Killers of the Flower Moon (2023) review

When Killers of the Flower Moon begins with the Osage tribe in Oklahoma, Fairfax consists of a small town that has almost clawed itself out of the ground in the middle of a Native American reservation. Before you even notice that it happened, the Native American homes and establishments have been replaced almost entirely with the town, and our characters now live in what could be described as a modern day suburb that has uncomfortably been shoved into the grassland. By the end of the film, green grassland was replaced by concrete and brick: banal American industrialism swallowing indigenous land and spitting out the hellscape we live in today.

Despite the incredibly disturbing and heavy subject matter, it is impossible to not feel a feeling of incredible joy and awe watching a master of his craft create such an ambitious project. Needless to say, Martin Scorsese’s direction synthesizes perfectly with Thelma Schoonmaker’s editing to create an immaculate experience, making 3 hours and 26 minutes feel shorter than movies half its length. Their work is so smooth and expertly crafted that it makes one of the most difficult artistic processes seem like a breeze. If you think the movie is too long, I'm sorry, but you’re a baby. The two of them have collaborated for so long that it is clear that Scorsese’s direction has adapted to fit Schoonmaker’s editing, and Schoonmaker’s editing to fit Scorsese’s direction. Seeing that level of artistic collaboration that has developed for nearly 50 years and still seems to be improving is something that I’ve never seen before and I'm lucky that I now have. Even in a catalog with insanely impressive accomplishments, Killers of the Flower Moon is an almost unbelievable achievement.

Martin Scorsese’s filmography is no stranger to the unique breed of crime that has been fostered in the United States of America, his storytelling demonstrating a particular clarity on the facade of the American dream and how it elevates sociopaths to positions of power, and how those sociopaths become the figures that Americans look up to as our nation’s legends. A particular American mentality is captured flawlessly by Scorsese in classic examples such as Goodfellas and Casino, but also in a film like The King of Comedy, which perfectly illustrates the entitlement and expectation of success. Get rich as fast as possible, no matter what. His 26th feature length film, Killers of the Flower Moon, feels like both the culmination of everything that Martin Scorsese has explored throughout his filmography, as well as its genesis. Killers of the Flower Moon explores the previously mentioned entitlement and expectation of wealth and power lead in a way that Scorsese has not before; how that ideology that is entrenched in American culture eroded the conscience of America at a base level; other human beings are viewed as obstacles to power that must be eviscerated for your own personal wealth. The film leaves you with the haunting notion that there is a profound, indescribable evil in this world that cannot be stopped and cannot be fixed; the very groundwork of the modern world, and the erosion of conscience that is required to perpetuate violence.

The decision to shift focus from the novel, which from what I understand is from the perspective of Tom White, played by Jesse Plemons, as he solves the murders, is shifted to Ernest Burkhart, was a perfect decision. Martin Scorsese knows that he is not equipped to tell this story from the perspective of the Osage, and he knows better than how it would look to have this story turn into hero-worship for the FBI. Instead, he puts the audience in the head of one of the men who commits the atrocities in this film, shifting the perspective of the story to be viewed through the lens of oppressors instead of saviors. Instead of having the entire story shown from Tom White’s perspective, Tom White does not arrive in Fairfax until the final act, and by that point, much like the actual situation, the extent of how the FBI can help the Osage is greatly limited; it’s too little too late. This forces the viewer to reflect on the mentality of those perpetrating acts of violence and how that may relate to the viewers own experiences with complacency and an unwillingness to act, as opposed to allowing them the out of relating to those who are willing to act.

The film captures a level of callousness and cruelty carried out in such a procedural and matter-of-fact way that it is impossible to not feel every violent act carried out in the film. The characters speak with language that not only removes the implication of violence from their actions, but the humanity from their victims. When plotting to poison Mollie’s insulin and slowly kill her, Hale and Mollie’s doctor’s repeatedly say that it’s just going to “slow her down” as if they are talking about taking any other medicine. When discussing whether or not to continue paying for Henry Roan, an Osage man’s healthcare, the doctor says that “it’s hard to justify this one,” as if they are discussing buying a new hat; the casual dehumanization of victims and genocide denial through passive language.

From the perspective of those committing the murders, there is no evil plan, nor a big conspiracy. It is explained in simple terms from one character to another, as if a business transaction, then it is simply done, one at a time. Blatantly, bluntly, and casually. The violent acts are barely concealed, almost flaunted, as if the idea of being caught is barely an inkling in the perpetrators minds; Hale and Ernest loudly shout about the murder of Henry Roan not being a convincing suicide in front of Ernest’s house, where Mollie is currently staying, Ernest and John argue about a plot to bomb a house in the middle of a bustling street. The KKK is a part of a town parade, and Mollie’s doctor is the head of the region’s chapter, face displayed proudly as Ernest and John pass him on the street.

The humanity shown by the perpetrators in Killers of the Flower Moon is anything but an absolution of their actions, but emphasizes the cruelty being imposed upon a community of people. The fact that Ernest Burkhart is clearly shown to have a conscience is the most damning thing about him; he knows what he is doing is cruel and destructive, but never once does he think that he should stop. Upon witnessing the destroyed home of Bill and Rita Smith, a look of abject horror dawns on his face, yet in the very next scene he continues to poison Mollie. Robert DeNiro as William Hale aka “King” struck me in this much more than I expected him to. He is the embodiment of the evil that permeates this film, but he is not a cartoon villain like Leonardo DiCaprio’s character in Django Unchained, instead representing something much more insidious; the casual banality of evil. Hale is someone who has been a part of the Osage community for decades, has invested in the community and knows them all personally, but still plots to murder them because it will benefit him financially. Ernest is married to Mollie, and yet he is willing to poison her to death slowly with her insulin shots. John Ramsay befriends Henry Roan after being hired to kill him, developing a friendship with him, and still murders him. Hale is lifelong friends with Henry Roan, and still orders his death the moment it becomes clear that his death will be more profitable than if he continues to live. The film shows expertly that ideologies that lead to atrocities, in this case white supremacy, are often perpetuated by the denial that actions done under it are done for other reasons. Hale does not think that he is enabling genocide because he has spent decades with the Osage, speaks their language fluently and is a pillar of the community, so when he participates in the systematic destruction of the community, he just thinks he is making business decisions that are lucrative for him and his family. Even after being caught by the authorities, he still writes to the Osage from prison as if completely oblivious to his actions. They are products of a culture that values profit over human beings encroaching on a culture that does not, in denial of the erosion of conscience that has been beaten into them by white supremacy.

The ending is one of the most striking in Martin Scorsese’s filmography. It ends with a radio/play adaptation of the events of the film. After a recounting of what happened to the characters after the trial of those involved in the murders, Scorsese himself comes onstage and reads Mollie’s obituary, in which there was no mention of the murders. Like Ernest and Hale, we may think of ourselves as loving people, but every single American benefits from and perpetuates violence on a scale that we cannot begin to comprehend.