Martin Scorsese vs Comic Book Movies: What We Think

Yes we know, we’re late to the party.

For anyone that is unaware of any top film news, or if you’ve been living under a rock, Martin Scorsese recently stated that comic book movies are more akin to Theme Park rides rather than being works of cinema.

Fans of both sides soon joined the conversations. Comic book fanatics and lovers of the on screen interpretations of said comics immediately took to defending their precious films, slating Scorsese in the process and calling him a film snob, and worse.

Similarly, Scorsese fans jumped on board to defend the director, stating comic book films, in most cases specifying Marvel, were trash.

I think the truth lies somewhere in between. And I also think it opens a broader conversation about the current state of the industry. But let's start simple.

I would agree with Scorsese about the films being Theme Park rides, and I believe that he was initially misunderstood. What Marty was really trying to say, in a more indirect manner, is that Marvel and comic book films as a whole serve a purpose for entertainment purposes only. Certain fans will argue that there is an emotional integrity to them, but this only stems from fans’ relationships with the source material, and the nostalgia that follows it. In Scorsese saying what he did, he highlighted exactly what the films are, which is, for lack of better words, popcorn flicks. These serve as a temporary escape from reality, and a means of enjoyment.

When Scorsese refers to ‘cinema', he is in fact referring to films with certain qualities and ideas. While it is true that any film is part of cinema as a physical entity, it is not true that every film is part of it on a philosophical level. Not every film has an artistic vision, with broader themes and messages conveyed through character, story, setting, and/or audio & visuals. Artistic integrity and vision is what Marty is referring to here.

We know that, as an example, Marvel films are initially created in a board room with Kevin Feige leading the charge. This is something that in the industry is referred to as ‘films by committee's’. Now, I want to make one thing clear, and that is I am not saying hard work did not go into the making of these films. But what I am arguing, in defence of Scorsese is, that comic book films, barring the recent JOKER film, do not have artistic vision beyond that of fan service and spectacle. Sure they build their characters to attach us to them, yeah they work on their story so it flows, but what does it all mean? The answer, to most comic book fans dismay, is nothing of substance.

Before jumping to hate on Scorsese, consider exactly what it was he was trying to say, and look deeper into his intention. Think about art as an idea, think about a story with something to show or say, and think about themes that ask the bigger questions.

And before jumping to hate comic book movies, consider this, do they serve their purpose of entertaining? And if so, is that really that bad?