25 Oct Killers of the Flower Moon Review

KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON

dir. Martin Scorsese, starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Lily Gladstone, Robert DeNiro, et. al

Killers of the Flower Moon tells the story of the brutal murders behind white settlers’ attempted dispossession of an Osage family’s Oklahoma lands, under which lay some of the world’s most valuable oil fields.

Starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Killers of the Flower Moon marks his sixth feature length project with Martin Scorsese. Each iteration comes with Leo exploring a different persona: brooding, simmering anger in Gangs of New York, frantic desperation for survival in The Departed, the embodiment of greed in Wolf of Wall Street. Flower Moon is no different with Hollywood’s leading male approaching a different tack: pure idiocy. Leo is no stranger to playing simpler people with lower IQs, What’s Eating Gilbert Grape is the movie that put the star on the map after all. After years of playing heartthrobs and tough guys, his return to this archetype is unfortunately not without its issues. Of all six outings, Flower Moon may be his weakest performance, partially due to the constant stupid bulldogish look smeared on his mug for the majority of this expansive runtime, but also due to the fact that he’s outshined by both Robert DeNiro and Lily Gladstone. His performance certainly matches the material; DiCaprio’s performance is competent enough that it’s almost enough to make the viewers wonder if he even knows he’s being lead by the nose by DeNiro’s William King Hale.

As legendary and respected an actor as his is, it’s not a far stretch to say that Martin Scorsese knows how to bring the best out of Robert DeNiro. Mired in ineffective comedies and roles that parodied his former types of characters (with a few point of brilliance in between), Scorsese is able to roll DeNiro out from time to time and remind cinephiles of why he’s considered one of the greats. The one-two punch of 2019’s The Irishman and now with Flower Moon, DeNiro (in his tenth partnership with Marty) continues his streak of playing the slimy, untrustworthy types that Scorsese has spent a lifetime warning us about. Even to those unfamiliar with the story, Hale’s first appearance in the film leaves viewers with a sense of unease and distrust. For his part, DeNiro is a master of subtlety, appearing all smiles while hiding intentions less than noble. In the pantheon of Scorsese villains, DeNiro’s William King Hale ranks near the top.

Martin Scorsese has spent decades weaving stories that entertain an audience. Robert DeNiro has cemented his legacy as an icon of film. Leonardo DiCaprio, three decades into his career, is considered by some to be one of the last true movie stars. Lily Gladstone is the reason to watch this movie. Even with extended absences, Gladstone’s Molly Burkhart is the heart and soul of the story. The nobility and pragmatic nature of the Osage is seen through her lens. She carries the emotional burden of the traumas visited upon the Osage Nation, shouldering multiple deaths while demonstrating their strength and resolve. A less talented actress might over or underplay this role, but Gladstone delivers an Academy Award-worthy performance, leaving both her character and her performance burned in the audience’s memory long after the credits have rolled. A solid oak in a forest of deceitful snakes, Molly Burkhart is both the audience’s way into the film as well as the character most deserving of their empathy. Without Gladstone’s performance, quite frankly, the Flower Moon would not be as powerful as it is.

Directed as only he could by industry titan Martin Scorsese, Killers of the Flower Moon is an ambitious project realized by a man who’s made ambitious projects his bread and butter. Written by Eric Roth, adapted from David Grann’s eponymous novel, Scorsese uses the barbarous murders to do what he’s done for decades: examine the toxicity and greed of men in their bloodthirsty quest for power and material objects. To accomplish this mission Scorsese, cinematographer Rodrigo Prieto (his fourth collaboration with Scorsese and a drastic turn from his other project released earlier this year Barbie), and trusty stalwart Thelma Schoonmaker created a tapestry that unveils itself of the years of savagery visited upon the Osage. A bleak, cold, unrelenting film with little humor (and what little we get is the blackest comedy), Scorsese presents an austere film, almost totally devoid of emotion or sentiment, choosing instead to present the events of the film as matter of fact with little commentary or fanfare. While 206 minutes may seem daunting to some (acceptable only to those with the sturdiest bladders), each minute is necessary to cultivate a sense of who the Osage are, the value the possess, their symbiotic relationship with the white population, and the overarching scheme to steal everything they hold dear.

Overall, Killers of the Flower Moon is a clear indication that, at 80 years old, Martin Scorsese has no plans of stopping or even slowing down. A three-plus hour rumination of the terrors inflicted upon the Osage community in the name of greed, the story serves as a reminder of the horrible price some paid in the name of Manifest Destiny and American expansion. Powerhouse performances from his central cast, as well as from all the interesting faces they managed to squeeze into the smaller roles, Scorsese’s ability to bring the best out of his actors remains one of his greatest assets. Long but not languid, lengthy but not lethargic, Flower Moon is gripping from its first scene to its last, captivating its audience while forcing them to confront the oft-dismissed truths about our nation’s history. Killers of the Flower Moon is currently (briefly) in theaters, released by Paramount, with a pending release on AppleTV.

Review by Darryl Mansel