With the movie industry as booming as it is in this century, it is easy to get caught up in trends. Superhero films have been dominating the industry for the whole decade. Between “Avengers: Endgame,” “Logan,” “Kick-Ass” and many more, superhero movies have been the trend of the decade. Some have even compared it to the trend of Western films seen in the 1950s and ‘60s. Recently, superhero films have come under fire from some of Hollywood’s finest and most elite names. Martin Scorsese (“The Irishman”), one of the most successful and well-known directors of all time, claiming that Marvel movies are not “cinema” and more or less “theme parks.” This brought some resistance from fans and including Disney’s CEO Bob Iger. Iger responded by praising Scorsese’s work but said, “Anyone who has seen a Marvel film could not in all truth make that statement.” This poses the question, “What is cinema?” But no one is asking, “Why do we consider cinema art?”
Cinema has a rather short history compared to a lot of forms of art. The first film debuted December of 1895 in Paris, France with the Lumière brothers. In the early 1900s, film began to develop more and more. By the 1930s films had color, sound and were full length pictures. This was the Golden Age of Cinema. In the 30 years between the 1950s and 1980s, the film industry was doing poorly. In 1985, movies began to come back into the public interest and began a new age of boom. In the past 20 years alone, more innovations and improvements were made since the early 1900s and has helped transform the industry into what most consumers know today.
During the recent renaissance, superhero films have been able to take form compared to their earlier forms. Films like “Blade,” “Hellboy,” and “Spider-Man” all help pave the way for the current Marvel Cinematic Universe and other superhero films. But are they art? Is any cinema art? Even if it is the best film of all time, how do we know if it is an art? Film was also not considered a higher form of entertainment until fairly recently. Even during the 1930s, films were not given any respect in comparison to theater, classical music, opera. The thing that separates high forms of art compared to lower forms of art is access and financial status. But the stories are still the same.
A lot of films tell the same classic stories that are seen in the theater. Stories such as: good vs. evil, man vs. self, rags to riches, romance, etc. Plays like “Romeo and Juliet” have been retold multiple times in films. Another big play, Homer’s “Iliad,” got its major cinema debut in 2004’s “Troy.” Same story, different platforms. Scorsese has told phenomenal stories in films such as “Taxi Driver,” “Goodfellas,” “The Wolf of Wall Street” and more. But Marvel has told great stories in their own right. Even if there is a focus on making a franchise, no franchise can go anywhere without compelling characters and conflicts. But no film in general can gain an audience’s attention without the same thing.
The issue is a matter of opinions but that is an argument that the years to follow will have to face. What makes a film cinema and qualifies it to be cinema? Or better yet, what is cinema? Some may argue stories but both sets of films have it. Others argue purpose but at the end of the day, films are meant to tell a story regardless if they wear a suit or body armor. If they fight another mob or aliens from outer space. When the idea of the plot is at its bare bones, it is the same story, just told in a different light.
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