Movie Review: Killers of the Flower Moon

In 1919, William “King” Hale (Robert DeNiro) operates a large cattle ranch inside the Osage reservation in Oklahoma, where he has convinced the members of the tribe that he has their best interests at heart and will always do what he can to help them. The Osage had recently become very wealthy due to the discovery of oil on their land, though they still couldn’t access their money without going through court-appointed guardians as a result of being thought “incompetent” and were understandably wary of white people but appreciated having someone on their side.

When his nephew Ernest (Leonardo DiCaprio) arrives home from World War I, Hale takes him in and puts him to work as a driver. During the course of his duties, Ernest meets Mollie Kyle (Lily Gladstone) and the two wind up becoming romantically involved. While this is happening though, there is evidence that other white men have been moving into town and marrying Osage women to gain access to their wealth. Likewise, Hale isn’t nearly as benevolent as he has let on, scheming to take control of as much of the tribe’s oil revenue as he can. While he avoids getting his own hands dirty, he has no qualms with hiring locals to kill people to get what he wants. As the number of mysterious deaths in the area continues to grow, the newly formed FBI sends in Agent Thomas Bruce White Sr. (Jesse Plemons) to find the culprits.

This material is well-suited for director Martin Scorsese’s filmmaking style. The sprawling true-crime saga almost feels like a mafia movie, especially with De Niro at its center doing his best charismatic mob boss. Something of the kinetic energy of Scorsese’s earlier works is missing here, making the 3½ hour run time more noticeable than it should be, though the excellent cast and Rodrigo Prieto’s stunning cinematography keep viewers engaged throughout. DiCaprio is perfectly cast as the slightly simple-minded Ernest and he uses all of his natural charisma to make us root for a character who is ostensibly a villain. Gladstone steals the movie however, and her performance as the strong-willed but long-suffering Mollie is measured and masterful.

The choice to anchor the film around Ernest as opposed to Mollie is certainly not without its controversy, though I think it was a smart one, as it allows Scorsese to make the viewer feel a little bit complicit in the appalling crimes committed here, a reminder that our very society played a large part in allowing them to continue unchecked for so long. As with much of his later work, it lacks a little of the panache that made movies like Goodfellas or Casino so exciting, but Scorsese is still filled with righteous anger, and even his more sedate movies like this one are better than most of what’s released in a given year. ★★★★