One Viewing of ‘Killers of the Flower Moon’ is Not Enough
Leonardo DiCaprio and Lily Gladstone in Killers of the Flower Moon | Credit: Apple TV+, Paramount Pictures
Killers of the Flower Moon takes us into the Osage nation in the 1920s. The Osage people have discovered oil and the wealth that comes with it. Then, they learn the real cost of this discovery.
This movie really is excellent. It excels on every level, and all of the creative pieces come together to tell this important tale that’s still relevant to us today. Killers of the Flower Moon is a beautiful example of how to honor people’s stories and culture in a film, something that other productions have failed to do over the years (I’m looking at you, Greenbook).
Lily Gladstone is the MVP of Killers of the Flower Moon. She brings so much to the character Mollie, who is a member of the Osage Nation. Mollie isn’t a big talker, but she is always paying attention. She is wise and sees what’s going on around her.
Gladstone’s eyes say everything in this film. Even when she doesn’t speak, she’s communicating multitudes. And when she does speak, her words are filled with immense emotion and gravity. You hang on every one of her words because they are just that powerful.
I nominate her for all the awards (not that my vote actually counts for anything).
Leonardo DiCaprio also gives a great performance as Ernest. He comes to Osage to work with his uncle, William Hale (Robert De Niro), and ends up falling in love with Mollie. They build a life together and have to walk through hell together. Despite his feelings for Mollie, Ernest makes some very poor and harmful decisions throughout the film. DiCaprio brings so many emotions to that performance, showing all of the different facets of this complex character.
Gladstone and DiCaprio have a chemistry and rapport that works incredibly well on screen. Their dynamic together communicates multitudes, and they balance each other well. It was such a good choice to anchor the movie in their relationship; the characters are interesting, and the performances are stellar.
Robert De Niro and Leonardo DiCaprio in Killers of the Flower Moon | Credit: Apple TV+, Paramount Pictures
This film is 3 1/2 hours long, and it feels like it. But that’s intentional. Killers of the Flower Moon moves much more slowly than I expected it to. We get to spend time with the people of the Osage Nation and get to know them. We see their families, their traditions, and what is most important to them.
Early on in the film, William Hale remarks that the Osage people are quiet. They tend to listen more than they talk, and this film does an excellent job of reflecting that. There are many moments throughout the film where we witness two people talking without a lot of background noise. We feel the tension in the conversation and the awkwardness that comes from some of these relationships.
The technical elements of Killers of the Flower Moon make it an uncomfortable film to watch, which helps highlight the horrors of the subject matter.
Members of the Osage Nation begin dying one by one. There aren’t any investigations, and the Osage people have little recourse in this matter. Though they try to take matters into their own hands, hiring private investigators or sending people to Washington, DC, to advocate for themselves, their foes stay one step ahead of them.
Of course, it is white men who are killing off members of the Osage Nation in order to get their oil money. But this murderous and greedy streak isn’t just limited to this part of Oklahoma. The film also shows footage referencing the destruction of Black Wall Street in Tulsa that happened in 1921.
I think it’s so smart for Killers of the Flower Moon to put these two events in conversation with each other. Both Osage and Black people were murdered, and their fortunes stolen by white men. These people of color had operated within an unjust system that was stacked against them and somehow came out on top, but those used to having power couldn’t stomach that. White men murdered many people, destroying countless lives and stealing generational wealth in the process.
This film so intentionally highlights the insidious nature of white supremacy and its destruction of everything in its path. Killers of the Flower Moon asks you to look at the history of America and the horrors that white supremacy caused. It’s not easy to look at, but it’s incredibly important to do so.
Robert De Niro and Leonardo DiCaprio in Killers of the Flower Moon | Credit: Apple TV+, Paramount Pictures
I’m impressed that Martin Scorsese chose to make this film. In the waning years of his incredible career, he is choosing to spotlight this story and ask audiences to look at the structural racism evident in our society.
It’s interesting that this film is being released now. As so many in the U.S. want to rewrite history, Scorsese is moving in the other direction. He is uplifting this story that has been largely forgotten, and I hope that more filmmakers are able to do the same.
My hope is that Killers of the Flower Moon will prove to studios that stories about the experiences of Native people are commercially viable. Maybe this film will also provide an opportunity for more Native American filmmakers and writers to tell their stories their way. We aren’t just interested in watching one type of story told one type of way, but there is a market for diverse stories being told by diverse storytellers.
A girl can hope, right?