Leonardo DiCaprio and Lily Gladstone. © 2023 Paramount Pictures, Apple Original Films / Apple Studios, Imperative Entertainment, Sikelia Productions, and Appian Way Productions. Directed by Martin Scorsese.
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Watched it in Dolby Cinema @ AMC Theaters Martin Scorsese is back once again to tell a tragic real-life story that shaped America from the 1910s to the 20s. Scorsese loves to elevate the cinema format and this time, he dials it up to one hundred. This is a monumental film that explores the representation of the Indigenous community and the tragedy of these murders through the eyes of Ernest Burkhart and Mollie Burkhart. Let's go back to Oklahoma and investigate the murders that are caused by an old white uncle. Story: At the turn of the 20th century, oil brought a fortune to the Osage Nation, who became some of the richest people in the world overnight. The wealth of these Native Americans immediately attracted white interlopers, who manipulated, extorted, and stole as much Osage money as they could before resorting to murder. People immediately complained about the long runtime of the film which clocks in at 3 hours and 26 minutes. I didn't feel like this film was that long, however, the pacing of this runs smoothly which gives that feeling of a two-hour film. All thanks to the fantastic editing done by Thelma Schoonmaker which made the scenes gripping yet engaging with some of the slowness in certain scenes and sequences. Plus, the parallel editing is very strong by cutting between the murders to the "peaceful" life of Ernest and Mollie is truly heartbreaking. There are moments in the editing that push you to see the horrors and truths of these murders while still presenting a normal life. The editing moments of each Indigenous death are very respectful and beautifully edited. It takes you into the moment of their death and sees their final moments before the film cuts back to reality. A lot of brilliant editing choices and Schoonmaker's editing still captivates every crucial moment that will impact the entire film till the final frame of the film. Uncovering the Osage story is a huge feat for Scorsese not only because you are telling one of the most important events in American history, but one of the most tragic events that affected Indigenous Americans forever. A heartbreaking story of love, betrayal, and truth. Screenwriters Eric Roth and Scorsese created a slick crafted screenplay that has weight and detail that make each scene vivid and emotional. There is a lot of character development within the film and for the first 45 minutes of the film, it's just straight pure character development within the first act. The relationship between Ernest Burkhart and Mollie Burkhart is very well constructed and engaging thanks to the incredible performances from Leonardo DiCaprio and Lily Gladstone. There were a lot of side characters in the film but each served its purpose while not staying overlong into the jam-packed story. The world-building of bringing the Osage story from text to the silver screen is also engaging and well-written. There is so much rich history behind the Osage Nation that the film wished could've had more screentime to dedicate that history. One element in the film that not a lot of people are talking about is the usage of Osage language. It's very effective in scenes that don't have subtitles and scenes with subtitles. Scorsese wants authenticity on-screen and subverts people's expectations of the usage of Osage language. Plus, the culture and the representation of Indigenous Americans are authentic and fresh to see on screen, especially in a big-budget studio film.
There is a lot going on in this film, however, the flow of the story is effective and it gives enough time for each act to tell certain events that connect to the overall story. Since this film was based on a book that focuses on both the Osage murders and the BOI investigation, having the Osage story being the main centerpiece of the film rather than the BOI investigation is a smart move. There's more going on with Mollie's life and her family being affected by the murders around her and Ernest, even though Ernest is the one who is part of the killings. The antagonist of the film who is behind the murders, William King Hale, played by Robert De Niro, was so ruthless and devious that I hated him by the end which worked based on how the character was written. Plus, De Niro's performance is fantastic and probably one of the best performances in his entire career. A lot of great things in the story that they managed to put into a three-hour epic film.
Martin Scorsese elevates his directing to another level with a grand scope of the true-life story while still being authentic and real. His vision of this historical story really captures the horrors and truth of these tragedies while still being not over the top with its violence. The violence presented here is realistic. Scorsese has moved away from the graphic violence in his crime films into a more suitable realistic view of violence while still presenting them as raw as possible. Scorsese really loves to make almost every screen very important while still keeping those scenes engaging and possibly thrilling. The way he captures the horrors of these murders is a bit haunting yet real and gripping. However, he still cares about the representation of Indigenous Americans on-screen which is the backbone of the story and it was told effectively. I really loved Scorsese's vision and direction of the film. It's authentic, doesn't sugarcoat the story, and creates a lot of themes that people will take away from. Some people will like it, others won't, yet everyone agrees that Scorsese pulled off a story in a huge scope that many directors won't take unless it's Scorsese. The performances are all fantastic from across the board. Lily Gladstone is the stand out of the film including Jesse Plemons as Tom White who is the BOI agent that solved the Osage murder case. It's funny to see Brendan Fraser here after he won his Oscar for The Whale. He was also great but he was in a very small role in the third act. The indigenous actors who played their respective roles are also fantastic including Cara Jade Myers who gave an amazing underrated performance for her character of Anna Brown. Once again, a lot of characters support the flow of the story but the three core actors of the film that played its respective characters, Leonardo DiCaprio, Robert De Niro, and Lily Gladstone are all fantastic and I hope they each receive their Oscar nomination. The production of this film is masterfully crafted. Once again, the editing is very strong in this film with a lot of unique choices to keep the long story as engaging as possible while still being tense. The production design is flawless. Costumes look very vivid and unique to the Indigenous culture. The sets are incredible and detailed, especially with certain houses like Molly's House and Ernest's home. There is so much care behind the technical elements that it would take more hours to write this review. The cinematography is rich and I love the usage of brown and orange colors in this film. A lot of unique shots and interesting camera movements that captures the Scorsese style of filmmaking. The score is also fantastic with a lot of memorable songs, especially the final song which captures the heart of the Osage nation. Overall, the production and technical craft of this film is absolutely insane and rich. You can tell almost all of that 200 million dollar budget went on screen. It's insane how they pull America in the 1920s once again but with rich detail to feel like you are present in there. That's why people should appreciate more of the technical side of filmmaking because that's all the hard work on-screen by many people. While this film is very well executed in all of its departments, I still had some issues with the film. One of those flaws in this film would be the long runtime. Easily this film could've been cut out by a few scenes, including repetitive scenes that we know what's going to happen. While I respect the decisions that Scorsese and Schoonmaker made, I feel like they could've reduced some of the important scenes that feel redundant or even a bit out of place. Besides the runtime, one of the small controversies that it's only seemingly on film Twitter is the representation of Indigenous people. I'm not an indigenous person but as a Mexican-American filmmaker and critic, I can agree that the film was a bit more through the point of view of Ernest rather than Mollie. I wish we could've gotten more of Mollie's side of the murders rather than Ernest because Mollie is suffering not just the death of her community, but her family that she grew up with. I will give huge credit to Scorsese for tackling this kind of story through the perspective of an American but I wished it leaned more on the side of Mollie to make this film feel more personal. Still, Scorsese vision worked here and I was engaged throughout. A jam-packed yet well-paced film that has authenticity and representation, Killers of the Flower Moon is a fantastic feat of a film that will be looked at for many years to come. Martin Scorsese is truly one of the last few filmmakers who pushes the boundaries of cinema and brings rich stories that need to be told to see the reality of our world including connecting with today's conflicts. Enriching directing, flawless production work, fantastic performances, and a well-crafted screenplay that brings together a monumental film that explores truth, culture, and love. Now Playing Only in Theaters in IMAX and Dolby Cinema! Vizeit Score: "A"
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Copyright © 2023 Vizeit Reviews. All Rights Reserved. Review Written By: Everardo Garcia Jr. Editor In-Chief/Owner of Vizeit Reviews | (Chicago Indie Critics Member [CIC])
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