There are various filmmakers who stand with respect on top of the Hollywood food chain including John Woo and Martin Scorsese. From directors like Quentin Tarantino, James Cameron, Steven Spielberg, and many more, Scorsese also has a pedestal to himself regarding filmmaking. In the action genre, one name that stands out is John Woo. However, even he has some opinions that might stand away from the audience’s.
In particular, he talked about his dislike of superhero movies in general. There is no debate that superhero fatigue has taken over the world. For Woo, it is not exactly about the fatigue but as a genre of cinema that the movies present themselves to be. It is more so about his love for much older kinds of movies rather than what cinema has become.
John Woo Prefers Martin Scorsese Films
In an interview with The New York Times, John Woo opened up about his opinions on movies that require a lot of special effects. He reflected on how anything adapted from comic books wasn’t something that ever truly called to him.
“I’ve never liked watching movies with big special effects, or anything based on comic books,” Woo added. “I prefer Martin Scorsese’s movies, that kind of cinema. I can’t wait to watch ‘Killers of the Flower Moon.’ I like old-fashioned movies, you know? Real cinema. There aren’t many movies like that lately.”
For Woo, it was projects like that of Martin Scorsese‘s that became a delight to his eyes. There was a sense of common understanding between the two that came with their love for old-fashioned films. This in particular brought him closer to resonating with Scorsese’s movies. Much like the Killers of the Flower Moon director, there is a certain sense of distaste that they share for superhero films.
John Woo Gave Superhero Movies a Chance
It was not as if John Woo did not try superhero movies. His problems with special effects and CGI gave out a rather passive remark at James Cameron indirectly as well. Seeing that the Avatar director relies heavily on special effects, it is clear that his movies did not impress Woo as much either.
“Honestly, the closest I can think of them, as well made as they are, with actors doing the best they can under the circumstances, is theme parks. It isn’t the cinema of human beings trying to convey emotional, psychological experiences to another human being.”
Speaking with The New York Times, he stated that he never found any real connection with such films no matter how much he tried. In fact, he doesn’t deem them to really be part of cinema.
