Francis Ford Coppola backs Martin Scorsese’s criticisms of the Marvel Cinematic Universe movies.
According to Yahoo!, Coppola called MCU films despicable while speaking with journalists in Lyon, France, where he was honored with the Prix Lumiere for his contributions to cinema. “When Martin Scorsese says that the Marvel pictures are not cinema, he’s right because we expect to learn something from cinema, we expect to gain something, some enlightenment, some knowledge, some inspiration,” Coppola said. “I don’t know that anyone gets anything out of seeing the same movie over and over again. Martin was kind when he said it’s not cinema. He didn’t say it’s despicable, which I just say it is.”
Since making his initial statement, Scorsese has come out to clarify his criticisms of the MCU. He emphasized that he wants more films that are singular theater experiences, driven only by their established narratives and nothing else. However, he also admitted that there are various ways to do films nowadays, including how Marvel Studios does crossovers, but he doesn’t count them as cinema. Its overall message is quite confusing, but one thing is clear: he stands by his statement about the MCU not being considered cinema.
It’s his comments about MCU movies not being enlightening or inspiring that Coppola might get a hard push back from those who actually enjoy these movies. The franchise may not have the most complex narratives or sophisticated aesthetics, but one cannot deny that its films and characters have resonated with millions of fans all over the world. People are actually invested with these fictional heroes – even those who are so absurd on paper like a talking raccoon and a dancing tree. While the Marvel Cinematic Universe movies look lighthearted and fun, they always have an important core messages, the same way their comic book sources had when they were first written decades ago.
Coppola also let drop details for his upcoming feature film, Megalopolis, which has yet to receive a release date. “I would say it’s the most ambitious film (I’ve worked on) — more than Apocalypse Now,” Coppola said of Megalopolis. “That’s the problem. I think it would cost more than Apocalypse Now. It would be the biggest budget I ever had to work with.”
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