Killers of the Flower Moon (Leonardo DiCaprio, Robert De Niro, Lily Gladstone) – Paramount greenlighted this adaptation of David Grann’s historical novel about the systematic murder of the Osage Indian Tribe in the 1920s-30s to gain rights to the oil that made them the richest people per capita on Earth. Set in Oklahoma at the dawn of the Roaring ‘20s, Killers of the Flower Moon became legendary director Martin Scorsese’s passion project.
When cost overruns on the film ballooned to (eventually) $200 million, Paramount and Scorsese went to Apple to convince them to provide ongoing financing. Apple planned to enter the movie business, having already begun to provide original content for its Apple TV+ streaming service. Apple committed upwards of $1 billion annually on movie content. Killers of the Flower Moon will spend at least 7-8 weeks in theaters before moving to Apple’s streaming service while establishing the company as a sponsor of quality, award-winning cinema (putting it in the same class as Netflix).
There is no way that Killers of the Flower Moon will earn its money back at the box office. It opened with $23 million the first weekend, which generally fell in line with industry expectations. Its compelling story and incredible scope will attract serious movie mavens, history buffs and human rights advocates. It won’t drag casual moviegoers off their couches. It also won’t draw younger viewers, who are the beating heart of cinema audiences.
It is the ideal film for streaming. At three-and-a-half hours, it is far easier to watch in bite-sized pieces with convenient bio-breaks. In the theater, it feels mammoth in scope. Like Scorsese’s The Irishman, which runs the same length, it is exhausting. While the master keeps it moving and visually stunning, Scorsese also weaves a story with seriousness of purpose and incredulity at the violence and brazenness it depicts.
Killer stars Scorsese’s two most frequent on-screen collaborators, Leonardo DiCaprio (The Departed, The Wolf of Wall Street, Shutter Island, Gangs of New York, etc.) and Robert De Niro (Taxi Driver, Raging Bull, GoodFellows, Cape Fear, etc.). They are exceptional; shoe-ins for Oscar nominations.
DiCaprio plays Ernest Burkhart, who returns home to Oklahoma after World War I. He isn’t very bright, very talented or very opinionated. He is embraced by his rich, powerful uncle, Bill Hale (De Niro), the most revered person in this small town. He has managed to make lots of money while supporting the Native American Osage Tribe. He is philanthropic, sympathetic, and seemingly a model white man living in Indian country.
As the story evolves, we realize that Hale is a puppeteer. He encourages Ernest to marry Mollie (Lily Gladstone, who will certainly be Oscar nominated), with whom he is already smitten. She is a beautiful, smart-tongued Osage woman whose family is her foundation. Mollie’s mother and sisters are among the legacy families who own the oil rights that have made the Osage prosperous. Mollie and Ernest seem well matched but increasingly cursed. First, Mollie’s mother dies and, one by one, so do her sisters. And they aren’t the only ones. Over a decade or more, virtually every one of the legacy families suffers unexpected deaths. As viewers, we know that Hale is responsible, with Ernest and Hale’s other son, Byron (Scott Shepherd of Bridge of Spies), serving as the boss’ Corleone-like sons.
Eventually, the feds come to Oklahoma to investigate the rash of murders. As the story tightens, Ernest is arrested … and the film turns into a trial drama. It is more than two hours into the movie before we meet the other stars of the film – Jesse Plemons as the Bureau of Investigations agent; Brendan Fraser as Hale’s attorney; and John Lithgow as the federal prosecutor.
By the end of the film, Scorsese (another certain Oscar nominee) delivers a denouement worth waiting for. I will leave it at that.
In summary, Killers of the Flower Moon is an amazing film. It is very long … and feels it. It is stunningly presented and impeccably well-acted. But you must be ready for it. This is not a casual watch. Viewing it on the big screen is ideal but you can wait to see it on your big-screen TV. The experience won’t be as immersive, however.
I predict that it will compete with Oppenheimer for Best Picture. It deserves to.