The movies were too long but so were the fights.
I re-lived some of them this week when I saw Martin ScorsesesKillers of the Flower Moon.
Its isa big success with audiencesat 3 hours and 26 minutes.
‘Cleopatra’ and ‘Killers of The Flower Moon’Everett Collection/Getty
On the other hand Ive argued with Clint Eastwood that a couple of his best movies were too short.
As a decisive director, he usually felt his best take was his first.
On the other hand, I felt Netflix may have been overgenerous running a four-hour cut ofThe Irishman.
Decisions like this seem more about aspiration than about art.
Studios believe that a film can pre-establish its importance through its running time.
But I thought the much-ballyhooed cut ofCleopatrain 1963 was a study in excess at 4 hours and 8 minutes.
It was hooted at, not revered.
Its premiere was delayed three months while the battle raged (Coppola won).
With the exception ofGodfather, I usually have found myself on the side of brevity in battles like this.
This particular column, in my view, should have wrapped at least two paragraphs ago.
But writers, too, rarely understand the power of economy.
