Following the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, film industries all over the world witnessed a steady decline in the sale of tickets. But at the same time, they also noticed the rise and dominance of movie franchises at the box office. However, this is something that acclaimed filmmakers like Martin Scorsese have always condemned.
Although the filmmaker personally failed to bring a change, despite beginning his film preservation crusade in 1980, it seems Christopher Nolan did it on Martin Scorsese’s behalf. Following the release of Oppenheimer, Nolan spoke with Countdown to the BAFTAs podcast host Alex Zane and noted the change brought by his movie to the landscape of cinema.
Martin Scorsese Condemned the Dominance of Franchises
As the film industry kept changing constantly over the past 20 years, filmmakers and actors witnessed a steady surge in different trends. One of such renowned trends happened to have been that of film franchises. Following the rise in demand for franchises among audiences, it was quickly established that people were going through “franchise fatigue”.
Well, this is one of the recent trends in cinema that made acclaimed filmmaker Martin Scorsese lament. Aiming his criticism at the conflict between artistic intentions and the corporate desire to satisfy the vast audience, Scorsese further noted the downsides of streaming platforms. Speaking with Empire Magazine, the filmmaker even made harsh comments on Marvel films.
Comparing the movies churned by Marvel Studios with theme park rides, Martin Scorsese claimed that they weren’t anything close to cinema. Although he later clarified his blatant remarks, there’s no doubt that Scorsese has been on his film preservation crusade since 1980. But he isn’t the only one who has such sentiments, several of his illustrious colleagues like Christopher Nolan, Denis Villeneuve, and more, shared similar views.
Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer Hints at a Change
For years, Martin Scorsese has alone tried to figure out a way to preserve the authenticity of cinema, while others simply turned Hollywood into a money-churning business. But unfortunately, the filmmaker failed at his attempts, despite perpetually attacking the current state of cinema, streaming, algorithms, and commercially successful movie franchises.
But after years, it seems the change is finally here, holding Christopher Nolan‘s hands. Following the release of his 2023 war drama Oppenheimer, the film significantly changed the landscape of modern cinema and even attracted casual moviegoers towards the epic masterpiece. Thus, speaking with Alex Zane of Countdown to the BAFTAs podcast, via Deadline, Nolan hinted at the new era of global cinema.
“I think the success of Oppenheimer certainly points to a sort of post franchise, post intellectual property, landscape for movies — it’s kind of encouraging. [Oppenheimer reminded] the studios that there is an appetite for something people haven’t seen before or an approach to things that people haven’t seen before.”
“Everybody has a tendency to talk down the movie business. For the whole time I’ve been working in movies, I felt the cultural establishment was always predicting the demise of movie theaters, and I now get asked that question: ‘what do I think about the health of the movie business?’ And I don’t really know how to respond.”
Finally, a ray of hope appears for the future of cinema as Oppenheimer changed the trajectory of the film industry. It seems the 2023 war drama finally landed the win, Martin Scorsese’s film-preserving crusade always wanted.
