All filmmakers are devoted to their art, but matching Martin Scorsese’s passion and love for cinema may prove an impossible task. And what do all ardent cineastes love to do? Openly confess, brag, opine, argue, and flaunt their love, of course!
That’s what Scorsese has already been doing for quite some time now; alongside his remarkable auteur’s vision, he’s revered for his golden words to describe the process, even as he raises eyebrows with his scathing remarks for those he considers are not worthy of joining the elite world of cinema. And now, in the wake of his latest epic i.e., Killers of the Flower Moon, the renowned director has joined Letterboxd, the social media platform for film nerds.
Simply put, Letterboxd is designed for movie buffs to track their watch list, showcase their favorites, and share their opinions about the films they watch. Sounds pretty basic, but some users elevate the social network to greater heights and of course, Scorsese, with his handle mscorsese, is already one of them.
Apart from making his Letterboxd profile the face of true film appreciation, the Shutter Island director is continuing the work of his nonprofit, The Film Foundation, which painstakingly preserves and restores decades-old classics. His Letterboxd page may prove a valuable educational resource, too, as it already includes a long list of 59 films that act as companion pictures to his films like Killers of the Flower Moon, The Irishman, Silence, Hugo. Scorsese notes,
“You always learn something, see something in a new light, because every movie is in conversation with every other movie. The greater the difference between the pictures, the better. Over the years, I’ve been asked to pair my own pictures with older films by other people that have inspired them.
The terms “inspiration” and “influence” aren’t completely accurate. I think of them as companion films. Sometimes the relationship is based on inspiration. Sometimes it’s the relationships between the characters. Sometimes it’s the spirit of the picture. Sometimes it’s far more mysterious than that.”
While Scorsese might be the latest and probably the most prominent celebrity to join Letterboxd, he is hardly the only one. Supernatural star Jim Beaver frequently posts his detailed thoughts on old classics he watches, Thunder Road director Jim Cummings’ one-line, to-the-point opinions on the latest films as well as decades-old wonders are eagerly anticipated, and of course, It star Jaeden Martell, who risked many snarky responses when he dared to give the Sadie Sink starrer Fear Street: 1978 (which he didn’t even complete watching) only a half star, and called The Whale “under written and over acted.”
So will Scorsese start calling out the Marvel films on Letterboxd now? Hopefully not, because this Marvel-crazy-yet-Scorsese-loving fan right here won’t be able to pick a side!