We Seek

“I tried, you know?” director Martin Scorsese said when asked if he had seen Marvel’s movies. “But that’s not cinema.”

He continued: “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.”

**********

Dear Kate,

I picked this quote because, obviously, I want to write about it.

I want to write about it because for the longest time I've been saying to myself what Scorsese said here, and to friends who might have enjoyed a superhero movie or two and would humor me for my pestering.

Scorsese is, with little doubt in many film-lovers and historians' mind, the greatest living American movie director, and possibly the greatest ever.  I say the latter.  He didn't simply make movies, great, seminal, culture-defining movies, but also preserve them, and preach the gospel of them.  Scorsese is the high priest of cinema.

So what is his oracle here?

1) Superhero movies are not cinema.
2) Many of them were admittedly well made (they better be, given the most money and the best talents).
3) Many actors in them were doing a good job, under the "circumstances" (compromised positions, given an offer one can't and didn't refuse).
4) Superhero movies are theme parks (not a glib metaphor, really rather profound).
5) Through cinema, human beings seek to convey emotional and psychological experiences to another.  This partial definition of cinema brings us all the way back to #1, why superhero movies fail to qualify as cinema.

I did ask myself though, why not just say superhero movies are bad cinema, but still cinema?  Do they not, at times, maybe rather insincerely or however feebly, "convey emotional and psychological experiences"?  Can we just call them a "genre exercise" and not cut the entire Marvel universe out of the cinematic universe, oh Priest?

I suppose an entire book can be written on this.  Today I will just take one aspect, in fact only one word, out of Scorsese's oracle and see how far I can run with it.

His word is "try" ("It isn't the cinema of human beings trying to convey emotional, psychological experiences to another human being").  My word is "seek."

We can seek to bridge over to another human being, as we always do and indeed need to, to survive and thrive.  Can we ever say for sure we can, have our desired results guaranteed?

We are told there are schematics and methodologies to depend on, avenues to vouchsafe our success, to "get our points across," to "reach our clients," and to achieve our often profit-driven and self-absorbed purposes.

Now consider a theme park.  Imagine yourself on a ride, nibbling on cotton candy, and now you are looking down from the highest seat on a Ferris wheel.  And you say to yourself, "Wow, everything is happening the way I dreamed it.  This is what I wanted, and this is what I am getting.  It is a dream come true!  Everything is really as satisfying as it is vouchsafed to be."

You didn't come to seek anything revelatory or insightful or mysterious about the world or yourself or anyone involved in putting together your dream-come-true.  You paid to get what you think is amusing to you, and you are willing to pay again and again and again and again and again for the exact same thing.  "Mom, I wanna do that ride one more time!"

A theme park is also called an amusement park.

That's all I want to say.  And I would say the same thing regarding why there are things I would never do, such as going on a boat cruise or any ballyhoo of a necessary kind.

Yours, Alex

***********

Dear Alex,

What comes to mind when you think of superhero movies is the most important thing about you.

I am re-appropriating the opening statement of this past Sunday’s sermon on the joyfulness of God by Rainer Kunz, college professor, pastor and leadership training coach for the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, the Naval Submarine Base at Bangor, Maine and the Naval Undersea Warfare Center in Keyport, Washington:

"What comes into your mind when you think of GOD is the most important thing about you.”

We are super-beautiful beings in a super-beautiful world. The glory - and the joy that comes with recognizing this beauty - overwhelm our vision and imagination. Yesterday evening I saw the Autumn leaves, gold and maroon, bursting in flames just before they veiled the earth. Sunset after sunrise on every turn of our home and drama continues to bedazzle our rousing and resting in our secret and public chambers. How could any be missed?

I have not watched the 3-hour "Avengers: Endgame” or another Avengers movie. My family enjoys it and I may like it too. I remember “Superman" as one of my earliest cinematic experiences with my parents. And he still amazes me.

I am not an expert in film reviews or head stuff but I think our super-attraction to Marvel's movies suggests a super trend too obvious to deny: The more of a super-hero I want to become, the more of a super-loser I feel about myself.

I crave to be big, bolder and faster than Avengers or Superman. I work hard, play hard and win the cards - in this exact sequence to look far and deep into the crystal ball and prophesy my prospect of success. He rises to be a man. She anchors the man and village. We are women and men of steel souls, children entitled to be avengers of things gone wrong, addicts of first and infinite impressions, selfies for life.

If I am not good enough, I do not need your help. I will make a way for myself. Just watch me. Watch superheroes. Turn fantasy to logic. Supersize that steak and sugarize this gut. Run for the mall on foot or online. Again.

Our superhero status speaks most about our needs for the real Superhero.

Yours, Kate