As we all know, Martin Scorsese has some mixed feelings about superhero films. He set fire to the hair of millions of fan boys when he said that comic book films weren’t “cinema”, a statement he later walked back considerably. But even though he is no longer so publicly against Marvel and other superhero flicks, the idea of him partaking in the making of one seems a bit far-fetched, doesn’t it? Can you imagine Scorsese directing or even producing a comic book film?
Well, actually, yes. You see, there was a brief moment when Scorsese himself was attached to produce Todd Phillips’s ridiculously-successful Joker. That didn’t come together in the end but I remember when Warner Bros initially wanted Scorsese to produce or possibly direct and Leonardo DiCaprio to star. Ah, it feels like years ago.
And now Scorsese is talking about his involvement (or lack thereof) with the film. Speaking to the BBC, Scorsese had this to say about Joker:
“I know the film very well. I know [director Todd Phillips] very well. My producer Emma Tillinger Koskoff produced it. I thought about it a lot over the last four years and decided I did not have the time for it. It was personal reasons why I didn’t get involved. But I know the script very well. It has a real energy and Joaquin. You have remarkable work.”
So Marty says he didn’t direct the picture because he didn’t have time for it. But then he said it was also personal reasons why he didn’t get involved. So which is it, time or personal reasons?
Well, he further elaborated on the movie and it seems that, while he likely did have a lack of time, Joker and its titular character’s development and transformation just didn’t really speak to him.
“For me, ultimately, I don’t know if I make the next step into this character developing into a comic book character. You follow? He develops into an abstraction. It doesn’t mean it’s bad art, it’s just not for me…The superhero films, as I’ve said, are another art form. They are not easy to make. There’s a lot of very talented people doing good work and a lot of young people really, really enjoy them.”
Oh, I follow Mr. Scorsese. You don’t necessarily buy the story about a mentally-ill loner becoming a comic book villain. I get that, it’s a hard bridge for many to cross. And for someone like Scorsese, someone who isn’t a fan of comics or comic book movies, it’s a transition that doesn’t really ring true. I get it, I don’t necessarily agree with it but I get it.
It seems that Scorsese is trying to gently say that the movie just isn’t for him. That’s totally okay, not every movie is for every person. This response from Scorsese is much better than the blanket statement that all comic book films aren’t cinema. He even says that just because Joker isn’t his cup of tea doesn’t make it bad art. And he praises the comic book movie, saying it isn’t easy to make. Hell, if anyone knows how hard it is to make a movie it’s Martin Scorsese.
What we have with this statement is something of a truce between comic book films and Martin Scorsese. They may never see eye-to-eye but at least they aren’t battling anymore. I won’t lie, I wish Scorsese was able to enjoy these films more because a movie like Joker proves that comic book films aren’t just about super-powered heroes and villains slinging one-liners and beating each other up. These movies can examine the human condition just as well as any beloved cinematic classic. They’re loud and silly and often over-the-top but, at their cores, they are still about character. It just so happens that the characters they examine can fly or are talking raccoons.
I know some people may say that Joker isn’t a comic book film but, let’s be honest, it totally is. No matter how well it’s acted and no matter how dark and gritty it is, it is still about a killer clown in Gotham City. I don’t care what anyone says, Joker is a comic book film. And no one should be afraid to admit that because it proves that, at the end of the day, these movies are capable of much more than people give them credit for.
Source: IndieWire