Director Martin Scorsese's claim to
Empire magazine that Marvel films aren't "cinema" is like saying the novel
Fifty Shades of Grey isn't "literature." He's technically wrong — but he's culturally right. And all the outraged defenders of Marvel films know he's right. I include myself among Marvel's defenders as both an enthusiastic fan and recent Marvel comics author. I've seen the entire Marvel Comic Universe pantheon multiple times.
Guardians of the Galaxy and
Thor: Ragnarok are two of the most addictive movies ever made. If I'm channel surfing and even catch a glimpse of them, I'm riveted. At the same time, several of Scorsese's films (
Taxi Driver,
Goodfellas) are among my all-time favorites for their emotional power and thematic depth.
I'm aware that the international popularity of Marvel films makes them very influential in positively adjusting social attitudes about race, gender and sexual orientation. Every time I see
Black Panther, I feel a rising swell of pride because we finally have a popular black superhero and he's not just powerful, but also kind and compassionate. Captain Marvel, Black Widow and Wonder Woman (DC) are definite improvements from Barbie as role models for young girls. But influence, even for the betterment of society, isn't the issue.
Scorsese wasn't denigrating Marvel films so much as making a distinction between High Art (an accurate but cringe-worthy term) that we might see in a museum or featured on NPR, and regular everyday art that we might see on our T-shirts and tattoos.
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