General Information
Directed by – Martin Scorsese
Written by – Eric Roth and Martin Scorsese
Starring – Leonardo DiCaprio (Ernest Burkhart), Lily Gladstone (Mollie Burkhart), Robert De Niro (William King Hale), Jesse Plemons (Tom White), Tantoo Cardinal (Lizzie Q), John Lithgow (Peter Leaward), Brendan Fraser (W.S. Hamilton), and Yancey Red Corn (Chief Bonnicastle)
Synopsis – After oil is discovered on their land, the Osage people have been mysteriously murdered without any investigation taking place, hitting close to home for Mollie as her family begins to be the next targets, calling in the FBI to help with her concerns.
Where to Watch – In Theaters
Review
The first time I came across the title “Killers of the Flower Moon” was doing research for a project involving Book of the Month. Classified as “true crime” for the genre, it was their pick for April 2017 with the tags “heavy read”, “famous author”, “social issues” and “critically acclaimed”. This book became the inspiration for the latest Martin Scorsese project.
Based on real life events, Ernest Burkhart (DiCaprio) moves to be with his uncle William “King” Hale (De Niro) in the state of Oklahoma. Here, the Osage Native American tribe has “headright”, or ownership of property rights to receive payment for the oil that has been found on their land. This has made the Osage people very wealthy while making them a target at the same time. This is the main driver of the plot, as members of Mollie’s (Gladstone) family begin to die due to murder or suspected disease. Determined to get down to the bottom of these crimes, Mollie travels to Washington D.C. to recruit Tom White (Plemons) to investigate.
The history behind this film is absolutely fascinating as it is something that I cannot recall learning about in school. As the book has been classified as “true crime” you would think these cases would be more in the mainstream with the rise of YouTube and Tik Tok creators who focus on the genre. A story like this, especially when it focuses on the Western expansion of the United States, should be taught to the general public. We learn about how states came to be, but not about the consequences that follow as a result. It is ugly and does not look good to those who pride themselves on knowing American history, but that does not mean it did not happen. The fact that Scorsese wanted to bring these atrocities to the big screen is commendable, and while the story should have been told from an Osage creative, there is still a bias in Hollywood of who gets “Scorsese money” to tell this story; Scorsese should not be the one telling it but if anyone could tackle this topic, he was the correct choice.
The story starts off with DiCaprio’s character arriving to Oklahoma after serving in World War I. It is from his introduction that we can interpret the exact man he is going to be. A bunch of men are rough-housing with each other and DiCaprio, not even knowing whose these guys are, joins right in. He is easily swayed to go along with whatever his surroundings present to him, so it is no surprise that he easily gets roped into his uncle’s schemes. Even though his character is supposed to be in his mid- to late-20s, you believe that nearly-50-year-old DiCaprio is younger than he appears. How he plays Ernest so spineless and dimwitted that it is believable that he would be convinced to do everything his uncle asks him to do. By far one of his strongest performances, DiCaprio gives us layers upon layers of this unforgiving character that is a powerhouse whenever he is on screen. He keeps you guessing that as his character ages, you never know what his true intentions or feelings are anymore. Is he actually smarter and more sly the older he gets or is he so far down the rabbit hole that it is impossible for him to get out? Everything about him is what makes DiCaprio a true star and no surprise Scorsese probably has his agent’s number on speed dial.
De Niro, another Scorsese staple of the last 50 years, plays DiCaprio’s uncle, who has been accepted by the Osage people. Throughout the film, we see De Niro speak their language, attend meetings with the chiefs and other members of authority, and be welcomed with open arms. Little do they know he is the one behind the entire operation of the genocide of their people. With both of his nephews doing the dirty work, he conceives this plan to slowly gain control of the Osage people’s land and wealth by having the local white men marry the Osage women to gain “guardianship” of their wealth. A law created in 1921 stated that Osage people needed to have a non-Osage person assigned to them to watch over their money if the government deemed them “incompetent” to manage their own funds. This is the law that De Niro plans to exploit by having DiCaprio marry Mollie Kyle. Working with the other white men in power in Fairfax, Oklahoma – like police and doctors – this plan seemed full-proof to gain and capitalize off of the Osage who were rightfully there first. And if becoming guardians did not work right away, committing murder was the next best option for them. De Niro plays Hale as one of the most menacing men in U.S. history perfectly, taking it to a whole new level. You can tell how deep De Niro went to refine this role that you cannot picture anyone else playing him. Every time he is on screen you feel this diabolical aura over the film, making it so much creepier and cynical than you would think possible. His plot has been brewing since before DiCaprio arrived on that train and De Niro sells throughout the film.
