We’re not even halfway through 2023 and it’s already been a banner year for major releases with bum-numbing runtimes. Beau Is Afraid, John Wick: Chapter 4, Babylon and (2022 holdover) Avatar: The Way of Water all pushed, or exceeded, the three-hour mark, while the lengthy likes of Killers of the Flower Moon and Occupied City are still to come.
I’m a firm believer that films should be as long as they need to be to tell the best story they can – whether that’s 90 or 190 minutes. But if jumbo runtimes are on the rise, I think it’s high time the intermission made a comeback. The immediate benefits are obvious: a break to stretch your legs/use the loo/stock up on snacks without missing a vital part of the film. And if, like me, you’d never entertain the idea of sitting down for a marathon movie without a full stomach and empty bladder, a break would guarantee fewer distractions from folk stepping on toes and booting over buckets of popcorn in the dark.
It’s not like intermissions are an alien concept. In the theatre they’re standard practice, while Bollywood films are widely screened across the UK with intermissions. They also afford a chance to discuss with friends (or strangers, if you’re feeling brave) what you’ve just seen and your expectations for the second half, potentially discouraging irritating chatter during the film itself.
An intermission can also be a tool for storytellers. The roadshow release of The Hateful Eight had an intermission meticulously placed for maximum impact at a turning point in the story, while Bollywood films are often structured around mid-film twists that ensure the midsection never sags. And deep down I’ve always believed films like Gone with the Wind, Once upon a Time in America, and the Dances with Wolves extended edition to be epic on a whole other level to most movies, in part due to their grandiose intermissions.
No one’s arguing that Cocaine Bear or The Super Mario Bros. Movie needed a 15-minute breather in the middle (though some parents might, regarding the latter). But with the right film, an intermission could greatly enhance the cinematic experience. Or is it just me?
