Francis Ford Coppola is the next major director to slate superhero films, reports The Guardian. The director of The Godfather and Apocalypse Now has shared his opinion on the genre, that being one of disdain. Coppola has joined another famed director, Martin Scorsese, in the criticism.
So, how did Coppola tackle this topic? Well, blunt is probably the best description.
Speaking with journalists in Lyon, France, Francis Ford Coppola said:
“When Martin Scorsese says that the Marvel pictures are not cinema, he’s right because we expect to learn something from cinema, we expect to gain something, some enlightenment, some knowledge, some inspiration.”
Coppola was in Lyon receiving the Prix Lumière for his contributions to cinema.
He then went on to say:
“I don’t know that anyone gets anything out of seeing the same movie over and over again. Martin was kind when he said it’s not cinema. He didn’t say it’s despicable, which I just say it is.”
Ouch! Calling a superhero movie “despicable” is quite an aggressive answer, but this is only the latest development in this series of events.
Francis Ford Coppola Jumps On The Bandwagon
As mentioned above, Martin Scorsese recently dished out some criticism about superhero films. He accused these blockbuster features of “not being cinema.” Certainly a lot lighter in tone than Francis Ford Coppola took to the discussion.
Scorsese said at his David Lean lecture on October 12:
“Theatres have become amusement parks. That is all fine and good, but don’t invade everything else in that sense. That is fine and good for those who enjoy that type of film and, by the way, knowing what goes into them now, I admire what they do. It’s not my kind of thing, it simply is not. It’s creating another kind of audience that thinks cinema is that.”
I must admit a certain amount of admiration for these comments. He clearly states his reasons and, for someone who is slowly tiring of the genre, they do resonate.
However, many directors of such features have spoken up about the criticism. These include James Gunn, Joss Whedon, Kevin Smith, and Taika Waititi. Gunn brought an insightful idea to the foreground of how many people’s grandfathers likely thought the same of the gangster features these directors are known for.
Whatever the case, this is an interesting point of discussion. Whether you love or hate them, you can’t deny the impact the genre has had on Hollywood.
How do you feel about this? Think Coppola went too far? Let us know in the comments!