"Brevity is the Soul of wit."

I felt a strong sense of irony after writing the post Long vs. Boring. I needed to cut that post. Let me try again:

Every scene, every line, every angle, every shot, every frame must have a purpose. Cut any of the preceding if they serve no purpose. Cut for purpose, not for length. A film can be long and still be interesting. When the elements of the film lose purpose, then the film will lose interest.

(Compare The Godfather to Duel for an example of this)

Jim