Taxi Driver Writer Has One Major Criticism for Killers of the Flower Moon

Paul Schrader is a writer and director known for an array of films made between the 1970s and present day. He was nominated for Best Original Screenplay in 2019 for writing First Reformed, but many know him best for writing multiple films helmed by Martin Scorsese. Schrader is responsible for penning Taxi Driver, Raging Bull, The Last Temptation of Christ, and Bringing Out the Dead. Schrader has a reputation for posting his film views online, and he recently shared a controversial opinion about Scorsese's newest film, Killers of the Flower Moon. 

'"Marty compares me to a Flemish miniaturist," Schrader told France's Le Monde. "He would be more the type who paints Renaissance frescoes. Give him $200 million, a good film will inevitably come out of it. That said, I would have preferred Leonardo DiCaprio to play the role of the cop in Killers of the Flower Moon rather than the role of the idiot. Spending three-and-a-half hours in the company of an idiot is a long time."

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

Recently, Socresese defended the movie's runtime when talking with Hindustan Times.

"In the case of Killers of the Flower Moon, it should be seen on the big screen. Are we intending to make a blockbuster? No, we're making a movie, which should watched on the big screen. Other pictures I made? Maybe not. Sometimes, it's the strength of the picture too, if it plays well on a smaller screen, that's interesting. Killers could play on a small screen, but in order to truly immerse yourself, you should take out the time. People say it's three hours, but come on, 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." 

What Is Killers of the Flower Moon About?

You can read a description of the film below:

"The film is set in 1920s Oklahoma and depicts the serial murder of members of the oil-wealthy Osage Nation, a string of brutal crimes that came to be known as the Reign of Terror. Based on a true story and told through the improbable romance of Ernest Burkhart and Mollie Kyle, Killers of the Flower Moon is an epic western crime saga, where real love crosses paths with unspeakable betrayal."

Killers of the Flower Moon stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Robert De Niro, Lily Gladstone, Jesse Plemons, Cara Jade Myers, JaNae Collins, Jillian Dion, Tantoo Cardinal, John Lithgow, and Brendan Fraser. 

Do you agree with Paul Schrader's thoughts on Killers of the Flower Moon? Tell us in the comments!