Killers of the Flower Moon: A must see masterpiece about forgotten American history

 

Evil and ignorance are two sides of the same coin.

What a powerful, powerful film. Despite being 50 years into his career, Martin Scorsese is still gifting us incredible projects that are packed full of strong themes and messages. Very few directors are as prolific or impactful as Scorsese and I had to remind myself not to take that for granted while watching Killers of the Flower Moon. Films that covers historical events like this are important, but it feels even more impactful here as it's covering what's effectively a genocide that went completely under the radar. Native Americans have been continually mistreated and abused in the short history of the country I call home. Grappling with the sins of one's country can be difficult but it's so important to be aware of them regardless.

There's certainly no other director who could have told this story with the emotional impact needed to tell it. The treatment of the Osage by the white vultures surrounding them is literally a true to life mob story, a world Scorsese has portrayed quite a few times before. Unlike Goodfellas which shows the highs and lows of mob life, Flower Moon portrays how terrible this specific mob life was in comparison. In fact, it's hardly some coordinated mob that's suave and clever. What happens to the Osage is brutal and what makes it so shocking is how sloppy and obvious the actions of DeNiro and DiCaprio are. This story represents a tipping point in American history where the old Wild West ways of justice go head to head with modern, federal justice. When the FBI finally shows up, what's going on is so clear it's almost laughable. 

I've got to compare the structure and approach of Flower Moon with Oppenehimer, as they're both long historical dramas that will surely be going head to head at the Oscars next year. Oppenheimer focused on the energy of the Trinity event for the bulk of the runtime before slowing things down in the third act to reflect on what just occurred and the subsequent fallout. Flower Moon is even longer, but completely absent of that bombastic energy. That's not a bad thing though, I don't think a single scene should be cut from this story. Scorsese has a knack for covering long periods of time and he did that nearly perfect here. Yes, you can feel the runtime, but each hour of the movie provides something different that held my attention. You've got the incredible culture of the Osage, the reverse procedural murders, and finally an incredible third act that ties it all together. I especially love how it wraps up, summarizing how truly sad and under the radar the event has become in the grand scheme of US history.

We'll certainly be hearing about the incredible performances of Flower Moon at the Oscars next year. Frankly, I think Lily Gladstone is going to take home Best Actress. She's incredible, there's no other way to put it. She goes through incredible trauma during this story as her family and culture is poached by greedy people. I'm honestly at a loss of words trying to describe her performance... it's really something else. On the other hand, I can easily describe DiCaprio's performance. This is unlike any other role we've ever seen Leo in. The character of Ernest Burkhart is a coward, first and foremost. Leo is never fully confident in himself, always looking to leadership whenever things don't go the way he expects them to. His character encapsulates the dangerous combination of stupidity, ignorance, and complacency. Burkhart is constantly in the grasp of his uncle, played by De Niro. It's incredible how good he is at 80, throwing fastballs like it's nothing. He plays the sociopath boss character like I've never seen before, he commands every scene he's in.

While I wouldn't call Killers of the Flower Moon a must see in theaters, it is a must see movie (especially if you're American). I didn't even dig into the production details, I'm so glad Apple gave Scorsese a blank check to tell this story the way it needed to be told. Watching the town evolve over the runtime, seeing incredible detailed costumes and interiors... it's all so immersive. Easily one of 2023's best.