Killers of the Flower Moon (2023)

Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Robert De Niro, Lily Gladstone, Jesse Plemons, Brendan Fraser, John Lithgow, and Martin Scorsese
Grade: Classic

Not one Oscar? Are you kidding?

Summary

In Oklahoma, the Osage Nation do an extensive burial service for a pipe, signifying how the future generations of the Osage will grow up in American society and learn from white people. They will learn new ways, but not their way. Soon after they wrap up the pipe and bury it, oil suddenly gushes from the ground on their reservation during the annual “flower moon” bloom, and the Osage (“The chosen people of chance”) celebrate while being covered in it. Because of their ownership of the oil, the tribe become the richest people per capita on Earth. They have “More Pierce Arrows than any county in the U.S.A.”. Plus, they have chauffeurs to do their bidding.

In 1919, Ernest Burkhart (DiCaprio) gets back from World War I off a train and arrives in Fairfax, Oklahoma. At the station, everyone is advertising for work on the oil fields. Osage member Henry Roan (William Belleau) finds Ernest and takes Ernest to his uncle, William King Hale (De Niro). They drive through Henry’s land, and it’s loaded with oil machinery and animals. Upon getting home to King’s ranch, Ernest is greeted by King, Ernest’s brother Byron (Scott Shepherd), his aunt Murtle (Katherine Willis), and his cousin Willie. Privately, King makes a joke in the Osage language to Henry. Later, King and Ernest sit and have a talk. It’s explained that this is just a cattle ranch and not oil, and this wealth will dry out. Ernest talks about how he was a cook in the war and saw more die from the flu than actual war, but King doesn’t downplay the role he played. Changing the subject, they talk about how Ernest’s gut burst, as it was the reason he was able to come back home. Everything seems fine now, and King asks him about some other topics like if he caught anything else, if he remembered to wear a condom, and if he’s all about the women, which he very much is. King even asks specifically if he likes Native American women, and Ernest confirms so. As Byron enters the room, King and Ernest share a drink, but King stresses the importance of being careful with alcohol and dealing with corrupt people in town. He says “don’t make small trouble about nothing. You gonna make trouble, make it big. Get a big payoff for that, ya hear?”. Adding to this, King explains he’s the reserve deputy sheriff in Fairfax, pointing to his badge and gun hung up. Ernest assures him he won’t cause any trouble. With this, King says he’s going to make him a chauffeur since he can’t do much else because of his gut. To smarten him up on the Osage, he has Byron give Ernest a book about them called Lily’s Wild Tales Among the Indians.

King talks about how bad their land was but how it became “gold” because of the oil found on it. The Osage worked hard so they had the say on who gets the oil and the headrights. They are smart and quiet people, and he notes that Ernest might talk too much to fill in the spaces, especially if he’s been drinking, but he reminds him not to “Black bird talk”, chirping away and letting them get to know him a little too well.

Through narration from Mollie Kyle (Gladstone), we see the mysterious death of John Whitehair who was found dead at the age of 23. There was no investigation. The same is said for 29-year-old Bill Stepson, 41-year-old Anna Sanford, and 25-year-old Rose Lewis. The last is 21-year-old Sara Butler, who’s murder was ruled a suicide after her white husband shot her in the head on the front lawn, put the gun in her hand when he came outside, took the baby from its stroller, and walked back inside.

Mollie meets with bank worker Pitts Beatty (Gene Jones) about an allotment payment, and she asks for an additional $752 to pay for a medical bill for an abscess. The operation was successful. She also has a prescription for her diabetes, and she promises to have her help fill it twice monthly. Beatty says Mollie’s mother is restricted too, and they have to account for every penny. Beatty brings up how Mollie’s mother spent $319.05 for meat at the grocery store and tells her to look after her. As members of the Osage wait in line to discuss their allotment payments, some photographers try to get others to pay to take a picture. Henry gives in, as Ernest watches from the car waiting to drive someone. Other white people around town try their best to sell whatever to the rich Osage people, with some giving in. Ernest sees Mollie looking for a ride, so he walks her over to his car. Before he pulls away, former soldier Keslie Morrison (Louis Cancelmi) greets Ernest and introduces him to his wife Catherine Cole (Candice Costello). Ernest asks if she’s a part of the Sky People, but Mollie corrects them and says Catherine is Middle Water. They are then interrupted by a race happening right through the town, distracting Ernest for the moment until he drives Mollie. None of the Osage in town seem interested in the race. It’s only the white people. Later, Mollie sees a priest who promises to pray for her mother Lizzie (Tantoo Cardinal) who’s not doing too well, and Ernest drives her away when she exits.

