Martin Scorsese recently, and somewhat infamously, described superhero films as not real cinema, likening them to a rollercoaster ride. In a new interview, though, he talks about trying to bring Joker to life for 4-years before bowing out for personal reasons.
Scorsese has a lot of praise for the Todd Phillips version and its lead performance from Joaquin Phoenix. All the while still putting it into a wholly separate category of not cinema. Does this come across as hypocritical to you?
There’s no contradiction, because JOKER was a real movie. Not some dumb cape fest.
Its absolutely hypocritical. He wants to be a gatekeeper of what cinema is and if its not his definition its lesser. He is entitled to do so but then to want to make a comic book movie? Get out of here.
Nonsense. There is no contradiction.
I don’t necessarily agree with what Scorsese said, but I think the way the internet has told this story, it feels like Scorsese thinks he is the “gatekeeper” of cinema. I think he’s a guys with a great deal of credibility, who was just talking off the top of his head and we’ve somehow weaponized an offhanded comment. The idea of the Joker’s origins seems to fall in line with the kind of movies he makes…as opposed to the Avengers.