Absolute Cinema meme traces back to a black-and-white image of director Martin Scorsese raising his hands in admiration, repurposed by internet users around 2021. Netizens edited the image with “Absolute Cinema” text to mock or hype overly dramatic scenes, such as someone falling off a chair in a horror game video. It proliferated on platforms like TikTok, Twitter (X), Reddit, and forums due to its ironic humor celebrating the absurd.
Absolute Cinema Meme Origins and Spread
The black-and-white photo of Scorsese raising hands from a January 2020 New York Times interview sparked the meme. By late 2022, users captioned it “Absolute Cinema” for epic clips like Chainsaw Man anime scenes, shifting to sarcasm for cringe fails or overdramatic events.
Absolute Cinema refers to the purest form of cinema, where visuals and emotions convey the story without relying on dialogue. Film examples include slow-motion sequences in Stanley Kubrick’s works or the intense visuals in Andrei Tarkovsky’s films. Netizens now use it sarcastically for cringe-worthy, exaggerated moments like dramatic soap opera clips or viral TikTok fails, boosting their shareability.
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| Aspect | Details |
|---|---|
| Original Meaning | Purest cinema emphasizing visual storytelling without dialogue |
| Meme Usage | Sarcastic praise for absurd, overdramatic, or cringe scenes |
| Icon Origin | Martin Scorsese hands-raised photo, edited with text around 2021 |
| Examples | Soap opera drama, TikTok falls with epic music, indie aesthetics |
Absolute Cinema started as a genuine film term for visually powerful scenes but became a viral meme via Martin Scorsese’s iconic photo, used ironically for dramatic or absurd moments.
It originated from a 2020 black-and-white photo of Martin Scorsese raising his hands in admiration during a New York Times interview, captioned ironically by 2022.
Netizens use it sarcastically to praise or mock overdramatic, absurd, or cringe moments, such as soap opera clips, TikTok fails, or gaming reactions with epic music.
Common uses include Chainsaw Man anime highlights, dramatic sports fails, or someone falling off a chair in horror games, often paired with Scorsese’s image.
