By Bella Whitmore | Intern
When it comes to telling a historical story, especially one about clandestine murders and marginalized groups, audiences must put trust in the director’s research. “Killers of the Flower Moon” does not let audiences down.
The story of the Osage people of Oklahoma and the not-so-mysterious murders that occurred within the tribe is undoubtedly a tricky beast to conquer, but who better than Martin Scorsese? Scorsese is famous for his accurate storytelling and authentic portrayal of real people with real lives, and “Killers of the Flower Moon” is another dazzling addition to his already incredible resume.
Of course, with films and stories like these, it is no doubt important to highlight and prioritize the opinion of the people being portrayed — in this case the Osage people. The consensus among the Osage seems to be that Scorsese did the absolute best he could without being Osage himself, which may not sound like a good thing, but it’s actually pretty high praise. Scorsese made it a major priority to include Osage voices throughout the entire writing and production process, which is definitely evident in the film.
The film itself may seem daunting with its three-and-a-half-hour run time and complex subject nature, but the pacing and micro-dosing of information that Scorsese employs makes it not only easy to understand, but equally as enthralling and captivating to watch. There was literally not a single point in the movie where I was bored or wanting it to end — I was fascinated from the get-go and was constantly wondering what was going to happen next.
Unfortunately, this means there is no good time to use the bathroom, so make sure you go beforehand.
Leonardo DiCaprio plays the unreliable protagonist Ernest Burkhart, revealing his involvement in his uncle’s insidious plan to murder prominent Osage tribe members to inherit their share of oil money. The main dilemma with his character was whether or not he truly loved his wife, despite doing terrible things to her and her family. Of course, the answer to this should be no, but Dicaprio’s enthralling and genuine performance makes us question that, which is a testament to his talent.
His on-screen wife, Lily Gladstone, who played Mollie Burkart, may have even one-upped the Oscar winner. This was Gladstone’s first breakout performance, which is almost hard to believe considering her natural acting talent. Her emotional range is absolutely incredible and evoked empathy from audiences everywhere. We will definitely be seeing more of her in films to come.
The greed, violence and pure hatred paired with the undertones of love and family depicted in this movie makes for an overall tense and fascinating experience for the viewer.
The story of the Osage murders is not one that is well-known by the general public, yet people have been hyping this movie up for years. Scorsese’s ability to get young and old generations alike to not only watch movies but to deeply care about the people whose stories are finally being told is absolutely astonishing and solidifies his role as one of the best filmmakers of all time.
