Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing
Capturing the story of the Osage tribe is a daunting task as it is a glossed over portion of American history. Manipulation of people, schemes geared towards turning a profit, and mass genocides’ are all at the gutting heart of this story. Martin Scorsese delivers yet another knockout film that unearths the brutal history of one of the most tragic stories in American history. Not only does he portray an honest look at sinister people, but he does justice into examining the emotions and fallout of the people within the Osage tribe, providing a balanced observation that leads the audience to its most blatant conclusion. It’s one of the most honest stories of the year made by one the best directors working today.
Real love crosses paths with unspeakable betrayal as Mollie Burkhart, a member of the Osage Nation, tries to save her community from a spree of murders fueled by oil and greed.
Killers of the Flower Moon follows a series of murders in Oklahoma set in the 1920s connected with the oil-rich Native community. The U.S. government set white “angels” to watch over the wealth accumulated by this leaving the murders to go uninvestigated. What makes this movie interesting is the fact that it is a murder mystery but told from the perspective of the murderers. You see the murderers happening from the get go and know who exactly is responsible as opposed to finding out later on in the film. This shows that Scorsese is playing a lot of his cards out in the open leaving the intrigue and appeal of the film to be found else where. The fact that these murders get sweeped under the rug and you know who is doing them provides an uneasy tension that makes you feel sick, which is one of the primary points Scorcese is driving home.
The main culprits and leads of the film fall on the shoulders of Leonardo DiCaprio and Robert DeNiro who both deliver phenomenal performances in navigating the scheming and machinations of this plot. DiCaprio’s Ernest is an enthusiastic, charming, and yet dimwitted gentleman who falls in love with one of the chief’s daughters. His naivety and impressionable personality intersects with his uncle, William Hale, who maintains the relationship with the Osage tribe as the “King of the Osage Hills”. This duo is involved heavily in the brutal murders, and knowing early on that they are the culprits creates an interesting dynamic and dramatic irony for the audience to experience. DeNiro’s character is the schemer while DiCaprio is the enacter. The fact that both of them slip so easily into conniving and disgusting white men shows the depth and richness of their performances.
While these two are the leads, it is Lilly Gladstone’s Mollie Burkhart that is the core and center of this film providing us with the eyes and ears through which we experience this tale. She is truly the main character of this story, and her arc and evolution is certainly a tragic one. It is through her eyes that we see the flourishing of the Osage tribe, the culture, the people, and the stories that make it unique and lively. It is also through her eyes that we see the downfall, as her culture is stripped away, her family and friends die off at the hands of what she suspects is her husband, and the life of her body seamlessly slips away from her. Where she starts in the film and where she ends are two different points, leading the audience to see her as the fulcrum of this story. This is not just a story of how DiCaprio and DeNiro navigate murders similar to that of The Irishman. This primarily the story of the Osage tribe and how it was appropriated and run dry.
Much will be said about the lengthy runtime of this film as it clocks in at a gargantuan 3 hours and 30 minutes. The key is that Scorcese paces the film beautifully and it moves a breakneck pace. The dialogue is written sharply, delivering key moments of expositions, emotional impact, and story beats to keep you invested. In fact, the film moves fairly seamlessly from different set pieces and intertwines them well with key dialogue that keeps the film’s pace going. I never looked at my watch once during this film as each scene felt vital to the rest of the story.
Even when the film is taking a break from the “big ” scenes, it is using its quieter moments to ask the audience to reflect on the brutality of what is unfolding or what has unfolded. One scene in particular stands out as you see one of the Osage members growing sick due to poison. The shots linger on the person as they slowly fade out of life, and then the blood curdling screams commence as the tribe mourns. It is a scene that probably lasted 15 minutes in total but it cuts right to the heart of the message and theme that the film is attempting to convey. These quieter somber moments encourage the audience to reflect deeply on this piece on American history.
Scorcese is a masterful director and captures the essence of the Oklahoma Western vibe. He also completely rewrote his script to have heavy Osage input, asking the story to be told more through the eyes of their people rather than the murders that the book travels through. Scorcese explore key themes through dialogue, long lingering shots, appropriately putting characters into the right places not because they are a big name actor but because their relevance to the story only happens at the end. He is a lover of film through in and out and more films like these need to be celebrated.
By the time the film reaches its conclusion, you feel a heavy burden on your heart going through years of history spanning multiple murders and schemes. This isn’t a film to be taken lightly nor is it trying to make light of the situation. It’s a film that is honest not giving a sense of emotional closure, but letting the audience curdle in uncomfortableness. It ‘s a bold move by Scorcese, leaving the audience to ponder rather than feel vindication but it is something that undoubtedly makes the film standout.
Killers of the Flower Moon doesn’t pull any punches but instead delivers you the facts and leads you to an emotionally devastating conclusion. The choices that are made are all together bold in revealing the murderers and making the main actors some of the most despicable people to be known. But this is what makes Scorcese great! He doesn’t settle for mediocrity. He makes the right choices for the right film to deliver what is a fantastic journey! If you have the time, check this one out.
(A) Haunting
Raj Reviews 