Killers of the Flower Moon Movie Review: In a day and age where sustaining an attention span of two hours seems like a task for many filmmakers, Martin Scorsese continues to challenge the trends and how! Three hours and 26 minutes long Killers of the Flower Moon is like a wide spread of dishes, with a slow-cooked main dish served as the main course while an assortment of smaller dishes that elevate the meal experience. Helping him serve this dish are Leonardo DiCaprio, Robert De Niro, and Lily Gladstone. They are supported by Jesse Plemons, Tantoo Cardinal, John Lithgow and Brendan Fraser.
Having spent a sizable time of my film studies classes learning the art and craft of Martin Scorsese’s filmmaking, I feel too small to be reviewing in the conventional sense of it. Instead, I am going to merely share all that went through my mind while watching the film.
To begin with, Killers of the Flower Moon revolves around the series of Oklahoma murders in the Osage Nation during the 1920s. The film is based on the book of the same title penned by David Grann. We meet Ernest Burkhart (Leonardo DiCaprio) who has just returned from World War 1 where he was on kitchen duties. He meets his uncle, William King Hale (Robert De Niro), who gives him work to drive a car around and ferry people. During his car rides, he comes across a beautiful Native American woman named Mollie (Lily Gladstone). He falls for her and expresses his wish to marry her to his uncle King but the latter has bigger plans associated with the union. Given Mollie comes from a family who owns oil headrights, King eyes her property. His hurdle – her ailing mother and three sisters, among which the property is divided.
Slow and steady, with the help of various accomplices, King and Ernest take down every hurdle in the hope of becoming richer and richer, until a massive dynamite-induced fire burns down their facade and brings out all the skeletons out of the closet.
Killing of the Flower Moon does not try to be a murder suspense. It lays out all the cards with every passing chapter, letting you predict what is coming next. It is Martin Scorsese’s style of presenting it and the brilliant performances that are the key of scenes. The film is packed with new subplots every 20-odd minutes, making the narration a book-reading-like experience. This keeps the pace fast in almost all parts of the film. Editor Thelma Schoonmaker is to be credited here for keeping the pace almost even throughout the film.
Despite the various developing subplots, Scorsese manages to not over-populate the scenes with too many characters. He gives each one of them a chance to present their character to the audience in a way that it doesn’t stick out.
It goes without saying that a Scorsese film rarely has bad performances. Killer of the Flower Moon is one such film that actors even with the smallest roles have left a mark long after they’ve exited the screen. One such example is Brendan Fraser, who has merely three to four lines in the film but rules the screen even in those scenes. Coming to the leads, it comes as no surprise that DiCaprio and De Niro emerged as the two stars who shouldered this film from the word go. They stand as two pillars of the film and give it their all like they always do until their last scene. However, Lily Gladstone was a big, big surprise to me. I had not seen her work before so I was blown away with her subtle yet powerful screen presence. She not only gives DiCaprio a competition on screen but in certain moments, overshadows him as well. I am rooting for her at the Oscars.
Apart from the actors, cinematographer Rodrigo Prieto also played a brilliant part in bringing Scorsese’s vision to life.
While there is so much that has worked in the film’s favour, there are a few things that didn’t work for me. Let’s address the much-spoken about length. The three hours 27 minutes film did not feel long until we started heading to the third hour. The film began to slow down and the duration became evident. The film either should have kept the pace or cut down by a good 15 to 20 minutes.
Killer of the Flower Moon explores the history of USA. Those who know it will be able to understand the timeline. For those who don’t, the timeline and the regions could get confusing. Scorsese could have included a few time stamps to help international fans follow the events better. Another issue I had with the film is that while it gives you so much content in terms of characters, history, the twisted relationships and more, by the end of it, you do feel exhausted with so much on your plate. It took me a few hours to fully process the film and appreciate it because of how much I was given upfront to hold.
Bottom line: Killer of the Flower Moon is one of the best films this year, despite the hiccups. It is a treat for those who still enjoy an elaborate storytelling on the big screen.
