In an essay on Italian director Federico Fellini for Harper’s Magazine, the revered director said that although he has worked with Netflix and Apple in recent years, he was concerned about the impact they were having on the cinema.
Scorsese stated that “the art of cinema is being systematically devalued, marginalized, demoted and reduced to its lowest common denominator” by the streaming system that sees the “content” of the film.
“Only 15 years ago, the term ‘content’ was heard only when people discussed cinema on a serious level, and it was contrasted and measured against ‘form’,” he wrote.
“Then, little by little, it was used more and more by people who took control of media companies, most of whom knew nothing about the history of the art form, or even cared enough to think they should.”
Scorsese’s latest film, The Irishman, was released on Netflix
(Netflix)
Under the new system, Scorsese wrote, “all moving images” are seen as the same, “a David Lean film, a cat video, a Super Bowl commercial, a superhero sequel, an episode in the series” .
The director added that, by relying on algorithms to present new projects to viewers, they are treated only as “consumers” and art is devalued.
“Curation is not anti-democratic or ‘elitist’, a term that is now used so often that it has become meaningless. It’s an act of generosity – you’re sharing what you love and what inspired you, ”said Scorsese, praising platforms like Criterion and Mubi.
He continued: “We cannot depend on the cinema industry, like it, to take care of cinema … Whoever knows cinema and its history must share our love and knowledge with as many people as possible … They are among the greatest treasures of our culture and must be treated accordingly. “