Based on the book of the same name by American journalist David Grann, Killers of the Flower Moon is arguably one of, if not, the most important story of Scorsese’s filmography, shedding light and paying respects to those afflicted by one of America’s darkest open secrets with his reputable directorial expertise.
KotFM explores the life of Ernest Burkhart (Leonardo DiCaprio) who returns from the Great War into the care of his Uncle William ‘King’ Hale (Robert DeNiro), a businessman and renowned ally of the Osage Nation, a tribe of Native Americans who ascended to meteoric wealth after oil reserves were discovered on their land. Despite his outwardly benevolent demeanor, Hale recruits his nephew into joining him on his plan to exploit the Osage after Ernest marries Mollie, a wealthy member of the tribe. From this, grand machinations ensue in which powerful members of the local community, led by Hale, conspire to obtain the land rights of The Osage through systematic murder.
Dozens, maybe even hundreds, of the Osage Nation, were gradually dispatched of, masqueraded as ‘accidents’ or ‘suicides’ rather than the reality of systemic displacement and mass murder. It's an incredibly distressing narrative that spans a hefty 206-minute runtime, a grisly extract of America’s postcolonial history, most concerningly forgotten to time as the decades passed on.
Scorsese’s recent efforts have been evidently personal, showcasing his attitudes towards life as he navigates into the late stages of his life. The Irishman in particular, a film about ageing and mortality, Scorsese capped off his penchant for mobster-based narratives with a touching self-referential nod to his own popularity and the existential dread of loneliness or being forgotten once he and his collaborators eventually pass on. KotFM is no exception to his more personal pictures and may be a natural extension of Scorsese’s intent to address his own inner anxieties through the medium of cinema.
the content of KotFM is arguably some of his most polished, well written and perfectly executed with regards to the performances of its ensemble
There is a tightrope that Scorsese’s film balances on; the desire to provide an engaging crime epic akin to those of his previous filmography whilst still crafting an educational piece that pays cinematic homage to what can be argued as one of America’s most underrepresented groups. An ambitious presence to be sure, and one that Scorsese evidently grapples with over the film’s colossal runtime. The thematic pendulum swings in favor of a meditative reflection on Native American culture and their continuous disenfranchisement decades following the colonial process in the first two acts only to violently swing the other way towards a classic Scorsese outing halfway through. This could be viewed as a point of contention as Scorsese’s behemoth struggles to establish a middle ground between these two genres, unable to intersperse and weave them consistently.
This dissonance is noticeable, as while Scorsese wishes to hold both cards at once, he gives way to the crime-related overtures of his plot, echoing his previous classics and goes against his initial intent to validate those most afflicted by the evil he depicts. Structure aside, however, the sheer prowess which Scorsese exercises in directing this mammoth of cinema is truly impressive, as the content of KotFM is arguably some of his most polished, well written and perfectly executed with regards to the performances of its ensemble.
One thing for certain that was gathered from KotFM is that authenticity is king. As a storyteller of great influence in his field, Scorsese seemingly hinges on the complicated relationship between the responsibility to help showcase the underrepresented in his films whilst also acknowledging his potential complicity in suppressing others. Perhaps this is the root cause of Scorsese’s gravitation towards the Osage murders themselves, a literal reign of terror inflicted onto some of the wealthiest people in America over greed and the furtherment of white progress only to be mostly forgotten for decades afterwards, reduced to a mere myth or story told on radio broadcasts as opposed to a dark mark on America’s already blackened history.
There is a dedication within KotFM to pay homage to The Osage and validate the horror they endured. Scorsese makes an admirable albeit shaky effort to implement this within the wider American crime epic format. However, he does so with the deepest respect and the purest intent. Notwithstanding this, KotFM is still some of Scorsese’s greatest directing to showcase what could be his most important film, remaining ever-consistent after six decades.
