In an essay long praised by film legend Federico Fellini as part of the March issue of Harper’s Magazine, Martin Scorsese deplores the devaluation of cinema.
“About fifteen years ago, the term ‘content’ was only heard when people discussed cinema in a serious way, and it is contrasted and measured by ‘form’, ‘he wrote. “Then it was gradually used more and more by the people who took over media companies, most of whom knew nothing of the art form’s history, or even cared enough to think they had to do it.”
Before examining the evolution of Fellini and his relationship with the director, Scorsese asks a question to highlight a digital age problem: ‘If further viewing is’ suggested’ by algorithms based on what you’ve already seen , and the proposals are based only on topic or genre, what then does it do to the art of theater? ”
The essay is reminiscent of the essay he published in the New York Times in November 2019, in which he explained why Marvel movies are more like theme parks than cinema. He viewed the current industry as ‘inhospitable to art’, even as someone who had just completed a film for Netflix.
His written applause from Fellini is overshadowed by his lens in the piece that the faltering film industry is abandoning our culture.
“Here was an artist who managed to express the anguish of the core era, the feeling that nothing really matters anymore, because everything and everyone can be destroyed at any moment,” Scorsese writes of Fellini’s experience. “La Dolce Vita”. “We felt this shock, but we also feel the excitement of Fellini’s love for the art of cinema – and consequently for life itself.”
In his critique, Scorsese calls for the rehabilitation of the industry, even though he knows that the film industry is now a major visual entertainment industry. ‘
‘Everything has changed – the cinema and the importance it has in our culture. It is of course not surprising that artists such as Godard, Bergman, Kubrick and Fellini, who once ruled our great art form like gods, would eventually fall into the shadows over time, ”Scorsese writes. ‘But at this stage we can take nothing for granted. We can not depend on the film industry as it is, to take care of the theater … Those of us who know the theater and its history should share our love and knowledge with as many people as possible. And we need to make it crystal clear to the current legal owners of these films that this is much, much more than just property to be exploited and then locked away. It is one of the greatest treasures in our culture, and it needs to be treated. ‘