For most of us, Martin Scorsese is an auteur without peer. But for many under 30, Scorsese is that old dude who hates comic book movies. Both are true. This filmmaking genius has watched Hollywood evolve over decades and is deeply concerned about the industry’s direction.
The octogenarian hails from a different time in America. Scorsese, however, recognizes that the movie business is a business. That has never changed. Movies need to put butts in theatre seats and attract viewers to generate revenue. Coming later this week is a film that could draw a huge audience and satisfy the most discerning critics.
Killers of the Flower Moon might be the last great Scorsese movie. Given his age and our changing entertainment world, that’s certainly plausible. There hasn’t been this kind of hype around a Scorsese release since at least The Wolf of Wall Street. That 2013 Christmas Day flick became Scorsese’s highest-grossing movie of all time. There are huge hopes that Killers of the Flower Moon will also be a success. It will be released worldwide by Friday and will stream on Apple TV+ following its theatrical run
Here’s an opportunity for Scorsese to reconnect with his fans and engage with younger people who may simply view him as a bitter old man. Killers of the Flower Moon has plenty going for it— primarily a built-in audience. The film is based on David Grann’s bestseller of the same name. The book revives the long-forgotten tragic story of the Osage Nation of Native Americans who were once the richest people per capita on the planet.
Killers of the Flower Moon reunites Scorsese with two of his favorite actors, Leonardo DiCaprio and Robert De Niro. DiCaprio and De Niro are brand-name stars in an industry producing fewer of them. DiCaprio has the lead role in Scorsese’s two most profitable features (The Wolf of Wall Street and Shutter Island). De Niro has a top role in Scorsese’s two most critically acclaimed films (Raging Bull and Goodfellas).
Putting DiCaprio and De Niro in a 3.5-hour epic boosted by a $200-million budget could equal box-office gold. Apple and Paramount are banking on it. This is the second time that Scorsese has joined forces with a streamer. The Irishman had a limited theatrical release but was primarily available on Netflix. Apple will wait before showing Killers of the Flower Moon on its online platform.
Hopefully, Scorsese has learned valuable lessons from The Irishman. On the surface, it was successful with big streaming numbers and was nominated for 10 Academy Awards. However, for some, The Irishman was too long, too low energy, and too ridiculous. Scorsese’s last film also suffered the embarrassment of not winning a single Oscar.
Killers of the Flower Moon is shorter than The Irishman by a whopping three minutes. But it’s also important to remember that pacing plays a significant role in the movie-watching experience. Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer is a 3-hour flick that feels like 2.5 hours. Ari Aster’s Beau Is Afraid is a 3-hour flick that feels like 2.5 days.
Scorsese, famous for his energetic style, knows how to keep the audience entertained over a long period. He did so with Casino and The Wolf of Wall Street. Scorsese needs to do Grann’s absorbing work of non-fiction justice. Here’s a captivating piece of history about murder and the formation of the FBI.
Killers of the Flower Moon the movie needs to match Killers of the Flower Moon the book. This might be Scorsese’s final chance to remind everyone of why he was once called “an exemplary man of the cinema.”
