Martin Scorsese discusses the future of cinema: “things have changed”
The iconic American filmmaker Martin Scorsese has released his thoughts about cinema’s current state and future, stating: “things have changed”.
In an exclusive interview with Deadline, the director discusses everything from his collaborations with Robert De Niro and Leonardo DiCaprio to his most recent Cannes release, Killers of the Flower Moon. Towards the end of the interview, when asked about the current state of cinema and the future of “ambitious theatrical films” released through streaming sites, Scorsese had plenty to say.
“It’s the question, really. Who said cinema was going to continue the way it has for the past hundred years?” the filmmaker stated: “In the past 25 years things have changed, in the past five years things have changed, and just in the past year, things have changed. Who says it’s going to continue to exist that way?… Well, the nature of the technology is such that a whole new world has been created. In that world, there are certain films, for example, that even I would say, ‘Let’s wait and see it on streaming’”.
Continuing, the filmmaker adds: “But you’re talking to an 80-year-old man. People in their teens, 20s, 30s, 40s, they should be experiencing films in a communal experience in a theater. Films like Mario Brothers are excellent for younger people. But they also grow into mature people. What about that part of their lives?”.
In recent weeks, there has been much discussion about the over three-hour length of Killers of the Flower Moon, with many people criticising the film online for being ‘too long’. Meanwhile, the new Illumination Entertainment animation, The Super Mario Bros. Movie, based on the Nintendo video game of the same name, recently surpassed box office earnings of $1 billion worldwide.
In response to such online discourse, Scorsese adds: “I do think there has to be a concentrated effort to nurture an appreciation for films that that audience will go see in a theater as they grow. Which means the theaters also have to help us. The theaters say, ‘Well, we played a smaller indie film.’ Everything has become pigeonholed. But what if that screen is in a place that is comfortable? Not a closet with a screen that is smaller than the one you have at home. That means a person will come out and go to that theater with a few friends and respond to that picture”.
We’ve only been given morsels of information about Scorsese’s new film so far, with a trailer finally expected on Thursday, May 18th.
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