Are Marvel movies actual cinema?

Are Marvel movies actual cinema?

Let us presume the answer to your question is a resounding ‘no.’

Now, I will present a counter-question – Where does this blatant gatekeeping end? Because this is a mighty slippery slope.

‘What made you angry today?’ is one of the more popular questions on Quora. It’s one that I’m not likely to answer anytime soon; it’s not in my nature to get angry, least of all for something as ultimately frivolous as movies.

At times I think I’m debilitatingly idealistic, a trait that isn’t altogether positive.

But, I’ll tell you what, if I were to answer that aforementioned question, it would probably have something to do with an aspect of film enthusiasts I find almost nauseating – film elitism.

“You think The Dark Knight is one of the greatest movies of all time? Bro, have you ever seen anything by Tarkovsky? You clearly don’t know what you’re talking about”

“You liked Avatar? What a noob! Didn’t you know it’s a rip-off of Ferngully?”

“Only normies think The Departed is great. It’s because they haven’t seen Scorsese’s earlier works.”

I see this “I know better than you” rhetoric all over film internet, and it’s disappointing.

Where does this misplaced sense of elitism stem from? Because some of us have watched more movies than others?

All right, in that case, instead of chastising a supposed ‘noob,’ wouldn’t it be 100 times more effective, not to mention decent, to nudge them toward exploring cinema you consider more meaningful rather than belittling them?

“It’s great that you liked The Departed. You should definitely check out Scorsese’s earlier films. I think that’s when he was at his best.”

It’s only a few words, but it makes a world of difference. Do not undervalue the power of positivity.

Let people watch what they want to watch without making them feel their taste is somehow ‘inferior.’

That notion in itself is patently absurd. Terms such as ‘superior’ and ‘inferior’ should not confine one’s taste in movies.

Art is subjective. Cinema is subjective.

Coming to Marvel films and their ‘cinematic’ value, I have seen a pattern develop.

Ever since Martin Scorsese’s comments about Marvel films, a slew of “cinephiles” have co-opted his stance almost to a tee, and are essentially regurgitating his definition of ‘cinema’, and making it their own.

But here’s why I find things get slightly dubious.

Three of Martin Scorsese’s favourite films are Paisan (1948), Citizen Kane (1941) and The Red Shoes (1948).

His definition of cinema is his own and is based on the person he is, his early film influences, and the films he makes.

Besides, Scorsese has always been a proponent of art over commerce. Also, he’s Martin Scorsese; he can say what he wants.

More importantly, the crux of his argument isn’t that Marvel movies aren’t ‘cinema,’ it’s that these movies, and others of their ilk, are making it problematic for more personal, auteur-driven films to thrive in theatres.

Regarding the people of my generation (the 90s), our film influences were more populist. I grew up with the likes of Die Hard, Star Wars, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Terminator 2, The Matrix, The Lord of The Rings et al.

I find it somewhat odd that people of my generation are so perfectly aligned with Scorsese's definition of cinema.

Of course, it can be aligned, and I’m sure that’s the case for many people, but some are obviously co-opting his definition in an attempt to put down Marvel movies.

Are Marvel films ‘high-art’? I don’t know, I don’t think about such questions. I’m not qualified to answer them.

Do they fit Scorsese’s definition of ‘cinema’? No.

I genuinely believe that no two people can watch a movie in the same way and come away with the same emotions. In that spirit, I can’t impose my definition of what or what isn’t ‘cinema’ on anything.

For some, perhaps Steve Rogers standing defiantly against an army in Avengers: Endgame was as profound a cinematic moment they’ve ever experienced.

For them, it was “the cinema of human beings trying to convey emotional, psychological experiences to another human being.”

For others, maybe not so much.

I’m glad I don’t see movies through this sort of lens. For me, something like a Tropic Thunder and Taxi Driver are the same, in that I love both of them.

I don’t much care for the ‘artistic merit’ of films; I only care about how they made me feel. I'm not an arbiter of 'artistic merit.’ I wouldn't even know how.

I adored Avengers: Endgame, it was one of the greatest cinematic experiences of my life, and I thought The Irishman was one of the best movies of 2019.

I don’t know what is or isn’t ‘cinema.’ I just know that I love cinema.

Oh, and as for the answer to “Are Marvel movies actual cinema?”

Well, it doesn’t matter what I think.

Your definition of cinema should be your own. And nobody, not me, not your friends, not even Martin Scorsese, can tell you that your definition is wrong.

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