Killers of the Flower Moon Expertly Navigates a Complicated and Important Moment in History

By Josie Solomon and Kyle Smart

Since Mean Streets in 1973, Martin Scorsese’s style has been abrasive and loud, involving themes of violence and corruption. Though these themes are still present in his work today, he has taken a more introspective approach to filmmaking later in his life. This can be clearly seen in his latest picture, Killers of the Flower Moon, which received a wide theatrical release on October 20.

Originally adapted from a non-fiction book by David Grann that chronicles the true story of the murders of Osage Nation members, Killers of the Flower Moon centers around Ernest Burkhart (Leonardo DiCaprio) and his wife, an Osage woman named Mollie Burkhart (Lily Gladstone). In the 1890s, an abundance of oil is discovered on Osage land, located in northern Oklahoma. This oil leads the Osage people to be the richest group of people per capita at the time. They have luxurious clothing and diamond jewelry and are even driven around by chauffeurs. But of course, with every oil discovery comes a money-hungry group of vultures, so it isn’t long until white people invade their land, leading to the murders of at least 60 Osage people in the 1920s.

The performances from the lead trio are some of the best parts of the film. Alongside DiCaprio and Gladstone, the film also stars Robert DeNiro, who portrays William K. Hale, Ernest’s uncle and the mastermind behind the murders of the Osage people). DiCaprio and DeNiro are here in full force, demonstrating all of the fierce talent that has turned them into A-list movie stars, but it’s Lily Gladstone who emerges as the standout performance of the film. As Mollie Burkhart, Gladstone delivers a subdued and restrained performance, but it’s in those quiet moments that her power is felt loudly. Gladstone’s performance stands strongly alongside DiCaprio and DeNiro, both at the top of their game as well. DiCaprio sports fake teeth and a frown for the entire runtime, but his performance overcomes these odd choices. He exhibits more restraint than he has previously, delivering a nuanced performance out of such a familiar actor. Robert DeNiro is able to convey his character’s double life perfectly, almost creating two different characters. Although he is not given as much screen time as the other two leads, his presence is felt over the whole movie. The three leads hold the film together and grip the audience for all 206 minutes, hopefully cementing them as frontrunners for this upcoming awards season.

Gladstone, DeNiro, and DiCaprio in the scene of Mollie and Ernest’s wedding. Image courtesy of Paramount.

Some other characters and performances worth noting are Tom White (Jesse Plemons), Anna Brown (Cara Jade Myers), and W.S. Hamilton (Brendan Fraser). Though Plemons delivers a solid performance as one of the first FBI officers (and the one who ultimately solved the case), he is not given enough material to stand out against such a powerful ensemble. Cara Jade Myers, who portrays Anna Brown, Mollie’s sister, was planning on quitting the film industry after years of stasis, was taken under Scorsese’s wing and delivers one of the strongest performances in the film, stunning audiences and critics alike. Rolo Spooky, an X (formerly Twitter) user, stated “Cara Jade Myers really fleshed out her role. She felt so real to me, reminded me of many people I’ve met. I’m so glad this film has kept Jade Myers and Gladstone in the game. We’d be missing out without them.” Without Myers’ powerful performance as Anna, the role itself would have been lost amongst a sea of other top-tier character executions. Finally, we have Brendan Fraser as W.S. Hamilton, certainly one of the most disputed performances. Some people believe that he overacted in his performance as Hale’s lawyer, while others, like us, think that he perfectly embodied the role. Though these are only three roles mentioned, almost every other character stood out at some point or another, helping to fully flesh out the ensemble for such a large-scale film.

From a technical standpoint, the film is a marvel (no pun intended). Scorsese is obviously well-versed in the craft of cinema, and all of his talents when directing the actors are on full display here. What really stands out is the script and pacing, which go hand in hand. Co-written by Eric Roth and Scorsese, the screenplay restructures the book to focus on Ernest Burkhart, as opposed to Tom White. This new structure alters the pacing of the film significantly, leading to a slow but enticing first hour, building a relationship between the characters and the audience. The middle chunk is more what you would expect from a Scorsese movie dealing with subjects like violence, greed, and corruption, to a lesser degree. Typically, a Scorsese film utilizes violence to entertain the viewer, adding in an element of action into his films. Here, the violence is used to disturb and show the brutality and carelessness of the perpetrators.This straightforward portrayal of murder has been debated online; some people believe it is approaching the events with insensitivity, while others simply believe it is a stylistic variation.

The ending of the film packs a massive emotional punch. Cutting to a 1950s radio play, various actors read out the text that would usually pop up on screen in a film like this, acting like a sort of epilogue. After the announcer starts to talk about Mollie, Martin Scorsese himself walks onto the stage to read Mollie’s obituary, and then ends by saying “There was no mention of the murders.” This then cuts to the Osage performing a tribal ritual until the credits roll, highlighting the importance of the joy of these people, and that their whole history should not, and will not, be defined by these tragedies. The use of the radio play format in the final scene highlights society’s tendency to sensationalize tragedies for profit, something that is still prevalent today with true crime podcasting.

As a 3+ hour historical drama in 2023, many people have been trying to compare Killers of the Flower Moon to Oppenheimer. The two films, however, could not be more different. Oppenheimer takes a relentless approach to its material, while Killers is a quiet meditation on morality and love. Both are excellent in their own ways and do not deserve to be compared to each other, but it will make awards season very interesting. Killers brings a nuanced and complicated approach to the subject matter, and ends in such an unforgettable and impactful way, that it will be remembered for a long time.