Lily Gladstone, left, and Leonardo DiCaprio in “Killers of the Flower Moon.” (Melinda Sue Gordon/Apple TV+/TNS)
Set in early-1920s Osage County, Oklahoma, Martin Scorsese’s historical crime drama “Killers of the Flower Moon” reminds audiences why the auteur filmmaker remains at the top of his game.
Based on David Grann’s 2017 book of the same name, the film is well paced and always suspenseful despite its admittedly long three-hour-and-26-minute runtime. Led by the impressive duo of Leonardo DiCaprio (Ernest Burkhart) and Robert De Niro (William Hale), Scorsese’s nuanced portrayal of the 1920s Osage murders is hauntingly tragic.
Due to oil deposits being discovered on their land and federally mandated headrights, the Osage people were once the richest nation in the world per capita. Yet in the ’20s, at least 60 Osage people were murdered or went missing in Oklahoma.
As a meek Burkhart steps off the train platform in Fairfax, Oklahoma, to live with his well-connected scheming uncle, viewers are quickly immersed in the hustle and bustle of 1920s Northern Oklahoma.
Burkhart meets Mollie (Lily Gladstone), an Osage woman he becomes romantically interested in and eventually marries. However, it doesn’t take long for the movie to be overcome with suspense and eeriness.
As intentions become clear in the first act, audiences spend the entire movie with those responsible for the crimes committed against the Osage people. Scorsese and screenplay writer Eric Roth’s decision to tell the story through the lens of a crippling family from the inside out blends romance and tragedy for what is ultimately a triumphant adaptation.
The film’s $200 million budget does not go unnoticed, as the grandiose sets and authentic wardrobes are highly immersive. Cinematographer Rodrigo Prieto, who brought Greta Gerwig’s “Barbie” to the big screen in July, implements sweeping camera shots and long takes that drive the story where dialogue and music cannot.
What stands above the rest, however, is the stoicism and fatigue that drives Gladstone’s striking performance, which should be in contention for an Academy Award for Best Actress. Where Scorsese’s signature wise guys are typically front and center, it’s Gladstone who bears the weight of the tragedies that cunningly unfold.
The original score, composed by Robbie Robertson, brilliantly builds suspense like so much of the music in Scorsese’s filmography does. The track “They Don’t Live Long,” which makes a few appearances, is scored to be the perfect supplement to atrocities shown on screen.
Scorsese displays a lot of ambition in the film, and though it will not be a favorite among all audiences, it is likely his most significant work in a long time.
“Killers of the Flower Moon” comes from a director who cares deeply about cinema and telling stories in the right way. Scorsese made this movie like it was his last, and did so masterfully.
Oil and blood flow like rivers through valleys in what is ultimately the best film of the year.
Rating: 5/5