At dinner, King brings up Mollie to Ernest, with Ernest saying he knows who she is because he’s been driving her. King makes quick eye contact with Byron and then continues with Ernest, bringing up how Matt Williams used to date her, but they aren’t together anymore. This could be the start of something if Ernest plays his cards right. She is a regular customer of his, and Ernest thinks she’s sweet on him too. King starts laying out a vague plan after he says Mollie’s has the “full blood estate” in her grips. If Ernest marries her and they mix families, that estate money could find its way to them. It’s a smart investment and legal, as King puts it. The next day, Ernest is driving Mollie again and tries his hand at flirting with her. She’s initially uninterested, but she eases up a little and laughs at one of his jokes. Eventually, he drops her off at home and she looks back a couple of times at him. There’s something there. At night, Ernest reads from his Osage book where it talks about how they took their name from the Missouri and Osage Rivers, and Ni-U-Kon-Ska, Children of the Middle Waters. When it gets to Oklahoma, it’s described as “where famine walked by day, and hungry wolves by night”. A caption under a picture asks if the reader can find the wolves in the picture. As Ernest reads this and how the Osage weren’t a part of the five civilized tribes (Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Creek, and Seminole), Byron enters and the two get ready. They jump into the car with Blackie Thompson (Tommy Schultz) and rob some wealthy Osage couple. Then, they’re playing cards at some place, and Ernest bets the jewels they stole on his hand and loses. They get back to their car to leave at dawn, the sacred time to pray for the Osage.

It’s also described in the book that the Osage call the sun “Grandfather”, the moon “Mother”, and fire “Father”.

They call it the “Flower Moon” when tiny flowers spread over the blackjack hills and the prairies. There are many. It’s “as if Wah-Kon-Tah looked down upon the Earth, smiled, and sprinkled it with sugar candy”. Wah-Kon-Tah means “God”. Additionally, you are given your Osage name, a name that can never be taken away from you. It’s how you will be called to the next world.

One day, Ernest is helping Mollie take stuff into her home. She has him take off his hat and gives him a cowboy hat to wear before inviting him in for dinner. He happily accepts. Once he walks in, Mollie’s mother Lizzy gets up and walks out. That night at dinner, Ernest and Mollie talk at the table, with Mollie asking what his actual purpose to coming to live here was. Ernest’s reason was just to work with King, someone she knows very well. She asks if he’s afraid of King, but Ernest isn’t, calling him “King of the Osage Hills”. Ernest considers him to be the nicest man in the world, though he knows trouble could happen if one were to cross him. As they smoke, she asks Ernest what his religion is. He’s Catholic, but she calls him out for not going to church. He vaguely responds with how he’s been “away”, and directly asks why she doesn’t have a husband before flirting with her some more. She smiles but knows he wants the money. Ernest admits money is nice and that he’s lazy. Next, they share a laugh, prompting her to get some of her good whiskey out. The rain outside starts to get heavy, so Ernest goes to close the window, but Mollie stops him. They sit in silence to hear the storm on Mollie’s wish. Sometime later, Ernest is at church and looks over at Mollie. Bill Smith (Jason Isbell), Minnie’s (Jillian Dion) white husband, is seated in front of Ernest and introduces himself, so he reciprocates. Everyone in church kneels for prayer, but Ernest stands up before doing so because he’s obviously not much of a church goer. Following this, all of the people are outside for some sort of festival or picnic. Minnie looks like she’s sick while Bill tries to get her to eat something, with King looking on. Privately, Mollie talks with her sister Reta (JaNae Collins), admitting Ernest is dumb but he’s handsome. Mollie’s other sister Anna (Cara Jade Myers) thinks Byron is better looking and likes him more. They all mess with each other and laugh, leading to Minnie swearing by Bill’s sexual prowess when they try to give her shit as well.

The sisters assume Ernest wants money to which Mollie agrees, though she adds that he also wants to be settled. Reta makes her feel even better about the situation because they all know King has money, so Ernest may actually love Mollie, which gets a smile out of her.

One day, Ernest and Mollie are making out in a car, and Ernest proposes. She accepts. Later, King asks Ernest if he can stand “her kind”. Ernest is fine with everything. In fact, he’s legitimately in love with Mollie. So, King obliges. Ernest and Mollie get married, and everyone comes to the wedding. Immediately after the ceremony, King makes a speech and the party begins. In the midst of the reception, King goes over to a crying and still sickly Minnie and asks if she’s been given the proper medication, promising to help her in any way they can before saying how sorry he is. Soon after, Minnie dies. At the funeral, Bill has Ernest leave the house and wait outside, so Ernest goes to talk to King on the porch. King goes on about Bill not taking the proper care of his wife, taking her headrights, and her land. He says it should go to Mollie and the other sisters, but it will all go to Bill. Pointing out Lizzie’s health, King reveals that Osage women don’t last past 50 years old usually, so Ernest should make sure the headrights go to him. Mollie only has two sisters, and she’s sick all the time too because of her diabetes. Mollie does a great job raising their kid, but she’s struggling and King knows it. When Ernest still talks about how strong she is, King brings up Anna. She has a bit of an attitude and is known to carry a gun in her purse. King argues she’s going to pick a fight with the wrong person one day and the results could be awful. Later, the families are over at Mollie’s place and they’re preparing lunch. Lizzie sits in the living room and gets a vision of an owl flying into the house, a sign that she is nearing death in Osage culture. She tells Mollie this and puts the blame on her for everyone marrying white men. She argues their blood is turning white and demands to deal with Anna instead, though she isn’t there. Annoyed, Mollie leaves Lizzie be.

