Gladstone Shines in ‘Killers of the Flower Moon’
Martin Scorsese is one of the greatest filmmakers alive. His filmography includes absolute masterpieces and some of the most influential movies of our time. His latest, Killers of the Flower Moon, sees him team up again with Robert De Niro and Leonardo DiCaprio for a three-and-a-half-hour dive into one of America’s many historical atrocities.
DiCaprio is Earnest Burkhart, an ambitious man seeking to strike it rich in the newly wealthy Osage Nation where his uncle William Hale (De Niro) is a powerful influence in the town. He meets and marries Mollie Kyle (Lily Gladstone in the most impactful role in the film), whose family holds the right to land rich with oil. Greed and betrayal shape the narrative and we see the impending tragedy play out from beginning to end.
It’s great to see De Niro back in full force here. Hale is pure evil to the core but presents himself with a polite gentleness that makes him feel even more menacing. The way he manipulates everyone and plays into a public narrative while undermining the very people he claims to love is reminiscent of today’s politicians. He’s soft and quiet, but terrifying.
As much as it pains me to say this because he’s one of my favorite actors, DiCaprio is the weakest link in the main cast. Perhaps it’s the accent or the distracting fake teeth, but this performance didn’t always connect for me in the way I had hoped. He still delivers many powerful scenes, but there were times when it felt like the role got away from him. I was also a bit distracted by how often other characters referred to him as a boy, considering DiCaprio is nearing 50 in real life.
Gladstone is the standout of the film with a powerful, emotional performance. She’s the only character we truly sympathize with and every scene with her is captivating. She’s able to deliver a quiet strength through the pain of losing her entire family and a later scene with her and DiCaprio is a true highlight. I kept wishing the film had been told from her perspective, though I understand Scorsese’s reluctance to tell an Osage story as a non-Osage filmmaker.
The justice side of the story does come a little too late. It’s hours before Jesse Plemons, John Lithgow or Brendan Fraser show up for the investigation and court case portion of the story. As one of my critic friends said, this movie is not a pleasant watch. It’s a film that makes you angry for three-and-a-half hours because you see so much injustice and so many of the characters are despicable. But it’s also worth looking this chapter of American history right in the face.
So while Killers of the Flower Moon is definitely worth watching, it might not appeal to general audiences who are more conditioned to action and shorter runtimes. However, if you are a Scorsese lover or even a mid-level cinephile, this will be a powerful and engaging watch.
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