If you followed the development of Todd Phillips’ recent blockbuster “Joker,” then you are probably aware that the genesis of the film began with Martin Scorsese involved, in some capacity. Some say he was in line to direct, while others think he was just going to produce. Either way, by the time “Joker” arrived in cinemas last month, the filmmaker’s name was not attached. And in a new interview with BBC Cinematic’s Sam Asi, he explained why he’s not involved and why “Joker” doesn’t fall under the purview of his recent superhero filmmaking criticisms.
“I know [‘Joker’] very well. I know Todd very well,” said Scorsese. “I thought about it a lot over the last four years, ‘Joker.’ And I decided I didn’t have the time for it. And also, you’re right, it is influenced by [my work]. Todd said, ‘Marty, this is yours.’ And I was like, ‘I don’t know if I wanna.’”
As for how “Joker” differentiates itself from the current crop of superhero films, particularly those that Scorsese criticized that are made by Marvel Studios, the filmmaker explains that it comes down to the R-rated origin story being very different than Marvel’s output.
“[‘Joker’] has energy and a really incredible [performance] by Joaquin [Phoenix] and all that stuff,” explained Scorsese. “So you have a remarkable work. But for me, ultimately, I don’t know if I make the next step, which is this character developing into a comic book character. He develops into an abstraction. That doesn’t mean it’s bad art. It could be, but it’s not for me.”
He continued, “And that’s different than the superhero films. It’s very different. Superhero films, like I said, are another art form. They’re 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. But I do think that its more of an extension of the amusement park.”
READ MORE: Theater Chief Labels Netflix’s Theatrical Run of ‘The Irishman’: “A Disgrace”
And this is where Scorsese begins to explain his “amusement park” and “theme park ride” comments that seem to have created a social media shitstorm with fans of Marvel’s films complaining about the legendary filmmaker.
“I saw this happening in the early ‘70s in Hollywood, where heads of studios were talking about really wanting to have, in the industry, a Disney World, basically,” the filmmaker said. “They’ve always been aiming in that direction and it comes together. So you can tour the studio, it’s like a theme park ride. Well, why not put a film in there? Why not make the film part of that experience?”
So, why is this such a bad thing? Well, Scorsese says that in the era where theaters are relying more and more on superhero films to stay afloat, other films, such as the adult dramas that the filmmaker creates, are being pushed to the side.
“My concern is that the filmmakers need the theaters,” he said. “The nature of the amount of money made by the superhero films means naturally you can’t tell the studios, corporations, or the theater owners to stop making their money. But on the other hand, they have to give something back to the culture. They have to create a space for the filmmakers to have their films on the screen. There has to be a consciousness changing in this industry because we wiped out.”
Even though Scorsese is seemingly fighting for the advancement of theaters and the inclusion of more cinema on the big screen, it appears that his latest film “The Irishman” has caused a bit of controversy all its own with theater owners. So, needless to say, the filmmaker is right that there are changes coming to the industry and who knows what the future will bring?