Scorsese Reflects on Kurosawa’s Humble Oscar Speech and Future of Cinema

Renowned director Martin Scorsese recollects the profoundly moving acceptance speech delivered by Akira Kurosawa during the 1990 Academy Awards. Despite receiving an honorary Oscar for his realm-shifting contributions to cinema, the then 80-year-old Japanese maestro humbly disclaimed fully understanding the nuances and aftermath of filmmaking. The humility of Kurosawa’s statement resonated deeply with Scorsese, only to be fully comprehended when he himself turned 80.

Scorsese – a senior citizen still very much on his voyage of self-discovery – reflects on his musings, noting the limitless possibilities cinema provides as an expressive canvas and pathway to exploring the depths of one’s identity.

His lifelong quest has intensified over time, his recent films echoing an intricate exploration of faith, loss, and humanity. His latest cinematic venture “Killers of the Flower Moon” proceeds further down this same path, despite diverging outside his typical personal experience. It explores the heinous betrayal and trust within a love story set amidst systematic executions of the Osage Nation, all in pursuit of their oil-rich land during the 1920s.

Scorsese likens this wave of intimate crime depicted within the movie to the harsh realities he’d witnessed during his childhood. This is a narrative that amplifies the themes of his previous films, carving a unique path from his gangster epics to American history.

When contrasted with his earlier films, “Killers of the Flower Moon” paints a uniquely alarming picture of greed-seeped violence slowly eating away at the fundamental core of intimate relationships. It presents the cold, harsh spectacle of brutal betrayals, that are disturbingly insidious and mimic the narratives he grew up listening to in the streets of New York.

This $200 million epic, presented as ‘an internal spectacle’ by Scorsese, is an ambitious move in an era where grand cinematic statements are dwindling. The film bears a close resemblance to the Western genre, especially after Scorsese managed to shift the narrative from focusing on a federal investigator to portraying a more intimate narrative from the perspective of the Osage Nation.

Covid-19 allowed Scorsese a period of introspection, leading him to reconsider his commitments. He found solace in the preparation stage of the film, describing it as a meditative process. Articulating his apprehension towards digital distractions, he purposefully distanced himself from computers and emails.

Despite embodying an image of the old guard, Scorsese is quick to adapt to technology when required. He gave a digital youthfulness to Robert De Niro and often makes appearances in his daughter’s TikTok videos.

In a world predominantly ruled by content-driven filmmaking, streaming platforms, and Marvel productions, Scorsese fervently advocates for the artistic essence of cinema. He earnestly emphasizes the enriching power of cinema on our lives and nurtures the hope that this perspective will continue onto future generations.

Scorsese’s parting words carry his belief in the potential of cinema: “As I’m leaving, I’m trying to say: Remember, this can really be something beautiful in your life.”