Killers of the Flower Moon Review
Theatrical Movie Review - Historical Drama
The first Martin Scorsese movie that I remember seeing was “Taxi Driver” in a college film class that I took. And while I haven’t come close to seeing all of his films, I’ve seen enough to admire him and understand why it is that when he makes a comment about the state of cinema, it’s worth considering his point, even if you don’t always agree with it. Scorsese has earned the right to have an opinion, and that is made even more clear with the release of his latest film, “Killers of the Flower Moon.”
The Osage people discovered oil on their land in Oklahoma, making them one of the wealthiest groups, but in the 1920’s, members of the tribe began dying under mysterious circumstances. When Ernest Burkhart (Leonardo DiCaprio) returned from the war, his uncle William “King” Hale (Robert De Niro) encouraged him to become a driver for the Osage people. Ernest meets Mollie (Lily Gladstone) as he drives her around, and eventually the two fall in love and marry. As members of Mollie’s family die, an investigation headed by Agent Tom White (Jesse Plemons) of the newly formed FBI looks into these murders.
This is an absolute masterpiece. I don’t usually sit in the theater while the credits run, especially on a film that is nearly three and a half hours long, but I found myself unable to leave right away as the weight of what I’d just experienced settled on me. Even as I’m writing this, I’m not sure I’ve fully digested everything this movie has to say.
Scorsese uses every second of this film to tell the story, each moment building on the last. This isn’t a fast paced movie, but I found myself engrossed in the story nevertheless. This movie requires your attention, and it rewards you with an extraordinary tale. Additionally, the epilogue for this film is one of the most unique and engaging things I’ve encountered.
The performances in this are all top notch. DiCaprio’s smile is so much more engaging when it happens because he scowls through the bulk of the movie, trying to determine his allegiances. De Niro has had an incredible career, but I think this will rank among his most celebrated roles. And Gladstone pours so much of herself into her character that your heart breaks into pieces as hers does.
There have been movies before that have shown the difficult relationship between white settlers and indigenous people here in America. This movie offers so much more nuance, showing the ways that people can hold both prejudice and love at the same time in a way that I honestly don’t know that I’ve ever seen on screen. As such, this is a challenging movie to watch, because it forces the viewer to examine their own biases. Choosing to do something with those examinations, well, that’s up to us.
This review originally appeared in The Dominion Post on October 22, 2023.
Can’t wait to see this.