Anyone well versed in modern American cinema knows that Martin Scorsese is not afraid to take his time. Several of the famous director’s most celebrated works feel more like marathons than movies and are known as much for their epic scope as for their plot. Goodfellas clocks in at 148 minutes. The Departed, 151. Casino, 178. However, for his latest project, Scorsese is reportedly ready to take things to another level in one of the most hotly anticipated releases of the decade.
According to reports from the New York Film Festival, “The Irishman”, which is expected to premier at the end of September, will run at a whopping three-and-a-half hours, making it the longest film of Scorsese’s career to date. Based on the life of mob hitman Frank “the Irishman” Sheeran, the movie stars Robert de Niro, Al Pacino and Joe Pesci and promises a smorgasbord of gangsters and New York nostalgia, packaged in a way that only Scorsese can pull off.
Unlike many of Scorsese’s other acclaimed works, The Irishman is scheduled to be released on streaming service Netflix on November 27th. According to the official synopsis provided by Netflix, the movie is:
“An epic saga of organized crime in post-war America told through the eyes of World War II veteran Frank Sheeran, a hustler and hitman who worked alongside some of the most notorious figures of the 20th century.
Spanning decades, the film chronicles one of the greatest unsolved mysteries in American history, the disappearance of legendary union boss Jimmy Hoffa, and offers a monumental journey through the hidden corridors of organized crime: its inner workings, rivalries and connections to mainstream politics.”
Unsurprisingly, given the size and scale of the movie, The Irishman has had a rollercoaster production. Rumours around the project first began circulating in 2014, with particular emphasis on the casting of De Niro, Pacino and Pesci. It has since been revealed that the narrative will revolve around the recollections of an older Frank Sheeran and will rely on cutting edge visual effects to make the cast appear as much as 30 years younger.
Understandably, reaction to the mammoth runtime has been mixed. Some critics have questioned whether the film will be able to warrant its length, while others have suggested that it will almost certainly be subject to change. Whatever happens between now and November, audiences will certainly have plenty to consider when they settle into a screening.