Film Review: KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON (2023): A Long, Chilling Martin Scorsese Film with Several Remarkable Performances

Killers of the Flower Moon Review

Killers of the Flower Moon (2023) Film Review, a movie directed by Martin Scorsese, written by Eric Roth, David Grann and Martin Scorsese and starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Robert De Niro, Lily Gladstone, Jesse Plemons, Tantoo Cardinal, John Lithgow, Brendan Fraser, Cara Jade Myers, Janae Collins, Jillian Dion, Jason Isbell, William Belleau, Louis Cancelmi, Scott Shepherd, Yancey Red Corn and Tatanka Means.

Set in Oklahoma during the 1920’s, Martin Scorsese’s Killers of the Flower Moon is a richly detailed portrait of the Osage population that delicately presents events that occurred during the time period the movie is set in. The film opens with a wonderful shot of some men being immersed in oil and closes with a fantastic shot that is perhaps the single best frame in a movie this year. But despite the film’s lengthy 206-minute running time, there isn’t much joy to be found in the picture. It’s a sad, cold and frightening portrait of murders that occurred but even in its early joyous moments of sensitivity, the movie can feel icy. In fact, the movie is so solemn that some audiences could find themselves at a considerable distance from the material at hand from beginning to end.

Leonardo DiCaprio portrays Ernest Burkhart, a man who served his country, so to say, by helping feed soldiers. When he goes to live with his well-to-do Uncle William “King” Hale (Robert De Niro), there are many possibilities that await him but the realities that occur become absolutely heart-wrenching in their excesses. Ernest takes a liking to Mollie (Lily Gladstone). She is a woman who seems to keep her distance from others and has recently paid a large bill to obtain medicine for her diabetes. Ernest and Mollie drive around and get to know one another in various ways before solidifying the power of their relationship through marriage.

This movie establishes a bond between Ernest and Mollie without the need for much physical romantic chemistry between them. These characters seem to care about one another and that is enough for their relationship to blossom. However, it could be argued that Mollie is the one who suffers the most during the course of the picture while Ernest gets himself in way over his head– potentially to the point of no return– with devastating results.

Scorsese’s picture has spared no expense to bring this story to life. The set design brings to life the film’s complex politics with some of the most haunting imagery that you’ll see at the movies this year. The movie shows us Osage people lying dead in their beds as people turn a blind eye. Then, a woman is shot through the head and her death is passed off as a suicide.

The look of the film (costumes, etc.) is perfect but the characterizations especially by DiCaprio and De Niro are sometimes lacking in emotional substance though highly proficient in other areas. Both of the stars’ characters are self-centered to a fault. As Ernest takes part in a card game, audiences will quickly grow frustrated with Ernest’s antics. William is the type of guy who asks to be called “King” which should tell you everything you need to know about this character.

John Lithgow and Brendan Fraser are criminally underused here in the legal sections of the film’s later stages. While both actors have incredible moments in the picture, they are somewhat minor roles in the grand scheme of things. Lithgow plays Prosecutor Peter Leaward and Fraser serves as W.S. Hamilton. Fraser’s character asks Ernest to change his stance on the events that occur in the movie after a government official named Tom White (a great Jesse Plemons) asks for Ernest to testify. It becomes a test of the bond between William and Ernest which is frighteningly believable in its complexity. Both DiCaprio and De Niro are at the top of their craft with their performances but these roles won’t garner much sympathy from the audience.

DiCaprio and Gladstone have some terrific scenes together. Gladstone commands the audience’s attention. She’s given a lot of close-ups and the audience grows to respect her so much that when Mollie is suffering, the audience will feel all her pain. Ernest can’t seem to prioritize what’s important. Even though Ernest loves his family, it takes horrifying events to make him understand the error of his ways.

Cara Jade Myers turns in superb work as Anna, a character whose eventual death adds many layers to the thought-provoking nature of the film. Myers is raw, fierce and vulnerable. Also intriguing is how the Osage sisters refer to each other as “big sister” and “little sister.” These scenes feel authentic and keep the film interesting even when it drags at certain times.

Gladstone takes a woman who is very simplistic on the surface and offers a performance that will tear your heart out as Mollie suffers physical ailments which add to her internal and external pain. While DiCaprio has never been more passionate on screen, he’s playing a man of less than average intelligence who is a screw up. Ernest feels like a lost cause as he sides with whoever seems to have the better offer rather than being a man of integrity.

Robert De Niro plays the type of guy so full of himself that when he thinks he’s accused of wrong doing, he heads right over to his local police precinct to turn himself in. The relationship between De Niro and DiCaprio’s characters is given much screen time and there’s plenty to analyze based on their on-screen rapport which feels more forced at times than it should. That’s because De Niro’s performance, while brilliant in many respects, never lets the audience understand William as a person. William moves the plot forward through his actions but, sometimes, the story line lets the audience down by making William so one-note. De Niro plays the part as written and does his best to make it work. Jason Isbell should also be noted for giving a performance of great quality as Bill Smith, another character who plays a key role in the film. Plemons is also predictably perfect as the man who tries to steer Ernest in a certain direction regarding the choices Ernest is forced to make in the picture.

Killers of the Flower Moon tells a fascinating story. Scorsese has said in recent interviews that he was inspired by the work of Ari Aster and some of that Aster-like quality is easily visible in the movie’s major scenes. The ending of Killers of the Flower Moon is simply phenomenal. The last image will haunt viewers for days. DiCaprio and Gladstone create a relationship that is unlike anything we’ve seen in a film before. Gladstone simply steals the film whenever she appears on screen.

In the final analysis, Killers of the Flower Moon could have found its center in the editing room. It tries too hard. It’s ambitious to a fault. Still, Scorsese doesn’t make the experience one without many high points. There are going to be several Oscar nominations for this film, perhaps even more than 10. But, the film is so coldly distant in certain scenes that this movie probably won’t garner many fans outside of Scorsese movie connoisseurs and fans of great acting.

Rating: 8/10

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