For as much as Killers of the Flower Moon is new territory for Martin Scorsese, it is also something new. Flower Moon seems to combine Scorsese's longtime interest in the corrupt underbelly of American society (Wolf of Wall Street, The Irishman, etc.), which also considering his more recent interest in the clashes between Western culture and others (Silence). It is also Scorsese's entrance to the Western genre. In this movie, a group of settlers conspire to rob the Osage Native American tribe of their oil and land, which has made them very wealthy. This was one of the cases that led to the founding of the FBI. Westerns have changed over the years. The romanticism of the Wild West has been supplanted by moral dilemmas. Flower Moon falls solely in the latter, as one may expect.
This movie is also notable as it stars Scorsese's two most frequent collaborators, Leonardo DiCaprio and Robert de Niro, together under Scorsese's direction for the first time. Leo was alright in this movie. He plays Ernest Burkhart, who seems conflicted between actual love for Mollie, an Osage woman. Compared to his performances in other Scorsese movies like Shutter Island and Wolf of Wall Street, this one was rather lacking. Robert de Niro was quite good in his role as William Hale, the ringleader. Despite his actions and true intentions he gives the vibe of a caring grandfather figure. However, if there's one standout performance, it's that of Lily Gladstone. She plays the role of Mollie, an Osage woman who marries Ernest and progressively loses her family to the conspiracy. It's very difficult to portray a person completely bereft without falling into dull underacting, and that's precisely what she avoids here. Mollie represents the last stand of the Osage values and the refusal to give in to a decadent lifestyle, and it is masterfully portrayed by Gladstone.
The production itself is quite impressive. The whole town looks very authentic. Everything from the costumes to the decor of any interior to the vintage cars makes the movie very immersive. Without going into story details, the explosion in the movie is an actual explosion, which is very impressive. The way the film ends, while it may not have tonally fit it, was a unique showcase of an antiquated form of entertainment.
One thing must be addressed: the runtime. It's over three and a half hours long. It's Scorsese's longest movie, beating out his second most recent, The Irishman. There are some movies where you don't feel the runtime; this isn't one of them. This movie may have been better as a miniseries. That would have given it more time to fully develop more characters, and distribute time more evenly. The Irishman at least has the benefit of a much faster pace, and a focus solely devoted to one main character. With Flower Moon, it's good content, but when it moves at a slower pace and shifts focus, it's easy to lose focus.
Ultimately, Killers of the Flower Moon is far from Scorsese's best work, which isn't saying much given the excellence of his repertoire. It is worth a watch, although perhaps in pieces rather than one go.
This movie is also notable as it stars Scorsese's two most frequent collaborators, Leonardo DiCaprio and Robert de Niro, together under Scorsese's direction for the first time. Leo was alright in this movie. He plays Ernest Burkhart, who seems conflicted between actual love for Mollie, an Osage woman. Compared to his performances in other Scorsese movies like Shutter Island and Wolf of Wall Street, this one was rather lacking. Robert de Niro was quite good in his role as William Hale, the ringleader. Despite his actions and true intentions he gives the vibe of a caring grandfather figure. However, if there's one standout performance, it's that of Lily Gladstone. She plays the role of Mollie, an Osage woman who marries Ernest and progressively loses her family to the conspiracy. It's very difficult to portray a person completely bereft without falling into dull underacting, and that's precisely what she avoids here. Mollie represents the last stand of the Osage values and the refusal to give in to a decadent lifestyle, and it is masterfully portrayed by Gladstone.
The production itself is quite impressive. The whole town looks very authentic. Everything from the costumes to the decor of any interior to the vintage cars makes the movie very immersive. Without going into story details, the explosion in the movie is an actual explosion, which is very impressive. The way the film ends, while it may not have tonally fit it, was a unique showcase of an antiquated form of entertainment.
One thing must be addressed: the runtime. It's over three and a half hours long. It's Scorsese's longest movie, beating out his second most recent, The Irishman. There are some movies where you don't feel the runtime; this isn't one of them. This movie may have been better as a miniseries. That would have given it more time to fully develop more characters, and distribute time more evenly. The Irishman at least has the benefit of a much faster pace, and a focus solely devoted to one main character. With Flower Moon, it's good content, but when it moves at a slower pace and shifts focus, it's easy to lose focus.
Ultimately, Killers of the Flower Moon is far from Scorsese's best work, which isn't saying much given the excellence of his repertoire. It is worth a watch, although perhaps in pieces rather than one go.