The Mosley Review: Killers of the Flower Moon
Capitalism is one of the core founding motivations in the creation of America and of the American Dream. Its a way of business that can make the poorest of men and women rich beyond their wildest dreams, but there is a side of that philosophy that is kept in the shadows. Capitalism sometimes brings out the best in genuinely good hearted people, but the majority are as crooked as they come. Its a beast that drives good men and woman to greed and unspeakable evils that are usually buried by powerful organizations and social clubs. This was especially rampant during the oil rush that led to many murders of Native American tribes and families all in the name of prosperity and industry. It's a tragic true story that is rarely told and what's especially rare is seeing those responsible being held accountable for their crimes. That's what this film does to an uncompromising degree. You get to see first hand the dirty negotiation tactics and how the slippery snake element of business effects the lives of many. It was brutal, somber, gangster, and exactly what I expected for the veteran filmmaker to showcase.
Leonardo DiCaprio delivers a stellar and somewhat restrained performance as Ernest Burkhart. He starts off as a good hearted man that has seen the horrors of World War 1 and I liked that he wasn't overly expressive about that. He was shy in the beginning and like many others during that time, he got the taste of money and that's when changed. He did have a big heart though, but it was greed that slowly poisoned him. Scott Shepherd was great and somewhat creepy as his younger brother Byron. I was always on edge once he was on screen as the plot went along. He was always there for Ernest, but he was definitely one of the dirtiest characters. Robert De Niro was excellent and charming as his uncle, William King Hale. He was always at the heart of the town and was a "man of the people". De Niro delivers that trademark wicked charm as he gets you to trust him. When he shows heartbreak, its underlined with a bit of unsettling delight as his plans begin to come to fruition and it makes him one of the despicable characters of the film. Lily Gladstone was out of this world as the wife of Ernest, Mollie Burkhart. The determination to raise her family while wanting to continue to keep her sisters close was truly interesting to watch. The amount of heartbreak and descent into despair was tough to watch and all too real. It was a testiment to her immeasurable skill as an actress. Jesse Plemons is fantastic as you'd expect as BOI agent, Tom White. The moment he shows up on screen, the tension for the villains of the story begins and he delivers a light hearted performance that is quick to be neutral in expressing an frustration. I loved how he calculated and figured out everything happening to the Osage people.
The score by the late Robbie Robertson was outstanding and was a driving force of the story. The opening piece as we get off the train with Ernest really set the tone of chaotic yet steady. He underscored the more dreary moments and helped elevate the few moments of justice. Its definitely going down in my book as one of the best film scores of the year. The tone of the film was consistent throughout and that was a reason why I say it was a good film to see, but not something I see myself just watching again. The message was clear and heartbreaking. The only problem I had is that the story perspective went from the Osage people to gradually increasing the focus on the white settlers. It never really felt balanced and that was something I felt was a missed opportunity. Overall, it still was a great story that needed to be told and it was handled by a master storyteller. Even with the 3 and a half hour runtime, I didn't feel it dragged once which is very rare. Let me know what you thought of the film or my review in the comments below. Thanks for reading!