As the elders at the table talk about Mollie’s mixed children in a disparaging manner, Anna gets dropped off at the house. She has blankets for Lizzie, but she’s a drunken mess. Mollie pleads with her to shape up a little bit before dealing with their mother, but Anna doesn’t care and walks straight in the house. She gets right on Byron’s lap and asks for a drink, trying to flirt with him. When Byron reminds her that he’s not her man, he shoves Anna off of him and tells her not to make threats when she gets tough with him. It causes a bit of scene. After he implies that she’s a whore, Anna slaps him. Ernest jumps in and separates the two. Byron grabs one of the younger girls there and pretends to be fond of her to get a rise out of Anna, and it works. Anna tries to pull her gun out, but Ernest takes it and takes Byron outside while Mollie takes Anna away. Elsewhere, Charlie Whitehorn (Anthony J. Harvey) is shot in the head and dragged away by two guys who were walking with him. Talking outside, Byron tells Ernest that someone killed Charlie, and they both assume it was most likely Charlie’s wife that did it. At the same time, we cut back to the night he got shot, and he’s thrown in a hole by the two men. Changing the subject, Byron says he has to take Anna home. In the house, Anna is lying in bed with Lizzie. Ernest pops in to say Byron is waiting to take her home before leaving. Lizzie tells Anna she’s her favorite and wants her to stay with them. Once Anna leaves Lizzie after Ernest knocks some more on the bedroom door, she gets in Ernest’s face and accuses him of being afraid of her and how she may say too much. Mollie hugs her goodbye and Ernest walks her to the car for Byron to take her home. Ernest can’t do it because he’s too drunk. Mollie is bothered by this because it looks like she doesn’t trust Byron all that much.

The next morning, the sheriff finds Mollie in town to reveal something happened to Anna. Ernest and Mollie go into the woods where there are many citizens at the scene. Anna has been murdered.

Chief Bonnicastle (Yancey Red Corn) holds a meeting with the 25 families and talks about the recent murders of Charlie and Anna. Anna’s family have raised $2,000 to $5,000 for the arrest and conviction of the murderer. Mollie has also hired a private investigator which gets a look from Ernest and a held-in expression of frustration from King. Chief Paul Red Eagle (Everett Waller) chimes in and talks about how this is the danger that comes with taking the white man’s money, but they’re here to stay. When he talks about how the white man has started to marry their women, Bonnicastle admits he employs some of them. They say they are his friends, but he’s not too convinced they really are. These guys don’t work. They just live off the money and don’t do anything. Red Eagle talks about how they can’t go to anyone for help and wonders why they would even think they would, as the Osage were here before them. They aren’t afraid, but they are well aware that they have something the white man wants. He urges the 25 families to work together with the Osage to fight alongside them and to preserve their way of life to their dying days since there are so many kids who will grow up in this life. Right after his speech, King chimes in and adds another $1,000 to the reward money for any information on the murders. Doubling down, he says if anyone knows anything about what happened, come to him specifically. Everyone nods, and Bonnicastle thanks him, saying his friendship is greatly appreciated. He moves to send Barney McBride (Brent Langdon) to Washington D.C. and Red Eagle agrees. McBridge will go to meet with the Indian Affairs Commission to ask for private investigators and additional police so they can look into all this death.

Sometime later, Ernest comforts Mollie outside of the funeral home, and Bill walks up with Reta. They’re together now, as Reta became a comfort to Bill following Minnie’s death. In the funeral home, Ernest tells Frank privately to leave the jewels on Anna as a favor because Frank usually takes them when everyone is gone. Then, the two argue over the bill and Mollie’s odd request for the funeral to be an open casket considering Anna doesn’t really have a face anymore. They go over the will, and Anna leaves an estate of $100,000. It’s willed to Lizzie, Mollie, and Reta. The executor of the will suggests they use some of the money and throw a party of sorts, but Mollie is tuning his speech out. She’s starting to see the evil that is all around her in the white man, and it’s starting to make her both anxious and increasingly cautious about who she trusts. It’s a good idea on her part, as the darkness that surrounds Fairfax goes deeper than what she thought. There’s a much more elaborate plan at play, and it’s intensified when private investigator Bill Burns (Gary Basaraba) shows up in Fairfax to work with Mollie and Ernest. At the same time, McBridge is given a telegram with the message “Be real careful – stop”. As soon as he exits the building he was in, he’s a murdered by two men.

The murders in Osage are only going to keep coming. Let’s just hope the federal government steps in before they lose everything.

