Killers Of The Flower Moon Needs To Beat This Movie To Be Scorsese’s Best
By now, most film fans know Martin Scorsese for his incredible catalog of award-winning films, as well as his derogatory comments regarding the state of cinema in the post-Marvel Cinematic Universe era. The auteur filmmaker’s latest outing, Killers Of The Flower Moon, is set to arrive this week in select theaters as well as Apple TV+, with many critics arguing that it’s one of the greatest projects the octogenarian has helmed to date. Of course, in order to top Scorsese’s filmography as the greatest of all time, Killers Of The Flower Moon will have to beat the iconic director’s magnum opus, 1990’s Goodfellas.
Martin Scorsese’s long and storied career features some of the greatest film events in cinema history, including more than 70 directing credits on IMDb. The Queens, New York-born filmmaker has helmed such classics as Taxi Driver, Raging Bull, The Last Temptation of Christ, The Departed, Shutter Island, The Wolf of Wall Street, and many, many more. The acclaimed filmmaker even holds a directing credit for Michael Jackson’s iconic “Bad” music video.
To become Martin Scorsese’s greatest movie, Killers Of The Flower Moon will have to be better than Goodfellas.
Of course, no mention of Martin Scorsese would be complete without calling to attention the cinematic landmark of Goodfellas. The biographical crime film tells the true tale of Brooklyn mob associate Henry Hill, including his rise to prominence within the crime circuit, his fall from grace, and his eventual choice to turn in his associates to the police and enter into the witness protection program. The film saw massive critical acclaim upon release, earning heaps of praise as well as a host of awards from organizations such as the 47th Venice International Film Festival.
While Martin Scorsese’s filmography spans dozens of classics, you’d be hard-pressed to find a better film than Goodfellas.
Goodfellas also touts an all-star ensemble cast, including the late Ray Liotta in the leading role, alongside such big-name talent as Robert De Niro, Joe Pesci, and Paul Sorvino. The film also stars a number of actors who would later go on to cement their careers in mob cinema by appearing prominently in the hit HBO series The Sopranos, including Lorraine Bracco, Tony Darrow, Frank Vincent, and The White Lotus‘ Michael Imperioli. The Sopranos, like nearly all mob media in recent decades, took great inspiration from Martin Scorsese’s works, with Goodfellas serving as one of the most iconic pieces of cinema within the organized crime genre.
Like many works in Martin Scorsese’s filmography, Killers Of The Flower Moon is set to have its own massive cast, rivaling that of the immense talent seen in Goodfellas. The Apple TV+ original is set to star Leonardo DiCaprio, Robert De Niro, Brendan Fraser, John Lithgow, Lily Gladstone, and Breaking Bad‘s Jesse Plemons. Of course, a cursory look over each film’s history reveals that the two movies have quite a bit more in common than just having a stacked cast.
Goodfellas also touts an all-star ensemble cast, including the late Ray Liotta in the leading role, alongside such big-name talent as Robert De Niro, Joe Pesci, and Paul Sorvino.
For starters, both Killers Of The Flower Moon and Goodfellas serve as period piece biopics following organized crime, based on best-selling books, which run for multiple hours. Killers Of The Flower Moon is said to have been cut down from an original length of over 4 hours, with a final run-time of 206 minutes, second only in length to Martin Scorsese’s previous outing, The Irishman from 2019, which touts a run-time of 208 minutes. Scorsese’s penchant for long-form media aside, the director has been making the media rounds in recent months, explaining to members of the public that his latest film is set to be one of his greatest achievements yet.
While Martin Scorsese’s filmography spans dozens of classics, you’d be hard-pressed to find a better film than Goodfellas. Though most cinema fans are currently eagerly awaiting the release of Killers Of The Flower Moon, the film surely has stiff competition to stand against.
