Definitely, Martin Scorsese’s criticisms of Marvel continue to fuel debates and discussions. Today, it is Paul Schrader, collaborator of the filmmaker on several films, who brings his stone to the building.
Paul Schrader, iconoclastic filmmaker, has collaborated four times with Martin Scorsese. It is to him that we owe the scenarios of Taxi Driver, Raging Bull, The Last Temptation of Christ and Open Grave.
The 75-year-old director returns this year with The Card Counter, thriller worn by Oscar Isaac, in theaters on December 1. Present at the Venice Film Festival to screen his film in competition, Schrader took the opportunity to come back to Martin Scorsese’s comments about Marvel.
As a reminder, the director of Goodfellas declared that MCU-stamped feature films were not cinema: “These films take no risk. They are made to meet specifications and deal with a limited number of subjects. We talk about sequels but in reality, they are all remakes. This is the very nature of modern franchises: tested to the public, subjected to market research, controlled and modified until consumed “, he had asserted.
These declarations had set the cinema world on fire and still continue to cause controversy, controversy and debate. Asked by GQ, the filmmaker expressed his disagreement with the legendary director, while drawing up a rather pessimistic statement on the subject.
I think superhero movies are cinema.
“I think superhero movies are cinema. Just like a YouTube cat video can be cinema. It’s quite surprising that what we thought of as teenage entertainment, teenage comics, has become the economically dominant genre “, explains Paul Schrader.
“Every generation is informed, by literature, by the theater, by television or by film schools. Now we have a generation that has been informed by video games and manga. It is not the directors who have changed, it’s the audience that has changed. And when the audience doesn’t want serious films, it’s very, very difficult to make them. “, he continues.
Now we have a generation that has been informed by video games and manga. It’s not the directors who have changed, it’s the audience that has changed.
“And when the public wants serious works, they ask us, ‘What should I think of women’s liberation, gay rights, racial situations, economic inequalities?’ It shows that the public is interested in these issues. , so you can do those movies. And we did. Especially in the 50’s, 60’s and 70’s we did a couple of them a week on social issues. And they were commercial successes because the public wanted them “, analyzes the director.
Martin Scorsese vs. Marvel: the director of The Suicide Squad gives his opinion
“Then something changed in the culture. These films are still being made, but they are no longer the center of the conversation. It happens in all areas besides. There is no more Walter Cronkite. [journaliste mort en 2009], there is no more Johnny Carson [animateur TV décédé en 2005], and there are no more studio movies in Hollywood. All of that is gone. So you’ve got the world of Comic-Con, and you’ve got the world of X or Y, Z, and it’s very difficult to bring these people together again. It has been lost culturally and nothing can change that anymore “, he concludes with bitterness.
THE CARD COUNTER BY PAUL SCHRADER, IN THE ROOMS ON DECEMBER 1