My Thoughts:

Even into his 80s, Martin Scorsese continues to prove himself as one of the greatest filmmakers to ever get behind a camera. Securing the runner-up spot for “Best Film of 2023”, Killers of the Flower Moon is an exorbitant achievement in filmmaking. Procuring carte blanche in every aspect of this crime drama, Scorsese points a direct spotlight on a forgotten period of yet another dark period in American history with one of the most well-researched, highly entertaining, emotional, and beautifully put together productions that we’ve seen in a long time. A lot of publicity and criticism the movie has gotten has been centered around its runtime being three and a half hours as well as its $200 million budget, admittedly a rare combination for a high-profile mainstream drama. However, if a moviegoer sits down and watches this film as it is intended with no interruptions, it is evident that there is no wasted space in the engrossing epic that is Killers of the Flower Moon. The slow burn only magnifies the horrors of this true and remarkable story regarding the Osage tribe and their white peers in Fairfax, Oklahoma at a time when the motivation of gaining wealth was everything. Heartbreaking, vile, eye-opening, evil, and fact-based, Scorsese fearlessly refuses to let America forget about a prominent series of historical tragedies occurring over a six-year period in the 1920s and churns out one of his best films in years by doing so.

For aspiring writers or filmmakers, or even fans, it’s interesting to note how important the pre-production process was to figuring out what this final product was to be. Originally, the film was to be much more similar to the nonfiction book it was based on, Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI, and it was to be focused on the perspective of BOI Agent Thomas White. With this idea in mind, Leonardo DiCaprio was cast to play the hero doing the investigating. Then, plans changed. With the script reaching a crazy length after two years of writing and it turning into a more of a police procedural type of movie, Scorsese and screenwriter Eric Roth weren’t liking where things were going. Something wasn’t clicking. Following several more meetings with members of the Osage Nation, the famed director knew it had to come more from their perspective rather than that of the agent who walked in well into the criminality that was ensuing. During these conversations, a lot of the Osage kept bringing up the story of Ernest and Mollie too, which made Scorsese realize that their marriage was the true core of the story in which to build upon. Once this was decided and DiCaprio himself suggested he play the meatier role of Ernest rather than White, they were off to the races. There couldn’t have been a better pivot for this story to take, which is why it took shape so quickly after Scorsese had this revelation of how to accurately tell this story to the public. When viewing the story onscreen, the love for the Osage culture and the time period in general was palpable, as Scorsese understood that this film would not only be a medium for entertainment, but it would also have the potential to inform worldwide audiences on what they may have never known about and should know about. It’s a peak into a forgotten time period in history that is relatively recent when taken into the context of the world, and the auteur’s respect and empathy for the Osage people and what they had to go through with very little help or recognition is something that stays with the viewer for quite some time after the credits roll.

Seriously, Killers of the Flower Moon has this rare quality in that it’s so enriching in its story and details, engrossing in its presentation from start to finish, and is so well-researched and complete on every aspect of its production that you could hypothetically watch it once and never forget it. It’s a story that stays with you and evokes a fire within the viewer to want to research more about lesser talked about tales from America’s troubled past.

Funnily enough, had this film been made ten to fifteen years ago, it would have been about Tom White investigating the Osage Nation, and it would have been a police procedural from a perspective we’re fairly used to. Based off the actual production notes, this is indeed what the movie started out as being, but this is the beauty about the time we live in today. Audiences and studios alike are looking for different voices and different perspectives to tell stories, so we can not only see something new to redirect the path of where the film industry is going in terms of storytelling but learn from other people’s experiences that some may have never paid attention to before. This is a huge positive, as work like this can inspire others to contribute to the art form and generate fresh ideas to entertain the masses rather than relying on old and tired formulas. Works like Killers of the Flower Moon and even Barbie are influential in that it inspires creators and future filmmakers on what can be done on film if a vision is seen all the way through by the artist behind it, and movies like these will continue to do so for generations to come. Martin Scorsese could continue to coast off of what he has done previously, as the number of all-time great films he has made that are regularly on “Greatest of” lists could be enough for him to retire comfortably. What’s incredible about the famed director is that he’s willing to challenge himself and evolve with his projects, rather than staying in a lane that he has perfected. Though murder and corruption fit the bill of the gangster movies he has been famous for, it’s an example of him writing what he knows and mixing it with something entirely different to create a viewing experience that satisfies both fans of his known style and new viewers unaware of his highly touted resume. Having a living legend of film do this in his 80s is inspirational, showing us that you are never too old to evolve as a person or as an artist.

Refusing to fall off with the times, Scorsese is as sharp as ever, and it’s obvious how keenly he listened and learned from real Osage people to uncover the veil of truth behind Killers of the Flower Moon. Shaping this riveting and extravagant epic of deception and pure wickedness, the filmmaker engulfs himself and the audience into every detail he can incorporate into the story of this relatively unknown culture and this time period that the public is more than likely unfamiliar with. It’s not just evident with the screenplay either. The set design of Fairfax, the costuming of every last character (always a Scorsese detail that deserves praise), the tension and uneasy darkness accompanying the bluesy score of the now deceased Robbie Robertson, and the moody cinematography that epitomizes the corruption and melancholic tone of the story by Rodrigo Prieto all contribute mightily to the haunting blackmark that is the Osage murders.

