Martin Scorsese’s latest film, “Killers of the Flower Moon” depicts the horrific murders that the Osage tribe suffered at the hands of white colonizers because of the land that they reside upon and their wealth from “black gold.” The film, which was released Friday, Oct. 20, boasts a star-studded cast including the likes of Robert DeNiro, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Lily Gladstone. It is based off of the 2017 novel by David Grann, “Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI.”
The film follows Ernest Burkhart (DiCaprio) after he returns from World War I to stay with his uncle, William King Hale (DeNiro) in Fairfax, Oklahoma. Upon return, Hale tells his nephew of his plan to steal from members of the Osage through coordinated marriages and murders to obtain access to their wealth as “they are the richest people in the world, per capita.” Burkhart becomes involved with Mollie Kyle (Gladstone), a member of the Osage tribe who is one of four sisters with access to the immense wealth because of headrights and the oil-rich region. The two become married and after they do, the planned murders of the Osage begin to grow more and more apparent, ultimately leading to the creation of the FBI.
Like his other films, the most recent Scorsese picture doesn’t shy away from violence. Those who have seen “Goodfellas” or “Taxi Driver” know that the 80 year old filmmaker is famous for his graphic and bloody scenes. The violence in “Killers of the Flower Moon” maintains its traditional Scorsese direction but is far more chilling than his other work. There was a particular sequence early in the film that made the theater audibly gasp because it was so searing to witness and to realize. The film is brutal in its depictions of death and forces audience members to behold the violence that the Osage suffered as they were picked off one-by-one because of racist greed.
Much has been said about the three-and-a-half hour runtime and whether or not such a length is justified. Some viewers have claimed that the film needs to be cut down in time while others believe that it should have been longer. Because of the runtime, there is never a sense of urgency to the film. Instead, Scorsese makes his audiences linger in each moment and sit with the discomfort that the film may bring. The runtime, though tedious, allows viewers to acknowledge the real-life violence that happened to the Osage community and how easily the deaths were accepted and encouraged by the colonizers in Fairfax.
The film is masterful in its direction and cinematography as well as the performances from its cast. While watching the film it felt as though every shot should be hung up in an art gallery. The temporal cinematography of the Oklahoma grassland is remarkable and many of the shots from the last act of the film are purely haunting. The performances from both Dicaprio and DeNiro are also unforgettable– they become the human embodiment of greed and death. But, Lily Gladstone was a standout amongst the cast. Perhaps her burden was the most difficult to carry throughout the film as her character suffered an unimaginable loss and pain. The stoicism which Gladstone brought to the screen was condemning and all too human. It would be no surprise to see her nominated for Best Actress at the Academy Awards next year.
“Killers of the Flower Moon” is one of Scorsese’s best, it is harrowing, it is long, but it may just affect the way that you understand what it means to live upon stolen land. The film is an artistic tour de force and a history lesson in American colonization. It forces audiences to recognize the brutality that the Osage and other Indigenous communities endured because of white greed and racism. The film is not necessarily easy to watch but it is certainly worth it, and if you do see it, make sure that you do so on the largest screen that you can find.
