Killers of the Flower Moon (2023) Movie Review
Synopsis:
Set during the 1920s in Oklahoma, a community discovers oil under the land of the Osage Nation. As a result, this leads to a string of murders among the Osage community. This prompts the F.B.I. to investigate.
Review:
Acclaimed director Martin Scorsese brings his style to Killers of the Flower Moon.
Scorsese bases this film on the true story of the murders of Osage Native Americans.
His hefty 3-hour and 30-minute runtime covers these events in extensive detail.
This allows Scorsese to convey his narrative to the audience. Despite this, there are instances when scenes can start to feel all too familiar.
This is prevalent during the film’s later sections. Take the investigation of the Osage murders as an example.
Most of the film's characters are stationary at points, waiting until the plot moves again.
This is despite the investigative scenes being interesting.
Killers of the Flower Moon's pacing and editing issues are due to its extensive three-hour-plus runtime.
On the flip side, the film’s performances, visuals, and soundtrack should be enough to compensate.
As expected, Leonardo DiCaprio is one of the film’s most competent actors. For context, he portrays the immoral Ernest Burkhart.
DiCaprio portrays many emotions throughout the film, from discontent to anger. This is evidence of his skills as an actor.
Yet another important character in the film is Ernest’s wife, Mollie Burkhart (Lily Gladstone).
Upon her introduction, Mollie lives among her Native American tribe, the Osage Nation.
As the film progresses, she falls for Ernest, and the two marry. There is not much time spent on developing their relationship in the film.
This is despite the connection between the two characters being believable.
As the film progresses, though, this issue is less prevalent.
Lily Gladstone does not portray as much of an acting range compared to DiCaprio.
Despite this, she expresses herself more during the film’s quieter scenes.
Veteran actor Robert De Niro also joins the cast. He portrays the scheming, wealthy business tycoon, William King Hale.
Robert De Niro continues to portray characters that the audience pays attention to.
This is no surprise, as the actor has such an extensive acting career and films to his name.
In every instance where DiCaprio and De Niro are on screen, it’s difficult to turn away, as each actor has a presence.
Killers of the Flower Moon also has distinctive visuals. It portrays Oklahoma’s rolling fields, industrial towns, and Native American civilizations.
What makes the visuals more immersive is the unique soundtrack. For context, this was by the late Canadian musician Robbie Robertson.
Conclusion:
In conclusion, Killers of the Flower Moon is a showcase of Martin Scorsese’s ambition as a director.
With it, he tells a unique story through an immersive visual lens.
Where Martin Scorsese’s ambition can prove too much is the film’s runtime. This leads to scenes of familiarity and stationary characters.
It would have felt more coherent if Scorsese or his team had edited out a few of the investigative scenes.
Killers of the Flower Moon's performances are a more than competent display of the main characters.
Lily Gladstone’s performance fails to reach the highs of Leonardo DiCaprio or Robert De Niro.
Still, she is an actress who has enough potential for other high-profile films.
A unique soundtrack by Robbie Robertson also gives the film a distinct feeling. This also contributes to Scorsese’s immersive visuals.
As a whole, Killers of the Flower Moon has issues with its extensive runtime and familiar scenes.
Despite this, its capable performances and visuals should please Martin Scorsese enthusiasts.
Sam’s Action Reaction score:
Characters - 7/10
Story - 7/10
Editing - 6/10
Visuals - 8.5/10
Soundtrack - 7/10
Overall score: 7.1 out of 10
