Killers of The Flower Moon (2023) Film Review

Martin Scorcese's films have frequently had an interpretive scope into organized crime, and the barbaric use of violence to leverage authority and power. Despite a lack of glorification, Killers of The Flower Moon is perhaps the most transparent, historically outspoken, and controversial of all of his directed stories. Beyond that it hits close to home as his most biographical accurate film. One that explores a devastating story of greed, corruption, and murder that took place on American soil.

Willaim (Robert Deniro) plays an inconceivably greedy Mob Boss whose agenda corroded the integrity of many families, practicioners, and residents of Osage. Willaim created a cultish mafia to confiscate oil lands, wealthy property, and money from Native American families in Osage Oklahoma. He arranges brutal assassinations, deceives with bribery and lies, and mercilessly submits a beautiful, organic, and holistic Native American culture with medical malpractice, cultural appropriation and thievery.

His group of criminals have unashamed ties to the KKK, Bank robberies, and arsenry. They are affiliated with a corrupt and lawless Sherrifs Office, Disturbing Doctors, and egregiously dishonest lawyers (Brendan Frazier). The schemes of this mob might have remained univestigated if it weren't for a miraculous and courageous trip that Molly (Lily Gladstone) makes to Washington D.C. to encourage an FBI investigation to the Osage Murders.

Gladstone has a special performance. She gracefully portrays the gut wrenching melancholy, and depression that comes from submission to oppressive fear of tyrannical monsters. Her silent quest for for justice, her tragic familial losses exploit and expose the suffocating cruelty that Native Americans experienced from evil, sociopathic White criminals during that time.

I have never seen a Scorcese film that blatantly depicts corruption as grotesque. The film does not hide, entertain, or performatively glorify. Instead it rightfully detests almost as an apologist would.

The film jabs at corruption and criticizes the softness of our sense of justice. It sadly brings to life a hard truth of a holocaust that was all too prevalent and tolerated in its time. The film also jabs at the commercial and cultural corruption of white hate groups. The film is a viscious condemnation of greed, ignorance, mischief, and crime. Rather than a glamorous spectacle as seen in contemporary action.

KOTFM is 3 hours long. Perhaps a trend amongst ambitious directors in 2023. The film stars Leonardo Dicaprio as Ernest Burke. His performance is key, as it represents the susceptibility of ignorance and naivety to the deceptive manipulation of the corrupt. Evil requires fools with no morals. Furthermore; the film explains the willingness of fools to be a part of a corrupt instition, thoughtless dogma, and disturbingly destructive instincts.