Martin Scorsese Defends Killers of the Flower Moon's Massive Runtime

Killers of the Flower Moon is almost here, and it promises to bring an epic and expansive new blockbuster from Martin Scorsese. In the lead-up to Killers of the Flower Moon's debut, one element has caught a surprising amount of attention — its runtime, which clocks in at three hours and twenty-six minutes. In a recent interview with The Hindustan Times, Scorsese addressed the complaints that some moviegoers have had about the runtime, and argued that audiences have gotten used to consuming other forms of media that are longer.

"People say it's three hours, but come on," Scorsese explained. "You can sit in front of the TV and watch something for five hours. Also, there are many people who watch theatre for 3.5 hours. There are real actors on stage, you can't get up and walk around. You give it that respect, give cinema some respect."

Is Killers of the Flower Moon Based on a True Story?

Killers of the Flower Moon is based on David Grann's nonfiction book Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI. While Grann's original book was set from White's point of view, the author praised the distinct ways that Scorsese and company decided to adapt it.

"I did visit the set for a few days," Grann said in a recent interview with Vanity Fair. "And I was, again, just really impressed by how they managed to bring these historical figures to life and capture the hidden truths about the story. Leo [DiCaprio] just seemed to just be able to capture the nature of Ernest Burkhart, and the level of complicity of his character, and this evil system. And Lily Gladstone brings Mollie to life with such sensitivity and emotional power, at least in the bits I saw."

"What I was struck by from Scorsese to the actors was the level of commitment and how much research they did to understand the parts and understand the history. They just seemed voracious, a little bit like historians, in their search for any knowledge, transcripts, documents, speaking to descendants, speaking with members of the Osage Nation," Grann continued. "The film had Osage-language experts working with the actors to make sure they were able to teach them the language and that they got the language right, technically. I saw a scene where many of the tribal council members of the Osage Nation were speaking, and I think they contributed to a lot of that dialogue themselves. I think anyone who sees that will find it bracing and breathtaking and powerful."

What is Killers of the Flower Moon about?

In Killers of the Flower Moon, members of the Osage tribe in northeastern Oklahoma are murdered under mysterious circumstances in the 1920s, sparking a major FBI investigation directed by a 29-year-old J. Edgar Hoover and former Texas Ranger Tom White, described as "an old-style lawman." 

Also starring in Killers of the Flower Moon are Tantoo Cardinal, Louis Cancelmi, Jason Isbell, Sturgill Simpson, Tatanka Means, Pat Healy, Scott Shepherd, and Gary Basaraba.

What do you think of Scorsese's new comments about Killers of the Flower Moon? How do you feel about the movie's runtime? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!

Killers of the Flower Moon is set to be released on October 20th.