Martin Scorsese Hasn’t Seen ‘Joker,’ Is In No Rush To Do So
You are no doubt aware of legendary film director Martin Scorsese’s aversion to superhero movies. He complained that Marvel movies were not true cinema in an interview and then, after his comments went viral on the internet, he doubled down on them with a long, thoughtful op-ed in the New York Times, where he said they contained no “revelation, mystery or genuine emotional danger” and that “nothing is at risk” in a Marvel film.
If you’re a DC Comics fan and a Scorsese fan, and you were hoping that maybe his disdain for superheroes was limited to Marvel movies — particularly after DC’s biggest hit in years, Joker, paid direct and overt homage to numerous Scorsese films — you are about to be disappointed. Because today Scorsese is back in the Times, this time in a profile by Dave Itzkoff, dismissing Joker with a wave of his hand. Despite the movie’s well-publicized Scorsese riffs, the man himself had no time for it. In fact, he hasn’t seen it and doesn’t appear particularly interested in doing so. The exact quote:
And he was well aware that “Joker,” the hit comic-book thriller, contained many homages to his own work — he had passed on an offer to help produce it, though Koskoff worked on the movie — but did not seem to be in a hurry to view it. ‘I saw clips of it,’ Scorsese said of ‘Joker.’ ‘I know it. So it’s like, why do I need to? I get it. It’s fine.’
“I get it. It’s fine.” is the new “It is what it is.”
Once upon a time, Scorsese was supposed to help produce Joker in collaboration with Phillips. Before the film came together, Scorsese dropped out of the project. I guess we know why now! Because it is fine.
Gallery — Every Martin Scorsese Movie Ranked From Worst to Best: