"Marvel movies are not movies."-Martin Scorsese
"When Martin said it was not a movie, he was too polite. He didn't say that Marvel movies were annoying.-Francis Ford Copper Pull
"I hope we can get tired of "The Avengers" soon. "——James Cameron
"I hate superhero movies, that's shit. "——Terry Gilliam
Recently, the film master Martin Scorsese's remarks about Marvel movies stirred the public opinion field in Hollywood. How to view Marvel has become relevant directors and actors in interviews An unavoidable topic.
In fact, criticizing Marvel seems to have become another kind of political correctness, and it is not just the recent words of Martin Scorsese. Such as "card god" James Cameron Before that, he also expressed his opinions on Marvel movies.
So, why do film masters love to "condemn" Marvel? What is the crime of Marvel in the North American film market and even the global film market? Who is
condemning Marvel?
Martin Scorsese is undoubtedly the key figure in this “condemnation” of Marvel. When
was interviewed by "Empire" earlier this month, he said: "I have tried I think Marvel movies are not cinemas. Although the Marvel movies are well-made and the actors are very attentive, they are still very much like images seen in a theme park. A movie should be a work where actors strive to convey emotions and spiritual feelings. "The words of the master
stirred up a thousand waves. Hollywood Vanity Fair has become a Marvel team camp. As Martin Scorsese's old partner,
, Robert De Niro also "fired at Marvel" at the film forum. ", pointed out that excessive age reduction special effects make Marvel movies look like cartoons.
And Martin Scorsese’s friend, another world cinema master Francis Ford Coppola, recently in France When receiving the Lumiere Film Festival's Lifetime Achievement Award, he also seconded: "Scoses is already very polite. He didn't say those films are despicable, but I think so. People cannot get anything from watching the same thing repeatedly. "
masters continue to "criticize", the media will naturally not let go of any opportunity. Therefore, how to treat these remarks has become a must question for interviews with Hollywood stars, especially related members of Marvel.
James Gunn, the director of the Guardians of the Galaxy series, was the first to respond. He said: “Martin Scorsese is one of my favorite five living film directors. His early film "Christ "The Last Temptation" has caused widespread protests. Many people criticized the film without watching it. I was very angry at the time and opposed to criticizing it without watching it. I am very sad now, he is criticizing our movie in the same way. "
" and "Director of Aegis" Samuel Jackson was asked by reporters for his opinion, and he replied: "It's like saying Bugs Bunny is not funny at all." A movie is a movie. Not everyone likes the movies he (Scoses) made. I happen to like it, but not everyone likes it. "Nebula" Karen Gillan responded: "I can say with certainty that Marvel movies are movies. Movies tell stories with vision. "
In addition, Downey was also asked on Howard Stern's show. Relatively speaking, his answer is more open-minded and humble. In Downey’s words, "He is Martin Si Coses. "He said: "Marvel movies have always been questioned, but if you think that this is an impact on film art and is the "troublesome problem", I am willing to be one of the "problems". When you rush in like a beast, and rewrite the industry's competitive model, this is very powerful. "
In fact, it is not the first time that the super-British movies represented by Marvel have caused controversy. As early as 2014, Mexican director Alessandro Gonzalez Inarito was promoting " During "Birdman", he said bluntly, "This (superhero movie) is a kind of poison, a cultural carnage. "
And Oscar actress Judy Foster said in an interview early last year: "Watching a superhero movie becomes like going to a theme park." "And criticize this kind of fast-paced filming method, which is eroding the audience's viewing habits and ruining the future of the film industry.
Although James Cameron said that he has no prejudice against superhero movies, he also euphemistically suggested that “men have other stories to say besides destroying cities. He hopes that everyone will “get tired of the Avengers as soon as possible” and leave for other types of movies. Some space."
Relatively speaking, Terry Gilliam, director of "Twelve Monkeys", is even more rude, bluntly: "I hate superhero movies, and that's a pile of shit. Well grown up! We can't live forever. I’m all teenagers. It’s cool to dream of having super powers, but superhero movies are all about super powers. That’s why I don’t like super-British movies-superheroes use super powers to defeat other superheroes. OMG, much A little peace, love, and poor understanding, that’s what we need.” Why does
condemn: Excessive commercial or market intrusion
really disdain Marvel?
Perhaps, rather than criticizing, dissatisfied, or even despising such superhero movies, they are more expressing concerns about the future development of the film industry, which also includes the development of the times and the iterations of film updates. The inevitable loss.
is like a long post on the social network by James Gunn, director of Guardians of the Galaxy, saying: “Many of our grandpa’s generation think that gangster movies are the same, and they will say they are despicable. Some Great old men think the same is true of westerns, and think that the movies made by John Ford, Sam Pekinpa, and Sergio Leone are the same. I still remember discussing it with a very amazing uncle "Star Wars", he said, I have seen a movie called 2001, oh my god, it’s too boring. Superhero movies are actually today’s gangster movies/western cowboy movies/space adventure movies.”
