News recently broke that the new Batman movie would be close to three hours long. This sparked a debate that raged all over Twitter.
What's the proper length of a movie? And is Hollywood getting too obsessed with working long?
Simply put, if a movie is good, no one cares how long it is. But there are plenty of movies that overstay their welcome, and plenty of ideas that feel underbaked. Still, it feels like we have to have a conversation.
There are so many long movies out there that people discount or avoid because of the length of time. Now, I won't rant too much about these people, given they're the same ones who will stream six episodes of TV and not blink twice, but I think the rise of TikTok and social media has greatly limited people's attention spans. And it's robbing them of some of these great long movies out there.
Check out this video from Eyebrow Cinema, and let's talk after the jump.
It Won't Be Easy, But It's Time to Talk About Long Movies
Scheduling long times to watch movies can be hard. We all lead busy lives, and in the middle of a pandemic, it's a little nerve-wracking to sit in a movie theater for great lengths.
But if you can, safely at home, put your phone down and challenge yourself to be absorbed. Long movies get a bad wrap because they take time and effort. You shouldn't sit on the phone or chat, because they're usually about serious subjects and cover an expanse of time. But cinema is a transportive medium. And a longer movie can take you to so many different places and steep you in a real look at a life.
Sergio Leone's The Good, the Bad and the Ugly; Ingmar Bergman's Fanny and Alexander; and Akira Kurosawa's Seven Samurai are all over three hours, some over four, and they're some of the best movies ever. The same goes with Schindler's List, Lawrence of Arabia, and The Ten Commandments.
'Lawrence of Arabia'Credit: Columbia Pictures
DW Griffith's Intolerance and Victor Fleming's Gone with the Wind are pillars of classical Hollywood. And even now we're getting Avengers: Endgame and The Batman. These runtimes are translating across many different genres and taking us to many different places. As I said in the opening, the runtime only matters if the movie is bad. If you're having a good time, no one talks about it.
But yes, runtime matters to the executives who are trying to schedule a movie to play in theaters multiple times during the day. With the rise of streamers, this routine doesn't matter. People press play and just sit at home.
I think we're probably at the cusp of a revolution in long movies, as many filmmakers are getting final cut with deals for streamers. Now, not all long movies are made equal, but I think if you have an editor's eye and get a lot of opinions, you can safeguard yourself from creating a boring slog. Be honest with yourself and your audience, let the runtime come to you.
What are some of your favorite long movies that you recommend to others? Let us know in the comments.
Source: Eyebrow Cinema
