Marty vs. Marvel
Article by Ray Schillaci
By now, this non-issue has probably been beaten to death. But, the entertainment industry, cinephiles, comic book fans and lovers of the MCU still have their tongues wagging since legendary director Martin Scorsese offered his opinion about the beloved Marvel franchise, dismissing the MCU back in October, stating the films are “not cinema” and likening them more to “theme parks.” Both Kevin Feige, president of Marvel Studios, and director James Gunn (Guardians of the Galaxy) have been respectful with their thoughts on where Scorsese was coming from, and Scorsese himself decided to further explain his opinion in a recent article.
At first glance, Scorsese may come off like the cranky little old man yelling at kids to get off his lawn. Others could say he’s out of touch with today’s audience. There are those that will jump to the assumption that his jealousy was raging out of control. I tend to go with a small mixture of all of it along with a man that has a firm respect for classic cinema. He’s also part of what use to be the Easy Riders, Raging Bulls crowd that bulldozed over the old Hollywood to make their way into cinema history as depicted in the enthralling tell-all book by Peter Biskind. This all leads to a much bigger picture than just the MCU.
Biskind’s book does not paint a glamorous portrait of such legends as Lucas, Coppola, Scorsese and others. Basically, these former greats are now experiencing what old Hollywood faced when the young upstarts came bursting into town. Spielberg, Lucas, Bogdanovich, wild child Dennis Hopper and friends had a new way of telling stories and it was nothing like what Hollywood was used to making before they were born. They were the rebels, and now they have become the establishment. They may still have something to offer, but it’s preferred by many to be viewed on a streaming service rather than the big screen, and that upsets some prima-donnas to no end.
Now, don’t get me wrong. I would still rather see a Scorsese film on the big screen. But, Lucas, for many of us, lost his luster long ago. Coppola may be known more for his wines than his most recent films Twixt, Youth Without Youth and Tetro. Spielberg’s last few efforts (Ready Player One, The Post, The BFG) did not have people lining up for a second go-around like the films of his past. What is having people crowding the theaters and breaking box office records is the Marvel Cinematic Universe and Disney (which are now hand-in-hand).
The state of the industry was foretold to me by my mentor, Karl Schanzer, a former executive for 20th Century Fox. As he surmised: the writing was on the walls during the uprise of Netflix and the downfall of Blockbuster Video. As he explained, here was an industry that was always better known for their bottom-dollar thinking rather than their art form. If one could make their money quicker and with less risk by just selling it to cable, streaming or going straight to DVD or Blu-ray, then why go to the trouble of marketing it to theatrical distributors and spending an exorbitant amount of funds on advertising?
Of course, this stings the purists, and it does put limitations on quality cinema, especially independents that are robbed of an audience and possible followers. The idea of so many people never being able to share the experience of a film with an audience such as Harold and Maude, Eraserhead or King of Hearts is a very sad thought for us cinephiles. This is where people like Spielberg and Scorsese lash out. And, it’s understandable. But, it does not mean streaming services such as Netflix, Hulu and Prime are the odious demons they make them out to be. They should not be punished by omitting them from awards if they do qualify under the rules and guidelines of the Golden Globes or the Academy.
But, back to Marty vs. Marvel. Does anything from the Marvel canon have the thematic punch in the gut demonstrated by Taxi Driver or Raging Bull? Of course not. But, those films slowly acquired their audience over time while Marvel is the equivalent of a sugar rush. Not to say that the MCU is cinematic cotton candy. No, this is where Mr. Scorsese is wrong comparing them more to a “theme park.”
What sets Marvel aside from all others in the genre is that the MCU has mastered bringing to life what the comics did so well. Their characters were rife with drama and humor while setting them into a jaw-dropping spectacle . They were more than superheroes. The themes explored were far deeper than good versus bad as what DC was originally known for. More action than heart. I’m not talking about todays DC, I’m talking about from the late ’30s through the early ’70s when DC was considered king.
I remember as a child, all my friends in school read DC. They were huge Batman and Superman fans. I was made fun of for liking the deeper issues Marvel presented – the strife of the family of the Fantastic Four, the cosmic wanderings of the Silver Surfer, the angst of Bruce Banner and the God of Thunder. After years of trying, Marvel finally got it right with 1980’s Iron Man, a perfect mixture of drama and comedy in epic proportions. Over the years, they only improved upon their formula that DC could not even touch.
What makes Scorsese’s “theme park” quip so sad is that it reminds me of his yearning mentioned in the Biskind book. The man actually lamented that he made movies for “plumbers and garbage men,” when he actually wanted the recognition of his big box office brothers, Spielberg and Lucas. Their films were breaking records, one after the other while Scorsese’s films like Mean Streets, Taxi Driver, Raging Bull and his beloved passion project New York, New York struggled and sometimes bombed at the box office.
As mentioned, it was not until later that audiences caught up with Scorsese’s genius and even then, none of them would ever demonstrate the powerful box office returns that a Marvel movie would achieve. With that, one could easily argue about art versus business. The studios started as “show business,’ and now have turned into an “entertainment industry.” Does this harm the artists? Yes, but it’s the way of capitalism and the world we live in. It’s now upon us, the viewers, to seek out quality filmmaking. The hard part for so many dedicated artists is that most of the time the rust belt, the average joe, does not care. They just want to be entertained. So, purists, artists and dedicated cinephiles need to get over the state of the industry and roll with the punches.
The irony of all this is that a comic book movie based on a DC villain, that emulates Scorsese’s style to the point of mimicking him is on its way to making a billion dollars. Joker has made more money than all of Scorsese’s great films put together. And, the last three Marvel movies all made over a billion dollars.
Surprisingly, Scorsese never considered what the Marvel movies truly emulate – the exciting serials of the ’30s and ’40s: Captain Marvel, Flash Gordon, Tarzan the Fearless and Dick Tracy. they were shown in chapters on Saturday afternoons and had a dedicated audience following the adventures. That is exactly what the MCU is doing, except that they’ve turned it into a feature form and managed to franchise it into a multiple event with each year. Each year they deliver adventure, action, cheers and sometimes tears. Everything that is asked of a cinematic event. Men and women in tights doing derring feats may not be everybody’s cup of tea, but for those that remember the excitement of grabbing the latest issue of a comic book and relishing turning the pages, it ends up being one of two hours plus of pure cinematic joy. That’s not to say we can’t enjoy taking in The Irishman.
