Killers of the Flower Moon (2023) Movie Review
Martin Scorsese continues his trend of making three hour movies with Killers of the Flower Moon. Adapted from the book of the same name, Scorsese dives into Oklahoma in the 1920’s where the Osage people are being murdered at the hands of white people. A curious and somewhat controversial choice for a white man to tell the story of the Osage people, but Scorsese has never been one to shy away from stories he thinks are important.
Ernest Burkhart (Leonardo DiCaprio) arrives to work for his uncle, town bigwig William Hale (Robert De Niro). The discovery of oil on Osage land causes a bit of a boomtown where the Osage manage to be prosperous despite the interference of white men trying to get their hands on some of the oil money. When Ernest meets Mollie (Lily Gladstone) he marries her with the encouragement of his uncle. William’s intentions are not pure as he’s actually just after her fortune from the oil money, but Ernest’s feelings for Mollie seem to be at least somewhat genuine in the beginning.
As the story unfolds, Osage people are being murdered at an alarming rate and most of the incidents seem to revolve around William Hale in some fashion. Mollie’s siblings begin dying off one by one under mysterious circumstances, but when her sister Anna (Cara Jade Myers) is found murdered by a creek bed, the Osage tribe begins to demand a formal investigation into these killings.
There are a lot of moving parts in Killers of the Flower Moon and a lot of characters to keep track of. But at the center lies the incredibly punchable face of Robert De Niro’s William Hale who is as slimy as they come. He is a puppet master, pulling the strings of the town in his favor and putting on a facade of friendship and well-meaning intent towards the Osage people. DiCaprio’s Ernest isn’t too quick on his feet but his ineptitude benefits his uncle as he convinces him to execute a seriously sinister plot against his own wife.
Killers of the Flower Moon is punctuated by marvelous acting performances. DiCaprio and De Niro are both long-time collaborators with Scorsese and they have plenty of opportunity to show off their acting skills, both playing despicable characters. But Lily Gladstone’s performance is powerful enough to overshadow both of them. She is a quiet presence but when she’s on screen your eyes are immediately drawn to her.
Much like The Irishman (2019), Killers of the Flower Moon drags on for far too long. The story is more well-suited to a limited series than a movie and Scorsese would have done an excellent job telling it in a long form fashion. But at the end of the movie, he wraps the story up in a radio show format and makes a rare appearance recounting what happened to each of the characters who were based on real people. It’s a rare touch of Scorsese magic and showcases what he does best.
You’ll like this movie if:
1. You read the book Killers of the Flower Moon
2. You like extremely long movies
3. You’re interested in the history of the Osage people