The movie analogy is whether the past gangster movies and western movies are appropriate. It is undeniable that western movies and gangster movies were once brilliant in the American film market. But as a new type of movie, it has also encountered criticism when it was just born until it became popular.
and even the New Hollywood Film School represented by Martin Scorsese and Coppola were "criticized" by the French New Wave giant Godard and others when they first debuted. From this point of view, it seems that the historical development of the film industry inevitably progresses in controversy, and the center of the trend has become the target of public criticism.
put it now, this target is a superhero movie represented by Marvel. Because its influence is too strong, and it has become a representative of the excessive commercialization of movies.
Judging from the current top ten movies in the global box office, Marvel superhero movies accounted for four. And "Avengers 4" topped the global box office with 2.796 billion US dollars. This is also an important fulcrum for supporting its box office for the North American film market, where the overall development is showing a downward trend.
However, it is also the popularity of Super British movies that makes the phenomenon of homogeneity in the film market more serious. The big studios that are chasing profits have followed this approach, making the original ability greatly reduced, and the space for accommodating originality has become increasingly narrow. Take the North American summer file just past as an example, only "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood" in the top ten box office is an original work, and the rest are sequels, restarts or remakes.
Perhaps, from this perspective, it may be better to understand what Martin Scorsese said Marvel is not a movie (cinema), and it is also better to understand why the directors and celebrities have many opinions on Marvel. As a netizen said: The problem has never been a question of commercial or commercial, but the same pattern, which is obliterating the artistry of the film. What's more serious is that it deprives other types of movies of living space.
Just a few days ago, when Martin Scorsese participated in the Rome Film Festival, he responded again, saying, "I hope the cinema will continue to support this kind of narrative film (referring to Noah Baumbach, Wes Anderson, Paul Thomas ·Anderson and other directors), but now, cinemas seem to be mainly supporting theme parks, playgrounds, comics and movies. They occupy cinemas. I think cinemas can have these films. This is possible, but This should not be the definition of cinema as our young people think, and it shouldn’t be.”
denounces Marvel’s domestic variation
In fact, about Marvel movies, or Hollywood superhero blockbusters represented by Marvel, domestic The movie people are not without criticism.
If Li Ang was asked about Marvel’s diss when he was promoting "Gemini Killer" not long ago, he said "MarvelI am not very interested in this lively movie. I can’t say that it’s not a movie, it’s a movie of course. I don’t disdain them like Scorsese, because they are all serious productions, but I’m not very interested, and the audience will be tired. Right. Use the same trick repeatedly, you only lose to the network. "
When this year's "Reunion 4" was released in China, more than 80% of the films for 5 consecutive days also attracted the Berlin movie emperor Jingchun to sneer at the theater. Although after that, he also explained " What is sour is not the Marvel movies and the audience, but the environment itself. "
Before this, Liu Cixin was also asked about his views on Super British movies. He said bluntly, "I can't say that I hate it, but I really don't like watching it." "He believes that although the special effects of Marvel movies are of high quality, they always feel that all their movies are produced in a very standard process on the production line. "
Zhang Yimou was on the "Thirteen Invitations" last year, he talked about why Hollywood movies are so popular, dominating and crushing the world's film market, it is because they have captured the entertainment. "Although the concoction is literary garbage, Mental trash, but because it looks good, it can't stand the attraction to young people. "
can see that when domestic film people talk about Marvel, they more often regard it as a reference to Hollywood popcorn movies, and it is also a sign of the commercialization of the domestic film market. After all,
is not only Only the North American film market, since the domestic film market opened to the outside world in 1994, with the distribution of Hollywood blockbusters and the exploration of its own development, it is also facing a series of influences brought by commercialization. The most obvious manifestation is in literature and art. When films are released on the same day as commercial films, they are often torn because of film scheduling problems.
It is true that the movie market needs the support of commercial blockbusters. Especially in the age of heroes at the box office, commercial blockbusters are often the source of market water. However, In the long run, if the movie market is dominated by blockbusters for a long time, it will not be conducive to its healthy development. It will even boost the social "entertainment to death" phenomenon and eliminate the original artistry of movies. Among these,
is the most profitable. Strong Marvel movies are naturally more likely to be the first shots. Therefore, to some extent, criticizing Marvel movies has become a kind of political correctness. Of course, whether it is "bad words" or "good words", as Film practitioners, especially film masters who have the right to speak in the industry, may have a greater responsibility to advise or spur appropriate advice.
However, market development has its own laws. The popularity of Super British films such as Marvel has also proved The value of its existence. As for whether it can go more long-term, the creators who may be in the game actually have a sense of worry, otherwise they don’t have to rush to use Oscar awards to affirm themselves.
