Martin Scorsese talks about the difficulties associated with going to the cinema and the importance of theatrical experiences

In a recent Variety cover story, the director Martin Scorsese opened up about the evolving landscape of cinema, particularly through his personal experiences going to movie theaters. After the Oscar nominations for his latest film, The Flower Moon AssassinsScorsese candidly shared his thoughts on the current state of cinema, which is in line with what many film fans are experiencing these days.

During the interview, Scorsese was asked if he occasionally sneaks into public screenings Christopher Nolan did. Scorsese responded, saying:

“I don’t. People talk and move a lot. I’m short and there’s always a big person in front of me. It’s the same with Broadway: I can’t go to the theater. There’s someone in front of me. me, and I can’t see the stage or hear the show. As I get older I really like the IMAX. You come in, you can sit in the back and you’re kind of looking up. Regular screenings, I’ve found the audiences are getting a little rowdier than before. But maybe it’s still like in the 50s, when we screamed at the screen.”

Scorsese admits to avoiding public screenings due to the often less-than-ideal conditions for watching films in a community setting like that.

Despite these issues, Scorsese is obviously passionate about cinema and has supported it for years! He acknowledges a change in audience behavior, alluding to nostalgia for a time when interactions with the screen were part of the collective experience of moviegoing, reminiscent of the 1950s.

Scorsese doesn’t avoid theaters entirely, but he chooses his moments, ensuring that his support of big-screen films isn’t compromised by the pitfalls of public screenings. He continued by saying:

“But it’s very important to me to support films while they’re on the big screen. I’m just waiting a little while.”

I love going to the cinema. This has been an experience I have cherished since I was a child. Yes, sometimes people are annoying, but for the most part, in my experience, people respect the theater. It’s usually when the theater is full of young teenagers that things get really annoying. In any case, my goal is to support cinema in its most traditional and magical form.

I pretty much see as many films as I can in the cinema, but audiences have to choose their battles when it comes to going to the cinema. It’s expensive, so you want to make sure you enjoy your experience.