The true heart and soul of not just the film but the entire story of the Osage murders is Gladstone as Mollie Burkhart. Part of one of the wealthiest Osage families, Mollie falls for DiCaprio’s Ernest even though she is skeptical of him. When her family members begin dying off – two due to “illness” (presumed diabetes) and two due to murder – she becomes concerned that she is the next target. Traveling to Washington D.C., she begs someone to come to Oklahoma to investigate. At the same time, she is suffering from diabetes as well, but the medicine she is being given is laced with poison, “slowing her down” as De Niro’s Hale puts it. While some may see a majority of Gladstone’s performance as subtle, it works for her character. And the moments when she finds out her sisters and mother have died…you can just feel every ache and cry and emotion that she is giving off. It makes your heart break for her while infuriating you because you know her husband is the one behind all of her pain. The scenes where she is getting more and more sick also stick out as some of the best acting of the year. Like the gentlemen that star alongside her, this film would not have been the same without Gladstone’s compelling performance. Her final scene with DiCaprio will be stuck in my brain for the rest of time.
While DiCaprio, De Niro and Gladstone may be the stars, they are backed by an amazing cast that help bring the film together. Jesse Plemons as Detective Tom White is the standout of the main supporting cast. The second he appears on screen with his variety of very large hats, you know he is about to own the last third of the film. His role was originally supposed to be played by DiCaprio, but I am glad that he decided to switch parts to be Ernest instead; Plemons is perfect as Tom White. His crew of Merryman who disguise themselves as locals are also a fun time to watch as they surround Plemons with their charismatic personalities. They are there to do a job but also have fun with each other as they are working through the investigation. The gentlemen in cahoots with De Niro also bring a desperate and scared presence with them while some are not afraid to do exactly what Hale needs. And then there are the members of Mollie’s family and the rest of the Osage tribe who all need to be in more films in general. Every single character brings their all and I hope this film either jumpstarts or propels their future careers. My personal favorite was Cara Jade Myers as Anna Brown, one of Mollie’s sisters who ignites the passion in Mollie to get justice for her people after Anna is brutally murdered. Lovely cast, perfect performances, and just overall amazing cast chemistry all around. No one felt out of place or that they should not belong, which makes the film even stronger.
The biggest aspect of the film that has been talked about to the end of time is the length. Standing at 3 hours and 26 minutes, there is one person to thank for not feeling that long and it is the editor Thelma Shoemaker. Every scene is so precise and flows perfectly with the story Scorsese is trying to tell. It may have felt long after sitting on it after a viewing, but when you look back, there is no scene that I would have taken out or shortened. Everything not only seemed like it was the perfect length but deserved to have its place within the runtime. It will feel long, but that does not mean its length is not deserved. The film also looks absolutely gorgeous from every technical aspect. The cinematography pulls you in to make you feel like you are in 1920s Oklahoma and that is thanks to Rodrigo Prieto. Jacqueline West and Jack Fisk bring their strengths as a costume designer and production designer, respectively, to also accentuate the characters and the story the film is telling. Not only is it historically accurate, but the visuals of the costumes and sets bring to the screen absolutely stands out. If I had the opportunity to visit that set and wear the costumes from the film, I would have been transported back to the 1920s. When doing a historical film like this, you can so easily run the risk of looking like one of those old-timey photos your family gets on the boardwalk, but that is not the case here. Everything is so real and authentic that you feel as though you are out of place simply by watching.
Scorsese wraps up the film in his own special way that, if anything , pokes fun at how we as a society – or at least an American society – view crimes. With the rise of true crime shows and podcasts, everyone seems to have an opinion on the events that have happened or look to monetize off of the rising trend. No one wants to dive deep into what has really happened; they are all focused on the “glamorous” or “pretty” cases that are more accessible to the general public. I have learned so much about this stain on my country’s history, which started from watching this film and then continuing afterwards with my own research. Everyone should not only see this film – while it can feel long – not just for the history behind it, but also to inspire those with power to pay more attention to people like Mollie.