Though it shouldn’t be a surprise, Leonardo DiCaprio adds Ernest Burkhart to his laundry list of magnificent year-best performances. In one of his most compelling characters yet, DiCaprio’s Ernest is the flawed nephew of William King Hale, the overarching villain of the story. What’s troubling about Ernest is that through the charismatic DiCaprio, and his subsequent likable and simplistic (arguably dimwitted as seen by his many humorously failed plans with Blackie that results in his unraveling, or his failure with his own farm because he didn’t know about hog sickness) demeanor as the veteran coming back from World War I wanting to make big money, he wins us over just as he wins Mollie over. Mollie has her suspicions about Ernest from the start, but she sees through it during their courtship as his heart is more present than any suitor in town. Even as we the viewer are privy to his dealings with his bastard uncle, Ernest’s sweetness is still present even at his worst, which is why we are keen on following him as he tries to navigate himself out of his perpetual hole-digging situation. All of it begins and ends with King, and Ernest is swept up in it because he has no other prospects coming out of war. Through his fierce uncle, Ernest is welcomed as another chess piece for King to play to collect more and more riches, just so he can stay atop his secret but all-powerful kingdom. Ernest is just another pawn, but he’s willing and motivated to join in because he “does like that money” and indulges in many illegal activities that all of his counterparts were engaging in at that time. This is what makes him so interesting, as you can tell he’s sweet and relatively good-natured, but he can still turn in private and carry out killings, send others to do it for him like with Blackie Thompson or John Ramsey (Ty Mitchell), or resort to poisoning his wife’s insulin. It’s this back-and-forth of Ernest going with whatever motivates him at that moment’s notice and not realizing the consequences for it all until it’s too late that makes Ernest such a difficult character to unpack as well as play.

Though King wants Ernest to find a way to marry Mollie for her money, he doesn’t need much pushing in that direction because he really does love her. In private, Ernest makes this clear to King and we can see it in his actions. However, he’s morally corrupt because as many times as he proves himself as a genuinely loving husband, he can still go out and regularly kill people on orders from King, rob the innocently wealthy, and keeping quiet on all the illegal activity that either he was involved in or someone he knows was involved in. Further complicating things, despite how deep he gets into the corruption in this small town, he’s the only one who feels remorse and allows for Mollie to fight him a little more than the others in this crime ring would. It’s because Ernest does love her, and he does feel guilt for what he’s doing to his wife. What leads to the end result, with Ernest regularly dipping his toes into the pools of both good and evil throughout, is that the ultimate goal of greed, and fear of the mighty King having someone kill him if he tries to turn his back on him, is what pushes him through into being unforgivable no matter how hard he pleads his case. Money and death are the motivator here, and the fear of losing one and getting the other is enough for the dense Ernest to find himself in an unwinnable situation that ends with him getting into trouble no matter what way he tries to swing it. It echoes De Niro’s words in Cop Land, as Ernest had the chance to do the right thing on several occasions, but simply put, he “blew it”. Does he continue to betray his wife and her family’s trust by slowly killing her to secure her money in the guise of doing everything he can to help her, or does he betray his uncle who could have him killed in a heartbeat by not only friends but family? Then again, is it that hard to think out? It’s the early 20th century, and this poor veteran is eager to get his hands on money of any kind by any means necessary.

Throughout the movie, we see constant examples of how much money means to him. As much as he acts meek and innocent and takes care of Mollie by taking her to the doctor when she’s sick or the evident remorse in his face following the explosion of Bill and Reta’s house (and him hearing the wails from Mollie when he delivers the news), he admits “I love money. I damn near love it as much as I love my wife”. He’s the one who tells Blackie to kill Bill and Reta so they can get the money, he’s the one who tells Blackie he can have whatever is on them and the house, and he gives Blackie his car so he can get the insurance money for it. Then, with us being fully aware of what he’s doing, he can go home to Mollie without batting an eye. When she expresses privately while they’re in bed together how she’s not sure if he loves her anymore and starts to cry, Ernest looks into her eyes, says he loves her, and they passionately embrace. Again, this is knowing that he’s playing a hand in killing members of her family and killing investigators like Bill Burns who were trying to help her. That love of money Ernest has is much closer to the love of his wife than what he may say outwardly. Because of this mentality and an easily influenced and corruptible soul that the vile King can see in their first meeting, the morality tale and the regret of Ernest Burkhart as he becomes engulfed in the flames of King’s dealings turns him into a deeply flawed, immoral, deceitful figure who is also remorseful enough when it comes down to it that he still manages to juggle being a sympathetic character, but also one that deserves everything coming to him.

