Film and cinema are forms of art, and every good art form can never be complete without dispute. In film, there is an ongoing debate about the length of a film, and here comes the concept of intermission.
In Hollywood, the concept of intermission is not welcomed. Even in terms of most thrillers, the West sort of avoids giving a break, as they think it messes up the flow of the story. But if you talk about things over here, the people are conditioned to witness longer storytelling and some form of breaks.
India has seen its fair share of ‘lengthy’ films, from Mera Naam Joker to Sangam, which were way above the norms of Hollywood. But in recent times, Hollywood is observing a new trend, and that revolves around the making of longer films.
And this time, the viewers are somewhat ‘bothered’ by the 3 hours and 26 minutes length of Martin Scorsese’s creation, Killers Of The Flower Moon, which is drawing some debate regarding the length. To tackle it, some independent theaters are adding their own intermission.
A viral photo of a Colorado theater’s intermission sign brought attention to the practice. However, that didn’t go over well with the studio, as they decided to intervene in the matter, stating that they will no longer allow theaters to opt for an intermission.
On paper, this does feel like a good idea. Sitting still for 206 minutes is a long and tiresome task, even if the movie is an absolute binge-watch. A bit of stretching of legs and some munching on snacks would definitely do good for the viewers. But the creator himself defended the long runtime.
“People say it’s three hours, but come on, you can sit in front of the TV and watch something for five hours,” said Scorsese during a recent interview.
One analyst suggests that if Scorsese didn’t originally plan for an intermission, it should remain the primary viewing experience. He acknowledges the film’s length and believes that if there’s substantial demand, providing an option for an intermission could potentially influence people’s decision to purchase tickets, presenting an economic and practical argument for a limited offering.
Now, the argument for both sides is indeed a solid one. It now becomes a matter of preference. Though there can be a choice for a longer runtime, if the creators don’t go for it, there must be a reason behind it, and a sense of creative freedom should always exist there.