Culture Crash: Reviewing Martin Scorsese’s New Blockbuster

Much has been made of the long running time for Martin Scorsese’s latest, The Killers of the Flower Moon. The film, which is based on the 2017 nonfiction book of the same name by David Grann, runs 3 hours and 26 minutes long, and it tells the true story of a series of murders of wealthy Osage people in the 1920s. The film explores the relationship between the Native American people of Osage County, Oklahoma, and the white folks who headed down to their land, hoping to get rich off of the oil boom taking place at the time.

While I understand someone’s hesitation to see a three and a half hour film, I think the hand-wringing is overblown. First of all, people are allowed to get up and go to the bathroom should they need to in the middle of the movie. But more to the point, the film justifies its runtime with the rich character studies and its contemplative exploration of some of the biggest questions of the American myth and the American dream.

Anchored by dazzling performances from Lily Gladstone and Leonardo DiCaprio, Killers of the Flower Moon pulled me into its spell immediately and I honestly didn’t feel its length much. I was so taken by the cinematography, music, and script.

The fact is this: Martin Scorsese, one of the greatest film directors to ever live, is 80 years old and is still spending his time crafting thoughtful examinations of America’s original sin of neglecting and abusing Native Americans, man’s easy path to absolute corruption, the insidious evil of bystanders and complicity, and the limits of what can be considered love. Yes, the film is upsetting and uncomfortable. It asks big questions and it doesn’t provide easy answers. But in the end, it shows audiences the resiliency of the human spirit and leaves them thinking long after they leave the theater. So sure, it may be a three and a half hours long… but it’s also something really special. 

Killers of the Flower Moon is now playing.