It becomes heart wrenching in that third act, with the final conversation between him and Mollie being as devastating as the actions we see firsthand. In that final hour, Ernest is practically repenting his sins by trying to make things right with Mollie and her family and giving into Tom White to finally put his horrible family behind bars, but once he was threatened in private, he had to go back on everything (but then went back again). When Mollie, still knowing the real Ernest and loving him, but also being very aware of who King is and knowing what Ernest has done now that she has gotten proper medical care, gives him one last chance to tell the truth on if he knew about the poison medicine he was administering. It may have not made a difference in their relationship since it was fucked beyond repair at that point, but admitting the truth to her, something she could tell, would have been a partial cleanser of the soul to at least prove how ashamed he really was regarding the situation. After a momentary stalling in his answer, he confidently tells her it was insulin, and they both know he’s lying. In doing so, he chose his side, the side of the devil, writing himself off in the final chapter that was this story. This is why we feel even more for him when he tells King in that jail cell what he plans on doing because he knows he messed up and will spend the rest of his life making up for what he was involved in and may never be forgiven for. The execution of the character, the buildup to this final conversation, and the brilliance of DiCaprio in his tackling of such a complex person that we follow and actually want to see, despite the reprehensible actions he willingly takes part in, is undoubtedly one of the best things you’ll see this year.

Even with this clear-cut magnificence in the starring role, Leonardo DiCaprio has now reached the level of disrespect that Scorsese seems to get from the Academy. Both men have performed at such a high level for such a long period of time, the Academy voters have clearly become numb to their hard work and refuse to acknowledge either of them come awards season, and it’s appalling. In the most annoying fun fact of the day, Scorsese has somehow managed to go 0-30 in Oscar wins between Gangs of New York, The Irishman, and Killers of the Flower Moon. Sure, sometimes this could be the luck of the draw as the award winners depends on what movies they are up against the year they come out, but for someone as universally recognized as being one of the greatest to ever do it like Scorsese, it has to be personal at this point. Who did he piss off back there? Going along with this, in what world was Jeffrey Wright’s performance in American Fiction better than DiCaprio’s in Killers of the Flower Moon? It was great and it was one of the best of the year, but it was clearly the fifth-best among the nominations. If we’re seriously talking about the BEST performances of 2023, there’s no way DiCaprio’s Ernest doesn’t beat it out by far. Cillian Murphy was going to win for Oppenheimer either way, but this is still worth talking about because getting nominated is an honor in and of itself. I can’t think of a single conceivable argument that Wright has over DiCaprio here. At least Robert De Niro got nominated in the Best Supporting Actor category, so all is not lost. Turning back the clock, the 80-year-old De Niro delivers another all-time performance that many didn’t think he had in him anymore. Just as Martin Scorsese continues to prove himself to be at the top of his game in his old age, and DiCaprio has been consistently the best actor working over the last decade, De Niro reminds audiences he’s still one of the best to ever do it by playing the seedy, bone-chilling, under-the-radar monster William King Hale.

Preferring to be referred to as the aptly named “King”, the 32nd degree Mason moves in silence as he runs Fairfax behind the scenes and in front of it. Everyone knows he has money, but King is the mastermind and puppeteer of all the corruption in the city, collecting an obscene amount of wealth from the members of the Osage community through life insurance policies (like with the suicidal Henry Roan) and other nefarious means and has just about everyone else under control to maintain his dominion over the county. What’s even more despicable about him is how he carries himself as this soft, kindhearted, lovable member of the community and friend to all when many know he is not a man to be crossed. Following the back-to-back murders of Charlie and Anna, King attends the meeting held by Chief Bonnicastle, Chief Paul Red Eagle, and the 25 families and offers an additional $1,000 to their total for any information regarding information on the killings, knowing he orchestrated all of it. His undetectable phoniness digs deep into the pit of your stomach when he makes the offer and when he adds that he wants whoever knows anything to come to him first because it just gives him an “in” on who to kill next to stop the paper trail. Seeing him as the on-the-surface upstanding citizen and friend of the Osage that he claims to be, Bonnicastle thanks him for his friendship and it effectively leaves him in the clear. The Osage couldn’t trust anyone up until this point and for good reason. Why should they trust the white community around them when it has led to nothing but bloodshed and the infiltration of their bloodline? On top of that, they can’t immediately act in violence because the government would surely act in favor of the white citizens, leaving them at a standstill. In addition, Boxer Rebellion veteran Bonnicastle says in the old days they’d fight, as he could see the enemy he had to kill when he fought overseas. Sadly, they don’t know who’s at fault here and can’t act in this regard either.

It kills us to see that the one they didn’t suspect whatsoever of wrongdoing because of how loud he was about his support was the one behind it all.

