Scorsese doubles down on Marvel comments, saying cinemas need to step up

Last Updated on July 30, 2021

Earlier this month, Martin Scorsese stirred up a bit of a controversy with his comments on Marvel movies when he said that they're more like theme park attractions than true cinema. "I don’t see them. I tried, you know? But that’s not cinema," Scorsese said. "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." The comments led to quite the debate over what is or isn't cinema, and plenty of Marvel Cinematic Universe actors, including Robert Downey Jr. and Samuel L. Jackson, responded to Scorsese's comments.

While speaking at a press-conference on Sunday ahead of a screening of THE IRISHMAN at the BFI London Film Festival, Martin Scorsese doubled down on his Marvel comments. "It's not cinema, it’s something else," Scorsese argued. "We shouldn’t be invaded by it. We need cinemas to step up and show films that are narrative films." The director made similar comments during BAFTA's annual David Lean lecture on Saturday.

Theaters have become amusement parks. That is all fine and good but don’t invade everything else in that sense. That is fine and good for those who enjoy that type of film and, by the way, knowing what goes into them now, I admire what they do. It’s not my kind of thing, it simply is not. It’s creating another kind of audience that thinks cinema is that.

What's so fantastic about the world of movies is that there's something for everyone. You want an action-packed superhero movie packed to the gills with characters ripped straight from the comic-books? We've got you. You want a touching drama which examines the human condition? We've got you. You want a gruesome slasher movie overflowing with blood and gore? We've got you. The point is, the world of cinema is vast, encompassing all manner of genres and tastes. I do get what Scorsese is touching upon though, the types of films which he's talking about not always given a wide theatrical release. So often, these movies are only screened on the festival circuit or are given limited-releases. Sure, most end up on a streaming service and/or home-media, but there's something to be said for getting to see these movies in a theater, which is an experience Martin Scorsese clearly believes in. At the end of the day, everyone is entitled to their opinion and it's our love of movies which brings us together, even when we spend half our time arguing about them.