Martin Scorcese’s recent statements concerning comic book films — and their place in the world of “true” cinema — has many MCU and DCEU enthusiasts quite irked. Not to mention, James Gunn — the director of Guardians of the Galaxy — has even spoken out to express how saddened he is by the iconic director’s most recent statements.
While promoting his upcoming film The Irishman, Martin Scorsese was asked about the MCU. Asked whether or not he watched the films, Scorsese stated:
I don’t see them. I tried, you know? But that’s not cinema.
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.
Martin Scorsese, in one sentence, minimized and stereotyped an entire world of comic book to screen creations, which has since caused quite the outcry among those who view and participate in the making of such films. However, Martin Scorcese isn’t the only A-list director who feels this way. Here’s a list of other filmmakers who feel similarly to the man behind Taxi Driver.
Ridley Scott
Ridley Scott, an English filmmaker most known for his sci-fi and action-oriented dramatic spectacles, helmed Alien, Blade Runner, Prometheus, Gladiator, and more. In an interview with Digital Spy, Scott stated the following concerning superhero movies:
Superhero movies are not my kind of thing — that’s why I’ve never really done one. [I’ve been asked] several times, but I can’t believe in the thin, gossamer tightrope of the non-reality of the situation of the superhero. I’ve done that kind of movie — Blade Runner really is a comic strip when you think about it, it’s a dark story told in an unreal world. You could almost put Batman or Superman in that world, that atmosphere, except I’d have a f****ng good story, as opposed to no story!
Ridley Scott goes on to claim that while Blade Runner could fit within the superhero realm, he rarely sees narratives of equal caliber come to the screen wearing a cape. Scott definitely wasn’t afraid to speak his mind.
David Cronenberg
David Cronenberg is a Canadian filmmaker most recognized for his work on The Fly, A History of Violence, Cosmopolis, and Videodrone. While his films aren’t always big-budget ticket-sellers, they often open to positive critical and audience reviews. Cronenberg slammed the superhero genre a while back, stating:
I don’t think they are making them an elevated art form. I think it’s still Batman running around in a stupid cape.
Christopher Nolan’s best movie is Memento, and that is an interesting movie. I don’t think his Batman movies are half as interesting, though they’re 20 million times the expense. A superhero movie, by definition, you know, it’s a comic book. It’s for kids…
Jodie Foster
Actor-turned-director Jodie Foster is most known for starring in Panic Room, The Silence of the Lambs, Taxi Driver, Contact, and more. However, she was also the director behind Little Man Tate, Home for the Holidays, The Beaver, and Money Monster. When discussing big-budget, comic-book type movies, Foster stated:
…Going to the movies has become like a theme park. Studios making bad content in order to appeal to the masses and shareholders is like fracking — you get the best return right now but you wreck the earth. It’s ruining the viewing habits of the American population and then ultimately the rest of the world.
Foster went onto explain that she’s not interested in creating “$200 million movies about superheroes.” She sets out to make movies that will help her figure out who she is, or “evolve as a person.”
Honorable Mentions
James Mangold: 3:10 to Yuma. Walk the Line, Ford v. Ferrari
Roland Emmerich: Independence Day, The Day After Tomorrow, The Patriot
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