Samuel L. Jackson Defends Marvel Movies in Response to Criticisms From Certain Directors
In recent years, some famous and popular directors have come out speaking against Marvel movies, as they are now dominating the entertainment industry. Audiences just enjoy watching these movies and like it or not, Scorsese, these movies are cinema.
Director Martin Scorsese previously said: “I don’t see them. I tried, you know? But that’s not cinema. Honestly, the closest I can think of them, as well made as they are, with actors doing the best they can under the circumstances, is theme parks. It isn’t the cinema of human beings trying to convey emotional, psychological experiences to another human being.”
Then The Godfather director Francis Ford Coppola said: "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. 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."
Now, Samuel L. Jackson, who is a part of the MCU, is coming to the defense of these films. In a recent appearance on ABC’s The View, Jackson shared his thoughts on the criticisms that these filmmakers have made, saying:
“Movies are movies. Those are the movies that I went to see when I was a kid. And the artistry of making a movie is something that was a mystery for so long. Making movies is no longer a mystery. Kids know how to do it on their phones. So it’s easy for [directors] to dismiss it, only because people aren’t going to see their movie.”
“It’s like we’ve been dumbed down, but that’s always been the case. When we were younger, people went to see cowboy movies, and they went to see superhero movies of another ilk, they had superheroes on television. When you told a serious story, yeah, you find a niche audience — same thing still happens. People go to the movies to make themselves feel better and to get out of their daily existence.”
In another interview with The Times, Jackson was asked about these negative comments, and there he said:
“All movies are valid. Some go to the cinema to be moved dearly. Some like superheroes. If somebody has more butts on seats it just means your audience is not as broad. There are people who have had successful careers but nobody can recite one line of their parts. I’m the guy who says shit that’s on a T-shirt.”
Jackson makes all great points here. Movies are movies and it all comes down to what audiences enjoy watching. What do you think about what Jackson had to say here about movies?