I’m a massive fan and admirer of Martin Scorsese as a filmmaker. He has made some of the most fascinating and brilliant films of the last 40 plus years. At the same time, I’m also a massive fan of David Grann, the author of the 2017 nonfiction book Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI, on which this film is based. David Grann’s 2009 book, The Lost City of Z, is one of my favorite nonfiction books ever. As a result, I was excited as hell when I first heard about an upcoming Scorsese adaption of Grann’s book. Anyhow, many details from the 2017 book are set aside. So, Instead of focusing on the creation of the FBI, the film focuses solely on the real-life story of Mollie Kyle (played by Lily Gladstone) and Ernest Burkhart (played by Leonardo DiCaprio).
The story takes place in Oklahoma during the early 1920s. It depicts the serial murders of members of the oil-wealthy Osage tribal nation — which became known as the reign of terror (as describe by newspapers of the time). It is a tale of racism and greed, where the systematic genocide of Native Americans took place over several years.
The central villain here is William King Hale (played by Robert De Niro), the criminal mastermind behind all the murders. He planned to get white people of his choosing to marry into the Osage and ensure that in the event of their death, the spouse would inherit their property deeds and wealth — or head rights as it was formally known. Also, King Hale had life insurance policies for various members of the Osage people, profiting from their deaths. William King Hale acted with complete impunity to kill these people; it was an open conspiracy to murder that included every white character within King’s circle without any concern for possible consequences or persecution.
The battle for Mollie Kyle’s head rights is at the story’s center. William King Hale manipulates his nephew Ernest into marrying Mollie and devises a plan for Ernest to poison and kill her slowly. Once Mollie’s poisoning begins, the movie becomes a toxic love story—Mollie starts as this strong, independent Woman. But her essence slowly begins to fade away, becoming passive as her husband poisons her gradually. At the same time, Mollie’s family and fellow tribal members are also slowly being killed.
Ernest seemed to have really fallen for Mollie. Still, he is easily manipulated and goes along with the murderous plot. Leo was solid as usual; he reconfigured his facial appearance with a weird jaw expression and lots of grimacing. However, Lily Gladstone is the heart of this movie. I think Molly should’ve been the story’s central focus more than Ernest. I wanted to spend more time with Molly as a character.
The supporting cast is strong — most notably Tantoo Cardinal (Mollie’s mother) and Cara Dean Myers (Mollie’s sister). Jesse Plemons, playing Thomas Bruce White Sr. A Bureau of Investigations agent (future FBI), was also a crucial character. But he needed more screen time so we could learn more about his process and personality. The same is true for Tatanka Means, who plays John Wren, an undercover agent; this character needed more screen time to better understand his inner thinking and background.
The cinematography is outstanding. The visuals are meant for a theatrical experience. I’m glad I actually saw this at the theater. I was engaged and moved throughout the entire theatrical running time. Nevertheless, the length of this movie is more suitable for streaming. The dialogue is clever and concise. Most courtroom testimony scenes are borrowed straight from the actual trial transcripts. However, it needed more emphasis on the Osage’s point of view and perspective. Killers of the Flower Moon is a critical entry into cinematic history. Lastly, it is essential to remember that this true story isn’t ancient history. We are only one generation removed from these murders
Four out of Five Popcorn Bags 🍿🍿🍿🍿
KILLLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON (2023). Streaming on AppleTV
Rod Rioja 