep repeating their soulless formula ad nauseam and people stil lap it up. I can only imagine how someone like Scorsese feels about it.
 

altodevil

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He's completely bang on. I'm not even a fan of his films either.
 

Sky1981

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He's right

A superhero movie can be entertaining, can be good, can be fun, but it's not acting at its finest.

Try to see the making of superhero behind the screen you'd be hard pressed to take them seriously with green balloons cgied into monster
 

KirkDuyt

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Ooh, look at him wih his high brow filmography and high brow tastes. They're entertaining, bombastic and make a shite-tonne of money. They're the embodiment of Hollywood.

People are stupid, so why should our cinema be any different. So, old elite man, yelling at clouds if you ask me.

Love his movies though.
 

ivaldo

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Is the current #1 always the best music of the time?
Thats relative. More people like Marvel films than some niche subtitled bullshit that seeks to explore the effects of capitalism on global warming.
 

Ødegaard

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Yeah but they'll be wrong. Popular doesn't = good.
On a technical level they are good. Popular in the entertainment industry means good.

Is the current #1 always the best music of the time?
What stupid logic is it that you are trying to force upon me?
No, but despite his haters there is no question that Bieber for example is a popular and good musician, even if he certainly isn't to taste for a lot of us.

Not necessarily. I've watched some of them and enjoyed them, yet completely agree with him.
Only one who is fair among you 3. :p
 

kps88

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He probably watched 20 minutes of Thor and made up his mind. They aren't exactly made for 80 year olds either.

A lot of Marvel stuff is dull but a lot of the good ones definitely convey emotion.
 

Irwin99

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I don't watch these type of films but is the objection mainly that they are fantastical? Or is it because they're flashy, shallow special effects snoozefests? The former i don't agree with at all but the latter I would totally agree with.

Greek tragedy contained some of the most bizarre character situations and myths imaginable but was still relevant to human experience. In that sense I don't mind something that's unrealistic but I can't stand those Michael Bay type films.
 

balaks

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I get the point he is making - I think there are two types of movies - proper 'cinema' which are real works of art and craft and then there are 'movies' that can be very well made and produced but are really just paper-thin entertainment.

Not saying either is better than the other - they both have a place but you can't really compare films like The Godfather or Goodfellas for example with End Game - they are very different beasts.

That being said - there is one film that I can think of that probably straddles both types of films really well and that is Jaws - on one hand it is a pure summer blockbuster but it is so incredibly well made, acted so well and written beautifully that it is also a proper grown up sensational bit of pure cinema.
 

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Thats relative. More people like Marvel films than some niche subtitled bullshit that seeks to explore the effects of capitalism on global warming.
What film is that?

What you're actually doing is championing explosions and muscles whilst decrying something that sounds intellectual as "bullshit"
 

van der star

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It's mass entertainment, pure and simple, nothing wrong with it. Intellectual films are fit for a more niche audience.
 

ivaldo

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What film is that?

What you're actually doing is championing explosions and muscles whilst decrying something that sounds intellectual as "bullshit"
Nah, I'm saying just because something has a message or is considered 'intellectual,' it doesn't make it better. Preferring the latter doesn't somehow make you a movie connoisseur, but declaring the former bullshit just makes you pretentious.
 

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Nah, I'm saying just because something has a message or is considered 'intellectual,' it doesn't make it better. Preferring the latter doesn't somehow make you a movie connoisseur, but declaring the former bullshit just makes you pretentious.
As far as I'm aware, Rado just said scorsese was right and posed the question about being number one not necessarily meaning it's the best. You were the one to refer to films as bullshit.
 

InfiniteBoredom

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It’s not as if Hollywood has a history of pumping out extravagant productions of the same ilk over and over again in quick succession, think of the swords-and-sandals, knights-and-dragons medieval fantasies, space operas etc...

They are not exactly high brow, but superheroes films are hardly a departure from the established cinematic tradition.
 

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It’s not as if Hollywood has a history of pumping out extravagant productions of the same ilk over and over again in quick succession, think of the swords-and-sandals, knights-and-dragons medieval fantasies, space operas etc...

They are not exactly high brow, but superheroes films are hardly a departure from the established cinematic tradition.
It's true.

I think we must be near saturation point though.
 

CassiusClaymore

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Of course he has a point. But he's talking to people that think Lip Peep will be held in higher regard than The Beatles so you know...
 

marktan

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He's a 100% right.

And the worst part is, that unlike music where other genres can easily be found aside from pop music, it's pretty hard these days to find a film on in cinema that isnt a superhero film or part of a series / remake.

I don't mind there being superhero movies, e.g. like how Spiderman and Batman were in the early / mod 2000s, but now weve got 10 out a year and it's shite.