Killers Of The Flower Moon Is The Good Version Of Gangs Of New York

“Killers of the Flower Moon,” however, was just as massive a production. “Flower Moon” had double the budget of the $100 million “Gangs” and runs 206 minutes, a full 39 minutes longer than “Gangs.” Perhaps the extra time allowed Scorsese to pace his film better, let scenes play out, and allow the intimate moments to breathe. “Flower Moon” feels more controlled and deliberate, while “Gangs” feels frantic and bleary. Scorsese may be looking at similar themes and stories, but “Flower Moon” is quite clearly the better-thought-out film. In his 60s, Scorsese was still butting heads with the system. In his 80s, he was clearer about the kind of film he wanted to make. 

Infamously, Scorsese hated making “Gangs of New York,” which may have a lot to do with the film audiences saw. He and the film’s producer, the monstrous Harvey Weinstein, had no end of creative differences, and Scorsese had to face the temperamental Weinstein’s caprices on several occasions. The producer also pulled funds at the last minute, and Scorsese had to finish the film with a half million dollars of his own money. It would eventually come out that Scorsese nearly considered retiring altogether because of his bad Weisntein experience. He also admitted that he wasn’t happy with his finished film.

It’s possible that Scorsese’s bad “Gangs” experience galvanized him toward more creative control of his projects moving forward. Seven films later, with “Flower Moon,” Scorsese seems to have finally retold the American story he wanted to with “Gangs.” It’s clear to see that the latter is the smoother, more thoughtful, and overall better movie.