Scorsese’s “Killers of the Flower Moon:” A Harrowing, Epic Masterpiece

Cover photo of film. Photo by Andrew Breen '25

The Osage Nation existed for centuries in the Ohio and Mississippi River valleys; however, with the arrival of American settlers, this all changed. The Osage were forced into a series of removals from their homelands in the 19th century, and eventually, they resided in a section of North Oklahoma, a desolate place with unfarmable land. Little did the Americans know they had just gifted the Osage Nation unimaginable wealth: one of the richest oil deposits in the entire country.

As described by David Grann, “..the tribe members had collectively accumulated millions and millions of dollars. In 1923 alone, the tribe took in more than thirty million dollars, the equivalent today of more than four hundred million dollars. The Osage were considered the wealthiest people per capita in the world.”

The wolves were already among them; between the late 1910s and early 1930s, dozens – possibly hundreds – of Osage citizens were brutally murdered to steal their land and rights to their oil. This series of horrific hate crimes faded into the obscurity of the American public but never for the Osage; the book and film, “Killers of the Flower Moon,” sets out to tell the tale.

Grann wrote the book “Killers of the Flower Moon” in 2017. Following massive critical acclaim, Martin Scorsese decided to make it into a movie. The film adaptation has come a long way and was a passion project for Scorsese. A lot of effort was put into the cultural accuracy of the Osage people, with multiple advisors working on the film. Furthermore, Apple funded the film with a whopping $200 million budget and supported a final runtime of nearly three and a half hours.

“Killers of the Flower Moon” is undoubtedly one of Scorsese's greatest works of his career; his ability to tell this story with complexity and nuance is truly masterful. His direction never falters throughout the mammoth runtime. Scorsese’s vision is the most somber of all of his films – which is a big statement considering his previous two films were 2016’s “Silence” and 2019’s “The Irishman” – but still doesn’t shy away from moments of brevity. Scorsese’s films can often be chock full of hilarious comedy, especially in films like “The Wolf of Wall Street,” he still has moments of dark humor that undeniably pay off in this film, a risk that many directors wouldn’t take considering the subject matter.

The film is brought alive by the three central performances by Leonardo DiCaprio, Robert De Niro, and Lily Gladstone. The story follows Ernest Burkhart, played by DiCaprio, a WW1 veteran who travels to Oklahoma, where his Uncle William King Hale, played by De Niro, is a wealthy and prominent figure who has become a friend to the Osage people. Lily Gladstone plays an Osage woman, Molly Brown, who has significant oil rights on her land and eventually marries Burkhart. Mysterious deaths have already occurred as the film begins, but the murders gradually ramp up as the real-life crimes become nearly unbelievable.

This is just the basic setup for the film, but “Killers of the Flower Moon'' isn't structured as a whodunit crime saga but rather a profound examination of violence, hate, greed, suffering, and, most evidently, evil. The film never hides who is the center of the crimes, putting the viewer directly in the killer’s perspective. Initially, the film was supposed to be set from the perspective of the FBI and would have acted as an investigation into the murders. However, the audience is placed directly within the perspective of the murderers and conspirators throughout the film. Although this may be challenging for many viewers as it makes you stay with these abhorrent characters, it makes for a riveting, emotional film and some of the most compelling characters of Scorcese’s filmography.

The performances are all truly fantastic. DiCaprio’s Burkhart appears pitiful firsthand, seeming aloof and doltish but overall harmless. The audience soon learns, however, that he is one of the most slimy, emotionally incompetent, and self-absorbed main characters put to screen in decades. De Niro’s performance as King Hale is my favorite of the film. His portrayal is highly laid back at first, but De Niro morphs into an entirely different beast. His nonchalant approach to his actions in the film’s latter half makes this one of the most unsettling performances of his entire career. Lastly, there’s Lily Gladstone; the Oscar buzz for her is entirely correct, as her performance is uncomfortable and unforgettable. The near-constant suffering Gladstone portrays on screen may be unbearable for some viewers, as it is so distressing. Still, her performance is essential to the emotional crux of the story as her complex relationship with DiCaprio goes from tender to crooked.

“Killers of the Flower Moon’s'' approach to violence differs from Scorcese’s past films. Here, Scorcese has gone in a completely different direction; violence in the film is unnerving and disturbing, with the majority of the scenes involving murders are shot completely static and featuring no cuts, creating a profound sense of dread.

The ending is a perfect conclusion of not only the historical development of the Osage Murders but also an incredible use of empowerment. The murders viewed throughout the film were turned into a level of entertainment not long after they occurred, devoid of the Osage’s experience, and eventually were lost entirely in the minds of Americans. They were completely forgotten by essentially all except the victims, while the murderers are unknown for the monsters they are. In the final sequence of wrapping up this story of cruelty, betrayal, and almost unending injustice, there’s a final reminder: remember what happened and those it affected.

Although “Killers of the Flower Moon” is a film about tragedy, it ends with hope: the Osage Nation still prospers, and maybe an ounce of justice can be done by telling their story. Scorsese uses his power as a filmmaker to bring the audience an important, relevant story that I believe is essential viewing for all and is the best film of 2023 so far.