In an age where obsessions with social media discourse is at an all time high, I don’t think there’s been a conversation more obnoxious and repetitive than that of Martin Scorsese’s take on the superhero movie subgenre. I’m not gonna go into that because I already did my own piece on it but that tends to be where most of the conversations involving Martin Scorsese is at nowadays. Not so much on his actual released films but everything OUTSIDE of that. I don’t understand why in a time where every out of context quote is blown out of proportion that this is the one to break the camel’s back but it is what it is I guess.
What makes it even more fascinating is the kind of films that has come out from Scorsese in the middle of all that anti-comic book movie talk. Four years ago, there was The Irishman, a gangster film that took place in the 1950s about how evil white people are. Now, we have Killers of the Flower Moon, a Western crime drama that takes place in the 1920s about how evil white people are. Of course, there is more to those films than that but it’s worth mentioning because of how much discourse those comments I just mentioned about evil white people can be taken just as much out of context as Scorsese’s chattered about superhero films. Even many years later after the timelines which Scorsese’s prior two films are set in, things don’t seem to change.
As with everything I review, I always tend to look at things that can stand on their own. In the case of Killers of the Flower Moon, this is once again another winner from the great Martin Scorsese. It’s an exceptionally well crafted and brilliantly acted picture that goes to show why Martin might just be the best when it comes to making these period pieces. It’s as every bit of gripping, emotional, and impeccable as you heard, the 3.5 hour longtime while excessive is (mostly) put to good use, and it’s another reminder why films like this are worth experiencing on the biggest of screens possible. I don’t know where this ranks among his very best but it’s certainly a film that will leave an impact on you, one way or the other.
Killers of the Flower Moon is based off a true story and the 2017 book of the same name, written by David Grann. In the 1920s, oil has been discovered in Oklahoma under Osage Nation Land. However, Osage people are being murdered one by one as a result of that. The FBI must step in to investigate this crime spree and find out whose murdering who and how to respond to oil now being a main thing that exists.
I won’t go into too much of the main plot because I would rather have you experience it all yourself but again, this is based off a true story and you will likely see events coming from a mile away because of it.
The premise alone does seem to be perfect bait for discourse in the year 2023, with angry white people going out of their way to slaughter folks of color. Even with a film that literally is suppose to be based off of a true story where the events that happen in this film does in fact happen in real life, it’s still the cinematic equivalent of lighting a match. However, as he has proven many different times, Scorsese proves himself to be a smarter filmmaker by not going completely that route with no purpose.
It’s not so much about how white people can be bad that is painted in a very black-and-white way but it’s more about the true evil that human beings will feel among themselves in response to a grand discovery. It’s not just the white folks that is presented throughout the story that can commit terrible crimes, it can literally be anyone if they lack the heart and soul that good individuals have. It’s easy to hate Robert De Niro’s William Hale and feel so much sympathy for Lily Gladstone’s Molly Burkhart because well…..Hale is a s*itty human being and Burkhart is an innocent one.
The main character of Leonardo DiCaprio’s Ernest Burkhart perfectly displays that sense of literacy that the film itself present. Burkhart is at his heart a despicable human being but he’s not bright enough to understand just HOW despicable he really is. He believes that the harm and torture he is causing is for the great good and something that just has to be done because…..he thinks that’s just how it’s suppose to be. He might love his wife Molly but he doesn’t love in a way that a husband is suppose to do. Even when his wife is literally sick and dying, he’s still doing what he does best because….it’s just who he is.
De Niro’s William Hale makes for the perfect counterpart to DiCaprio’s Burkhart. Just like the main protagonist we are following, Hale is a man that is equally as sick and vicious. He’s basically a big influence with the way Burkhart acts and does a great job in getting inside everyone’s head, making them all feel his presence everywhere they go. It would have been easy and simple to play this character up as a caricature, which on the surface would have an insult to the Osage Nation itself. However, as stated before, Scorsese proves that he is much smarter than that. De Niro makes for the right dual figure of the picture and the film would simple not work without his presence.
Another element that the film wouldn’t work without is Lily Galdstone’s Molly Burkhart, Ernest Buckhart’s wife. She acts as the heart and soul of the picture, the perfect resemblance to what all the Osage Nation suffers through in the film and what they suffered through in real life back in the 1920s. Folks that were so sick, powerless, and hopeless that they couldn’t defend themselves from the sick folks that threatened to wipe them out. Even if you aren’t somehow able to buy the events of this film happening in real life, you will certainly feel it in the performance of Lily Galdstone, which is as every bit as heartfelt and authentic as the character she is playing. This was certainly the most difficult performance to pull off in the film by Galdstone is absolutely perfect here.
Speaking of which, as with most Martin Scorsese motion pictures, the acting is top notch all around. Despite certain folks claim of him not being on the same level as others in the film, Leonardo DiCaprio is reliably excellent here as Burkhart and makes for one of his finer performances in his skillful acting filled career. Even after many films, the man is still able to find new ways to impress on the big screen. Robert De Niro is delightfully hateful as Hale and never comes off as a complete cartoon bad guy but one that can really get under the skin of it’s audience, in the best way. Lily Gladstone is extraordinary as Molly as previously stated, making you feel as every bit of empathy as you should to the character and the Osage Nation as a whole. The rest of the cast doesn’t shine as much as the main three or get as much screen time but they all do fine work here, even if there’s one or two casting that might be slightly questionable.
From a technical standpoint, Killers of the Flower Moon is also quite marvelous (No pun intended! I swear!). Scorsese teams up once again with his frequent collaborators such as Thelma Schoomaker, Rodrigo Prieto, and the late great Robbie Roberston (May he rest in peace!). They are able to accompany Scorsese’s vision incredibly well without breaking a sweat. Schoonmaker’s editing is Oscar-caliber that helps the pacing of the film, Prieto’s cinematography is inspired and fits perfectly in the period where this film is set in, and Robertson’s score is riveting as it is engrossing.
When it comes to the 3.5 hour long runtime as a whole, I wasn’t bother by it at all because I was so captivated by the filmmaking and performances on display here. However, there definitely were moments in the second and third act that did drag and parts towards the climax where it was hard to tell when the film was reaching it’s resolution. Almost as if Scorsese is approaching the Tarantino level of not knowing when to quit. And while a performance by a certain actor is being blown WAY out of proportion by certain folks out there, it was the one main performance that made me questioned whether or not it should have been that person casted for that role. That’s not to hate on that one actor but it was the one performance that stood out in the way that I do NOT think was intended.
While there will certainly be discussions on things outside of the film itself whether that involves the question of Scorsese being the right main to handle this subject matter or is he right or not about comic book films, the film we got in cinema in Killers of the Flower Moon is an excellent motion picture that will likely be an instant Oscar nominee for about every notable category. As we reach Scorsese’s final chapter of his 80-year old life, this plays out as the proper beginning of the end of one of our finest filmmakers who has ever lived. If only we can all celebrate that and STOP asking the man of his opinions on Marvel movies! Please and thank you!
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