It just goes to show you how awful this period of American history was, how nasty some of these people were and had the capability of being for money, and what they got away with for such a long time. The reality of the situation is jaw-dropping and the godless actions and statements from these characters make you ashamed of what the Osage had to go through because of greedy and bloodthirsty murderers like Kelsie Morrison (Louis Cancelmi). Dropping his own wife to marry Bill’s wife two weeks after Bill dies, with her eventually dying from being poisoned, he runs to Mexico with the kids until his lawyer convinces him to come back. When he has a conversation with him, in an element of black humor that is also present sporadically in the movie, Kelsie bluntly asks, “So my dead wife has two kids, and they have my name. So, if I adopted them proper, and if these two kids were to die, would I inherit their estates?”. When he talks about how they’re Osage and they have headrights, his lawyer responds with, “Kelsie, you realize this indicates to me that you’re adopting and killing these children”. Instead of walking around it or trying to change his wording, the son of a bitch states, “No, not if it’s not legal and I don’t get the money. Then, I’m not gonna do it”. If that doesn’t explain how the county’s citizens were moving during this timeframe, I don’t know what does. Kelsie is just another disciple of King too, as they’re all about the headrights and living in wealth by any means necessary. No morals, no religion, and no one being can change their mind. It’s all about the money. If you have to marry, poison dogs, or even murder children to get rich quick, these disgusting people were absolutely willing to do so. It’s an evil that supersedes Scorsese’s previous gangster films and mafia characters, which should tell you a lot.

With an unshakeable self-assurance in what he’s doing and his foundation of power that allows him to move freely through both sides of the county untouched, King Hale is practically looked at as a patron saint of both the Osage and white communities in Fairfax, despite his influence and strategy to push forward with all of his dealings like the devil incarnate who influences the weak-minded and the unaware. Even Ernest looks up to him as a good man, especially because he gives Ernest so much when he needed it most. Knowing this, Ernest is also aware that King can make things happen at the snap of his finger too. Though he says he’s not afraid of King when Mollie asks, Ernest’s actions say otherwise and it’s hard to not agree. When anyone crosses King or refuses to work with him because they know who he is, their days immediately become numbered. That is unbridled power. Despite us never seeing him directly kill anyone, De Niro’s manipulative King Hale might be right up there with the most reprehensible villains we’ve seen depicted onscreen in years, echoing shades of John Huston’s Noah Cross with the way he moves in silence while seeing nothing wrong in his actions and because he still maintains his innocence even when he’s convicted (and is released in 1947 on good behavior no less) AND never gets the comeuppance that the audience desperately wishes to see. It’s a persistent evil that finds a way to survive, and the sobering, hair-raising reality of such horrors will stay with the viewer. It could never be more present when Ernest tells King he’s going to testify. After throwing manipulative lines out like how the government won’t hold up their end of the deal with him, how all Ernest will do is break up the family, and how the Osage won’t stand for him, but they will for King himself because they love him, King lets him know the truth of it all:

“I mean there will be a public outcry for a while, but then you know what happens? People forget. They don’t remember. They don’t care. They just don’t care. It’s just gonna be another everyday common tragedy”. And you know what? He was right. Considering how a lot of the public were unaware of this awful and true story, King was right. It’s big for a moment but then it’s forgotten about. It’s just the way it is.

Had the Osage never looked into outside help or the real hero in Mollie Burkhart was so persistent in fighting the corruption and finding out the truth behind the murderers of her family, King would’ve run through that town until all the headrights were given to him and his family until the Osage were bone dry in their riches. It’s a testament to who Mollie was. Speaking of Mollie, Lily Gladstone was wonderful as the headstrong wife of Ernest. She has this understated strength within her that is powerful onscreen, and she refuses to be ignored when she very well could have been alongside heavyweights like DiCaprio and De Niro. Gladstone is much like her character in that regard. The production could have forced her into a backseat role, just as Mollie could have accepted her position in losing her family and the headrights to her oil-rich land. Thankfully in both cases, the women push through to make their presence known and remind everyone they are not to be messed with. Mollie refuses to let King, or the Osage leaders handle things when her family members are killed, and she goes out of her way to hire private investigators and even reaches President Calvin Coolidge to get to the bottom of the evil that is ever so present. She may not be a fighter in the traditional sense, but she is a fighter in that no one person can hold her down and stop her from her goals. It’s very much a case of “You have to kill me to stop me” or as Chief Red Eagle states, “No one takes us off this Earth until God calls us home”. She acts like a soft heart, and she is a caring woman, but King and Ernest underestimate her inner strength. Inside her is a toughness and a no-nonsense driven personality that when motivated is a threat in its own right. Despite falling apart physically from her debilitating diabetes, her own husband secretly making things worse to slow her down, or her falling apart mentally and spiritually because of all the death that keeps happening in her family so soon after the other, Mollie finds a way to truck through and will use her last dying breath to uncover the truth, and it’s inspiring.

