American Greed: Scorsese’s Killers of The Flower Moon

 

Like Obi-Wan Kenobi once said, hello there!

This time, instead of talking about what-if physics or aviation, let’s dive into the world of cinema!

I just had the pleasure of watching good old Martin Scorsese’s latest film: ‘Killers of The Flower Moon’.

With an outstanding cast led by Leonardo Di Caprio and Robert De Niro, I truly believe ‘Killers of The Flower Moon’ is one of the best movies of 2023 along with Nolan’s ‘Oppenheimer’.

Without further ado, who’s Martin Scorsese?

-       Hollywood’s greatest

 

Born in 1942, Martin Scorsese is one of the best and most important directors and screenwriters since the birth of cinema.

He’s the man behind masterpieces like ‘Taxi Driver’, ‘The Good Fellas’, ‘Raging Bull’ and ‘The Departed’.

Fundamental themes of his movies are human’s relationship with violence and the concepts of sin, guilt, and morality.

His works are characterized by great virtuosity and attention to detail, thanks to a phenomenal use of photography.

Let’s take a closer loot at the plot now.

-       The Osage’s tragedy 

America, Oklahoma, 1920s, the Osage tribe found large quantities of oil under their territory, and this soon made them one of the richest people in the world.

Ernest Burkhart (Leonardo DiCaprio), a World War I veteran, returns to the town of Fairfax, Oklahoma, to live with his rich uncle William King Hale (Robert DeNiro) on the family farm. 

The uncle, a deputy sheriff in Fairfax, appears to be friendly with the Osages and has earned their trust.

In reality, he plans to murder them to gain control of their oil rights and involves Ernest in his plan. 

The Osage begin to be killed and eventually the homicides attract the attention of the newly formed FBI.

-       “The Reign of Terror”

At the beginning of the 20^th century, the United States Congress passed laws to help the Osage Nation to maintain their wealth by creating a system of guardianship for people referred to as “incompetents”.

 

Many American Indians were considered “incompetent” without considering mental capacity.

Incompetent Osages were assigned a guardian who managed their financial investments.

Many guardians used their role to gain control of Osage’s wealth for their personal gain.

Throughout the 1910s, numerous white men married Osage women to gain control of their wealth as guardians.

In this period began a series of murders, most of them unsolved, among the young Osage people.

Most of the murders occurred between 1921 and 1926, a period newspapers referred to as the “Reign of Terror”.

Many murders were committed by whites to gain control of Osage people’s oil rights and to inherit their property.

 

William King Hale, portrayed in the movie by Robert DeNiro, who made his fortune with cattle ranching, was one of the main perpetrators of the Osage’s murders.

His nephew, Ernest Burkhart (portrayed by Leonardo DiCaprio), participated in the murders.

-       A forgotten American tragedy

‘Killers of The Flower Moon’ is fierce criticism of America’s eternal violence towards the Natives, shining a light on a dark, but neglected, historical moment.

The characters are depicted with depth, objectivity, and a hint of cynicism.

The movie is built as a very slow-paced police procedural, where all details unravel with extreme precision. 

Although the pace may not be appealing for everyone, especially since the film is more than three and a half hours long, the narrative slowly builds tension, delivering gut-wrenching moments typical of Scorsese’s cinematic style.

Rodrigo Prieto’s photography is a real treat.

With its striking visuals, ‘Killers of The Flower Moon’ shows a deep contrast between the sunny hills of the Osage Nation and the dark events of Fairfax.

The colors vary throughout the film, from a greenish-yellow tint in outdoor scenes, with vibrant saturated colors, to a darker and gloomier tone in the indoor scenes and during the second part. 

In conclusion, ‘Killers of The Flower Moon’ is a great addiction to Scorsese’s illustrious filmography and stands as one of his finest recent works.

The cast is outstanding, with Robert DeNiro and Lily Gladstone delivering exceptional performances.

Even if you are not a fan of Martin Scorsese, I highly recommend you adding ‘Killers of The Flower Moon’ to your watchlist.

Here's the trailer. Click and have a look! 

Today's Blogger

Hello, world! I'm Edoardo Cignitti, a passionate enthusiast of computer science, physics, and aviation. I have an insatiable curiosity about the world and love understanding why things happen, which is why I'm particularly drawn to physics, with a keen interest in nuclear and quantum physics. I also have a soft spot for sci-fi films and enjoy playing board games. I'm excited to share my interests with you here on Let's Blog!