A new film by the cult Martin Scorsese starring his perennial favorites Robert De Niro and Leonardo DiCaprio has been released, the neo-noir Killers of the Flower Moon, which critics have already dubbed a masterpiece. Read on in our review to find out what made it so popular.
About the director
The 80-year-old Martin Scorsese is deservedly considered one of the best directors of our time, who, even more than six decades after the release of his first film, continues to make relevant and high-quality films. He directed such classics of world cinema as Taxi Driver; New York, New York; The Color of Money; The Last Temptation of Christ; Raging Bull; Goodfellas; Cape Fear; Gangs of New York; The Aviator; The Departed; The Wolf of Wall Street; Shutter Island; The Irishman and many others. His contribution to the film industry cannot be overestimated, and each of his new works causes an incredible stir among critics and moviegoers alike.
And even though Scorsese has recently been fond of complaining about the realities of contemporary cinema, he criticizes Marvel comic books and other long-running franchises. And sometimes his audience gets it from him, too, because they can’t sit through a movie thoughtfully for more than three hours. But, you know, given all of Scorsese’s work, he has every right to do so, because with his new film he has proven that even a 3.5-hour long, slowly unwinding serious drama can captivate the viewer.
What the new movie is about
The plot of Killers of the Flower Moon is based on the 2017 documentary novel of the same name by journalist David Grann, which touches upon shameful pages of US history that have long been suppressed.
The film, based on a true story, is set in the 1920s in the Osage Indian settlement in Oklahoma. The Osage Indian tribe came to this land long ago and lived in poverty for a long time, until oil deposits were discovered here. However, the Oseiji somehow managed to turn everything around so that they remained the real owners here. At least that’s what they thought.
The local Indians quickly adopted all the benefits of Western civilization and the “white” way of life, gradually erasing their own identity-they even had American names and surnames. However, this did not help them become equal to the colonizers.
And while the Oseiji lived their comfortable life, the enemy gradually pushed them out and took their property (as well as their lives). The insidious tycoon William Hale developed a real “multi-move” to rake in all the wealth of the Indians – he pretended to be their true friend for many years, even when they began to die by the dozens under very suspicious circumstances.
The movie centers on a family of purebred Indians whose property Hale is particularly interested in. Using his two nephews – the cold-blooded favorite Byron and the spineless Ernest Barkhart – this charismatic old man set out to drive all five women of the family to their graves, and in such a way that their property and rights would fall into his hands absolutely legally.
At the same time, Hale eliminated anyone who tried to interfere in the situation. But even when the case of the mysterious Osage murders reached the FBI, it was not an easy task to get justice for the Indians.
Who is in the lead roles
Traditionally, Scorsese has assembled a powerful cast for his new film. The backbone is formed by Robert De Niro and Leonardo DiCaprio, who have already starred in his films many times. The former starred in such hits as Taxi Driver, Raging Bull, Goodfellas, Cape Fear, Casino and The Irishman, while the latter appeared in Gangs of New York, The Aviator, The Departed, Shutter Island and The Wolf of Wall Street.
And both of them, as always, showed the highest level of acting skills. De Niro’s insidious, cold-blooded, hypocritical William Hale turned out to be both charismatic and repulsive, when the viewer is delighted with the character and at the same time sincerely hates him and wants him to receive a fair punishment.
Meanwhile, DiCaprio’s Ernest Barkhart once again proves how cool he is as an actor who knows how to play real scoundrels and is no longer a hostage to his “sweet” roles from the 90s (Titanic, Romeo + Juliet).
This duo was perfectly complemented by Lily Gladstone, who became a real discovery in the film. She played the role of Molly Barkhart, one of the daughters of the family that Hale and Barkhart targeted. The actress is a Native American – she spent her childhood on the Blackfeet Indian reservation in Montana – and she was really perfect for the role, creating an image of a strong and trusting woman who has faced difficult trials.
Also worth noting is the performance of Scott Shepherd (Bridge of Spies, The Last of Us) as Byron Barkhart, Hale’s favorite nephew who enthusiastically supported his uncle’s plan.
In addition, Jesse Plemons (The Power of the Dog, The Irishman, Love & Death) and Brendan Fraser (The Whale, The Mummy) played relatively small but important roles in the film. The former embodied the image of FBI agent Tom White, who investigated the Osage murders, and the latter played Hale’s lawyer Hamilton.
In general, the entire cast of the movie is extremely successful – you want to believe every actor. The film also features a large number of Native Americans, who are not yet so widely represented in American cinema.
Reaction to the movie
The premiere of Killers of the Flower Moon took place on May 20, 2023 at the Cannes Film Festival, where it received rave reviews from critics.
The film currently has a score of 8.4 out of 10 on IMDb, and on Rotten Tomatoes it has a 93% approval rating from critics with a “Certified Fresh” label. Meanwhile, on Metacritic, it received 89 points out of 100 with a “must see” rating from film reviewers, which corresponds to the characteristic of “universal acclaim,” and 7.3 points out of 10 from the general audience (“generally positive reviews”).
On October 20, the film was officially released worldwide, and after that it will be released on the Apple TV+ streaming service, which is actually one of the customers of Killers of the Flower Moon.
Our verdict
Killers of the Flower Moon is a must-see movie this year, and it has every chance of making a serious run at the Oscars.
The film has an interesting and important story that touches on a serious issue that has long been kept quiet in the United States – the Killers of the Flower Moon are restoring historical justice, among other things. At the same time, the film touches upon the issue of preserving the identity of indigenous peoples, which is being erased by greedy, cynical colonizers.
At the same time, the film delights the audience with excellent acting, beautiful pictures and music.
Yes, some people may find the pace of the movie too slow and be intimidated by the almost 3.5-hour running time. The movie does develop slowly, gradually gaining momentum. Yes, some people’s expectations may be unjustified – the movie is more of a drama and less of a detective story. Rather, it reveals the tragedy of the people and individual characters, with little focus on the FBI investigation itself, which the viewer is led to in about 2/3 of the movie.
The overall score is 9 out of 10 points.
