Film Review: "Killers of the Flower Moon" (2023).

"Based on a true American story." This is Killers of the Flower Moon. This epic Western crime drama film directed by Martin Scorsese, adapted by Scorsese and Eric Roth, and based on the 2017 book of the same title by David Grann. 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. Based on a true story and told through the improbable romance of Ernest Burkhart and Mollie Kyle, the film is an epic western crime saga, where real love crosses paths with unspeakable betrayal. 

In early March 2016, Imperative Entertainment won the bidding war to make a film adaptation of Grann's nonfiction book of the same title and paid $5 million. In April 2017, it was revealed that Scorsese, Leonardo DiCaprio and Robert De Niro were attached to the film, with the adaptation penned by Roth. The film would mark the sixth feature film collaboration between Scorsese and DiCaprio and the tenth between Scorsese and De Niro, as well as the first collaboration for all three together. Scorsese said that when he read Grann's book he knew that he had to make it into a movie. In July, production designer Dante Ferretti revealed that filming would begin in early 2018. However, until October 2018, production stalled when it was announced that the film would be Scorsese's next effort after completing The Irishman (2019). At that point, filming was due to begin in summer 2019. In June 2019, it was announced that Paramount Pictures would distribute the film. In late July, Scorsese traveled to the Osage Nation in Pawhuska, Oklahoma to meet with Principal Chief Geoffrey Standing Bear for several hours to discuss how the Osage Nation could be involved with the film's production. In December, Scorsese's cinematographer Rodrigo Prieto confirmed that the film was expected to start principal photography in March 2020. In April 2020, it was announced that the filming of the film had been postponed indefinitely in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Meanwhile, Scorsese had reached out to Netflix and Apple TV+ to finance and distribute the film, as Paramount had concerns about the film's budget reaching $200 million. Paramount was still open to a deal to be involved with the film alongside an additional partner. In May 2020, Apple TV+ was announced to co-finance and co-distribute the film, with Paramount remaining as distributor. By late April 2021, Lily Gladstone, Jesse Plemons, Tantoo Cardinal, John Lithgow, Brendan Fraser, Louis Cancelmi, Scott Shepherd, Sturgill Simpson, Gary Basaraba, Pat Healy, Elden Henson, Katherine Willis, Gene Jones, and Larry Fessenden rounded out the film's cast. Though the role of Tom White, the lead BOI agent, was initially written for DiCaprio, DiCaprio pushed to instead portray the nephew of the film's primary antagonist played by De Niro. As a result, it was reported that Plemons was cast as White to replace DiCaprio, while DiCaprio was cast as Burkhart. Gladstone was in the process of registering for a data analytics course and entering her credit card information when a Gmail notification alerted her to a request for a Zoom meeting with Scorsese. As this was during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Gladstone was considering a career change due to a dry spell. According to DiCaprio, "There was no reading. Marty just instinctively knew Lily was the one. There was a truthfulness in [her] eyes that he saw even over a computer screen. I've never known [Scorsese] meet somebody and then immediately afterwards have this gravitational pull and instinct to say, 'Let's not wait another minute.'"

At the same time, principal photography commenced and wrapped in earl October. Filming took place in Osage County and Washington County, namely Pawhuska, Fairfax and Bartlesville, Oklahoma. Filming was originally expected to begin in February 2021. In a news release before the beginning of filming, Scorsese said: "We are thrilled to finally start production on Killers of the Flower Moon in Oklahoma. To be able to tell this story on the land where these events took place is incredibly important and critical to allowing us to portray an accurate depiction of the time and people. We're grateful to Apple, the Oklahoma Film and Music Office and The Osage Nation, especially all our Osage consultants and cultural advisors, as we prepare for this shoot. We're excited to start working with our local cast and crew to bring this story to life on screen and immortalize a time in American history that should not be forgotten." In mid May, De Niro suffered a quadriceps muscle injury off-set and returned to New York City for medical attention; production was not delayed, as De Niro's subsequent scenes would be filmed in June 2021. In late March 2022, Osage Nation Principal Chief Geoffrey Standing Bear told the Tulsa Press Club "he was advised Killers of the Flower Moon is tentatively slated to film additional scenes of a traditional community dance in mid-May in Osage County." In January 2023, Gladstone said that the input of the Osage Nation greatly changed the film from what Scorsese had originally envisioned and that their collaboration had positively affected the film, stating in an interview at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival that "The work is better when you let the world inform your work". The film would mark the final completed film score of requent Scorsese collaborator Robbie Robertson of the Band before he passed away in August 2023. The film was originally set to open in select theaters on a October 6, 2023 release date, before going wide on October 20, 2023, by Apple TV+ (under their Apple Original Films label) and Paramount Pictures. However, the limited release was later scrapped, with the film set to receive a global theatrical rollout on October 20.

DiCaprio, De Niro and Gladstone, all three of them the finest actors of their generation, do prevail against the relentless scale and movement of the production.

Scorsese's film is an unforgettable work full of heartfelt sincerity and pointed commentary about America's bloody history of hypocrisy, greed, and racism.

Simon says Killers of the Flower Moon receives:

Also. see my review for The Irishman.