Plus, she’s a lot more intelligent than anyone gives her credit for. She keeps to herself and just studies many of the people around her, letting them talk and reveal themselves through actions or words because she knows it’s hard to trust anyone during this time frame, especially when her money and family are at stake. At the same time, Gladstone does the same in her performance and makes her big break everything it needed to be to solidify her position. When she could have been overshadowed by her co-stars, she maintains a strong screen presence throughout and overtakes the film with her authentic self and her fierce, glowing, and holy soul in the face of evil, translating it seamlessly into the character of Mollie who is fighting an uphill battle like no other. Though I had Emma Stone winning Best Actress for Poor Things as well, Gladstone still earned her nomination as it was without a doubt one of the best of the year. Jesse Plemons was a standout as well. He’s coming into his own as one of the most versatile actors today, and him refusing to give in to the lies of Ernest and King and seeing through all the bullshit around town was awesome, giving us something to root for just when we needed it. There is a fire in his businesslike approach and quick retorts to the deceitful lines from others like referring to what’s going as an “epidemic” when King passes off the murders as “bad luck”.

There are so many elements in Killers of the Flower Moon that evoke a whirlwind of emotions from the viewer, especially when the context of “Based on a true story” is considered. First of all, the Shoun Brothers deserve to rot in hell just as much as King does. Seeing them lie through their teeth to the authorities when questioned why they sawed Anna’s body into pieces to “find” a singular bullet will not only make you laugh because of the deadpan responses from the agents (“Why did you cut the body up into small pieces and cleave the flesh from the limbs with a meat axe?”) but infuriate you at the same time because those bastards got away with it. Then, you got criminals like Acie Kirby, King’s over-the-top attorney W. S. Hamilton (“He’s saving you dumb boy!”), the harrowing moment when Mollie is forced to hear the Shoun Brothers saw off the top of Anna’s head at the crime scene, the handling of the depressed Henry Roan and how King does everything in his power to keep him alive until the end of the year so he can collect the $25,000 insurance policy he has on him (and potentially his headrights), King planting seeds like slyly revealing Mollie’s previous marriage to Henry when they were 15 on the reservation (the Osage don’t divorce) to Ernest to making sure he continues on his path (“You let her have her secrets, so it justifies yours”), KKK member Pitts Beatty being ridiculously unhelpful, and even Myrtle gaslighting Ernest into thinking King is a good man that needs his protection. Even worse is how many people that know what King is doing and still support him. It couldn’t be more evident when Acie Kirby blows up Bill and Reta’s house and during the aftermath of the wreckage, Pitts says to King, “You’re pronouncing yourself too much Bill”. He knows, but he just wants King to cool it down, so the attention doesn’t get them all in trouble. Again, it’s just terrible to see unfold, but you can’t look away because the film is that good. When Jesse Plemons finally graces the screen as the heroic Tom White, you want to stand up and cheer before he even does anything because you know justice is FINALLY coming.

In the midst of this very serious drama, there are a lot of things that will get you laughing, with Ernest’s dealings with simpleton John Ramsay being some of the funniest. I’m not sure if DiCaprio flipping out is always funny to me no matter the context, but when he argues with him to find Acie Kirby, I was cackling. When he fucked up on the “Front of the head” advice, it just added to it because you know how screwed Ernest is. It’s like when King gives Ernest that death stare when Mollie reveals she’s pregnant, or Ernest’s conversation with Blackie when they’re both arrested. Going along with this, the contentious conversation between Ernest and Bill where Bill implies that he knows Ernest and Byron are murderers was hysterical, as DiCaprio’s delivery of the line “It’s just that I don’t like talking to you” was unexpectedly amusing.

Without giving away the polarizing ending (the True Crime Stories sequence), I will simply state that I am on the side of not liking it. I do applaud Scorsese going for something so outside-the-box to force the public to take responsibility for what happened, it still missed with me. Seeing him onscreen took me out of the film especially, and though it shows how the horrific realities of what happened practically turned into a side show attraction that got swept under the rug for entertainment in a telling epilogue, it just didn’t fit well in a cinematic sense. It stuck out like a sore thumb and felt unsatisfactory. Revealing the facts as to what followed was the right move, but there had to have been a better way to do it. The powwow was a great touch to finalize things though. Further making up for this misstep are additional details and moments like the image of seeing the owl in Osage culture being the sign of getting closer to death, Lizzie getting startling visions of a tribe and going with them to poetically present her passing within the Osage culture, other insertions of the black and white photos complimented by turn of the century music, the paddling scene, Roy refusing to listen to King’s advice to skip town because it would only implicate him further (which starts off a positive chain of events), and the highly entertaining unraveling of the third act and the double crossing, last-ditch efforts everyone attempts to get out of trouble while revealing the facts to the public.

Coldhearted and haunting to say the least, Killers of the Flower Moon is the second-best film of 2023 and is an early contender for one of the best of the decade. Time will be even kinder to it. Martin Scorsese delivers an all-encompassing epic that speaks to us on an emotional and spiritual level that not many mainstream productions have ever done, and the performances are flawless enough that it makes the viewer live and die with the characters’ actions. In one of the biggest moments in the film, Ernest gets the news that his child has passed away and he breaks down in his cell, and King has the audacity to state aloud, “Lord have mercy on us”. It’s at this point when you realize how much the story got to you because the response internally to King’s words becomes, “Man, I really hope He doesn’t”.

If this is where storytelling is going, the film industry is in a much better place than we may realize.