Studios are not interested in supporting individual voices on a big
budget, says master director Martin Scorsese, who called on filmmakers to “save
cinema” in the age of franchise and comic book entertainment.
In an interview with GQ magazine, the Oscar winner said the film
industry that he was a part of 50 years ago is “over”.
His next film is Killers of the Flower Moon, starring Leonardo
DiCaprio, Lily Gladstone, and Robert DeNiro.
Scorsese said, “Well, the industry is over. In other words, the
industry that I was part of, we’re talking almost, what, 50 years ago? It’s like
saying to somebody in 1970 who made silent films, what do you think’s happened?”
He expressed, “(Studios are not) interested any longer in
supporting individual voices that express their personal feelings or their
personal thoughts and personal ideas and feelings on a big budget. And what’s
happened now is that they’ve pigeonholed it to what they call indies.”
Scorsese has voiced his concerns about the overwhelming dominance
of blockbuster movies, warning that they may narrow the perspective of
audiences, mainly those less exposed to diverse cinematic genres.
He underlined the potential threat to cultural richness posed by
this, stating, “The danger there is what it’s doing to our culture.”
Scorsese recognizes the looming reality that a key portion of
upcoming generations might perceive movies solely through the lens of these
mega-franchises.
When discussing the need for a response, Scorsese passionately
insists that a proactive approach is important, originating at the grassroots
level within the filmmaking community.
He noted directors like the Safdie brothers and Christopher Nolan
as beacons of creativity who can challenge the status quo.
In his words, “And it’s got to come from the grassroots level. It’s
gotta come from the filmmakers themselves. And you’ll have, you know, the
Safdie brothers, and you’ll have Chris Nolan, you know what I mean? And hit ‘em
from all sides. Hit ‘em from all sides, and don’t give up. Let’s see what you
got. Go out there and do it. Go reinvent. Don’t complain about it. But it’s
true because we’ve got to save cinema.”
Martin Scorsese’s passionate plea to preserve cinema in its
authentic form is a call to action for filmmakers and cinephiles.
With the film industry struggling to define content and the
dominance of blockbuster franchises, Scorsese urges creators to keep pushing
boundaries, innovating, and diversifying the cinematic landscape.
Agencies
