"Killers of the Flower Moon" Review

 

by John Zenoni

I'm sure I will be in the majority on this but having read and being a huge fan of the excellent novel, ‘Killers of the Flower Moon’, I have to say I'm truly disappointed in the Martin Scorsese film version. In looking at other reviews, there is one that captures my thoughts perfectly and that is that the film is a ‘soulless epic.’

The novel is a long one, sure, but all the details were vital to the story, in my opinion. It all worked so well to explain a piece of American history that should not be forgotten. I was really excited when I heard the story was coming to the big screen and was even more excited when I heard who was directing it. Then my excitement reached a frenzy when I saw the trailer. But wow, what a let down after watching it and I will explain.

I greatly respect Scorsese’s interest in this story of the injustices committed against the Osage Nation and his attempt to bring it to the screen. However, the first issue I have is that it was way too long. In this instance, capturing every detail and element was really overreaching and not needed. When the pace of the film is such that you're looking at your watch, then you know there is an issue, at least for me. Another problem I have is that I didn't feel the film, ironically, focused enough on the plight of the Osage Nation and how they came into the oil production. that they did then began to be overshadowed. Yes, we saw a snippet at the beginning but from there it immediately went into focusing on the primary characters of Ernest Burkhart, played by Leonardo DiCaprio, and William Hale, played by Robert De Niro. Which then leads me into my other issue: and that is that this was really a film in which we were watching to see who could out act each other - De Niro or DiCaprio. Were they good? Yes, if not great. But the film should have focused on the mystery of the murders and been more suspenseful. That, I think, is what I missed - more of the suspense that I was expecting.

As far as the others actors, Lily Gladstone, who plays DiCaprio’s wife Mollie, does a fine job, as does Jesse Plemons, Brendan Fraser, and John Lithgow, none of whom I realized were in the film. The cinematography was great and provided us with wonderful views of the countryside, so that was a plus. All in all, while a good film, not great and definitely not Scorsese’s best.