Killers of the Flower Moon
Overview
Killers of the Flower Moon is a 2023 epic Western crime drama film directed by Martin Scorsese, based on the 2017 non-fiction book by David Grann. The film is set in 1920s Oklahoma, telling the true story of the Osage Nation, a Native American tribe who became incredibly wealthy after oil was discovered on their land. The Osage people were considered the richest people per capita in the world, and they lived in lavish homes, drove expensive cars, and sent their children to European boarding schools. However, a conspiracy of white men began systematically murdering Osage people to inherit their headrights — the rights to their oil revenues. The film follows Ernest Burkhart (Leonardo DiCaprio), a naive, not-very-bright World War I veteran who comes to Oklahoma to live with his uncle, William "King" Hale (Robert De Niro). Hale is a powerful, respected cattle rancher who speaks the Osage language and claims to love the Osage people. But he is secretly orchestrating the murders. He encourages Ernest to marry an Osage woman, Mollie (Lily Gladstone), who has a headright to oil money. Ernest genuinely loves Mollie, but he is weak and manipulated by Hale. He participates in the murder of Mollie's sisters and mother, slowly poisoning Mollie herself with insulin to keep her sick and dependent. The film follows the investigation by the newly formed FBI, led by Agent Tom White (Jesse Plemons), who is finally able to expose the conspiracy. Ernest is arrested, and he eventually confesses, though he betrays Hale and then recants. The film is a devastating indictment of American greed, racism, and the systematic destruction of Indigenous wealth. It runs over three and a half hours, but Scorsese uses every minute to immerse the audience in the world of the Osage and the horror of what was done to them. Lily Gladstone delivers a quiet, powerful performance as Mollie, a woman who knows she is being poisoned but cannot escape. The film ends with a surreal, brilliant coda: a radio play that explains the fates of the characters, with Scorsese himself appearing as the announcer. Killers of the Flower Moon was a critical success, earning over $156 million worldwide. It was nominated for ten Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actress for Lily Gladstone, and Best Supporting Actor for Robert De Niro. The film is a masterpiece of historical storytelling and a necessary reckoning with a forgotten American atrocity.
