It feels like the streaming era has been really good to Martin Scorsese. No matter how many bad things can be said about streamers, they have been giving Scorsese the budget and resources to make the large scale epic films he wants to make. I really liked The Irishman when that came out and now Apple has got Killers of the Flower Moon made, and, unlike other streamers, they have been willing to give this a wide cinema release, including showing it in IMAX. Whilst there were eyebrows raised over how long the film is, this is a case where the film deserved being 3 1/2 hours long. This is a sprawling, haunting epic that demonstrates just how good a director Martin Scorsese still is.
Taking place through the 1920s, the film focuses on the residents of Osage county, Oklahoma, in particular the members of the Osage nation, who have leveraged their land rights to take control of the oil supplies in the region, becoming incredibly wealthy. The film mainly follows Ernest Burkhart, who comes under the wing of his uncle William Hale, who encourages him to marry Mollie Kyle, a member of the Osage nation whose family has substantial land rights. As the film goes on, we see Ernest seduce Molly to gain her confidence and start a family with her, but we also see a growing string of murders of the Osage tied to oil and land rights, orchestrated by Hale. Throughout the film, we see the corrupting, evil nature of greed and the racist roots of Hale’s plans. It is clear that there is a resentment amongst Hale and his supporters that they do not have the land rights, viewing themselves as inherently superior to the Osage by virtue of them being white. It is clear that the Osage are being dehumanised and degraded throughout the film, with them not even being viewed as intelligent enough to access their money, a clear effort by the white authorities to exert control over the finances. We also see how the resentment of the white population has the risk of creating large scale violence, with scenes showing the aftermath of the Tulsa Massacre showing what can happen when the greed and anger of the white population reaches its peak. We see how, even though the Osage are the rightful owners and occupiers of the land, they are made to feel othered in their homes and how easily they are dismissed. It is clear that one of the main reasons the murders went on for as long as they did is because of how no one in power cared enough about the Osage to help them. We see the sense of community that the Osage have and how they end up supporting each other, but how they have to beg authorities to do anything, and even then it’s way too late. Even at the end of the film, we see how the narrative around the murder, for the longest time, has centred on the proto-FBI, even though they only got involved late on, with there being a fascinating element at the end on how the FBI has presented the events to lionise themselves, whilst taking the agency and lives of the Osage out of the narrative.
There is also an interesting look at how money played a role in the way Osage traditions and heritage are perceived. Whilst I am not able to say whether this is an accurate representation of the Osage, being a white Brit, there is a sense that Scorsese and co-writer Eric Roth took time to listen to the Osage and wanted to present them respectfully. There are scenes focused on Osage traditions that you probably wouldn’t get from other white filmmakers, these serving to highlight the fears that the Osage elders have that their culture is being eroded. It demonstrates the fear that greed and money only serves to create a homogenous culture, rather than respecting traditions. It is an interesting aspect of the film and one that gives it a grander and more poignant scope than just being a crime film, making it feel like we are seeing how a culture is being destroyed and the efforts of the community to ensure that this does not happen.
The thematic power of the film is aided by the performances. Leonardo DiCaprio is able to use his charm to create a more sinister character with Ernest, it being clear that his initial pursuit of Molly is purely for money. There is an interesting dichotomy of the character where you wonder if he does have genuine feelings for Molly or not, but there is a clear element of racism in his actions, as seen through the way he treats the children he has with Molly, being more fond of the lighter skinned children. This ends up giving DiCaprio’s performance a more unnerving undercurrent, with his actions as the film goes on showing the corrupting nature of greed and how he is motivated by self-preservation. It is also clear that Ernest is not an intelligent man, being easily manipulated by Hale, but it is also clear that he is wilfully letting the manipulation happen so he can make himself rich. Lily Gladstone as Molly meanwhile provides the moral centre of the film. The interactions she has with DiCaprio are excellent, there being a fascinating dynamic the two have, but it’s the scenes without dialogue where Gladstone shines. She is able to say so much with her mannerisms and body language, showing someone who does feel isolated in her home, with a sense of quiet grief, guilt and pain coming across in her performance brilliantly. She gives the film its heart, preventing it from being a dive into the worst aspects of American life, showing the tenderness that is needed for the film to work and demonstrating the true tragic horror of the film in the final act, showing someone who has become an empty shell because of the horrors she has had inflicted upon her. Robert DeNiro as Hale gives one of the most unsettling performances I’ve seen in a long time. He is able to present himself as this genial ally to the Osage, whilst being open behind closed doors about how he just wants to kill them for money. DeNiro creates a truly evil character, with his charming façade and mannerisms only serving to highlight this evil. There’s great work from Tantoo Cardinal, Cara Jade Myers, JaNae Collins and Jillian Dion as Molly’s family, working well with Gladstone to create the family dynamic and presenting the different perspectives of the Osage and the generational differences well. Jesse Plemons does good work as federal investigator Tom White, presenting himself as the hero of the story, but it being clear that he is coming in too late to do any true good. There is some bombast in the later stages of the film brought by Brendan Fraser and John Lithgow, adding a bit of levity from how over the top they are, but this works for the characters they are playing, showing how they are playing up for the courts and juries to give themselves the advantages.
The technical side of the film is really well done. The cinematography and direction is excellent throughout, highlighting the harsh beauty of the environment and working well with the production design to show off the wealth of the area. In many ways this feels like a western in style, showing the dying days of this way of life. It is also used well to show the horror of the film, the use of darkness and shadows helping to create some unsettling scenes and there being a starkness in the way the murders are framed, giving them an extra layer of horror in how matter of fact they are presented. It creates the impression that, for the murderers, it is just another day and nothing special to them, which adds to the tragedy and horror when we see and understand the people who have been killed. There is also a sense of respect seen throughout the way the Osage are framed, the production design and costume design feeling authentic in representing the culture of the Osage, which helps add to the sense of reverence that Scorsese is presenting. The music by Robbie Robertson does a great job at building the atmosphere in the film, adding to the power of the film. The editing by Thelma Schoonmaker is top notch here, making every scene flow really well and creating a great pace to the film so that, even though the film is 3 1/2 hours long, it just flies by with how well it is paced. The editing also demonstrates the power of when to present information to the audience, Schoonmaker knowing when to make the right cuts to keep information hidden from the audience, to give it more power later on. It is a great testament to the working relationship that Scorsese and Schoonmaker have with each other.
Overall, I found Killers of the Flower Moon to be a brilliantly done epic from Scorsese. This is a case where, even with it being 3 1/2 hours long, I could easily have watched it for longer. This is one of the most horrific and tragic films I’ve seen in a long time, creating a devastating look at the damage that greed does to society, creating a really unsettling film to watch. This is a great reminder of the skill that Martin Scorsese has and why he is one of the greatest directors to ever step behind the camera.
My Rating: 5/5
Coogs Reviews 