Oklahoma, where the wind comes sweeping down the plain! (remember?). But the Oklahoma here is depicted first and foremost as oil-rich country, with an opening scene of oil gushing ferociously from the ground, delighting the gathered local people into a state of frenzy.
As broad brush background, a few black-and-while stills follow with captions such as "The Osage Nation", "chosen people", "richest people per capita on earth". Without wasting time, this macro backdrop is complemented with micro details: a conversation. WWI veteran Ernest (Leonardo DiCaprio) comes to work with cattle rancher Uncle William (Robert De Niro), otherwise known as "King". The lofty title reflects not blunt force but rather superb interpersonal skills that wins him the friendship and trust of both Whites and Natives in Osage country. More precisely, this philanthropic outsider is more like a kingmaker in the Osage region. Essential details emerge from this cordial uncle-nephew chat. "The Osage people are kindly people, big-hearted people, but sickly (a very important detail)". "I was a cook in the infantry". "You fed the soldiers, they won the war". "Money flows freely here. You like woman?" "You like Red?"
Under the disarming, congenial persona of the uncle, the plot thickens. Ernest is immediately marked as a useful pawn in scheming for the fortune of the oil-rich tribe, or oil-royalty-rich, more precisely. An ugly, bloody chapter in history is presented by auteur Scorsese in this 206-minute epic: the Osage murders in the 1920s.
The first hour of this 3.5 hour epic takes us through a courtship, a wedding, to a landmark point of a key murder. Uncle's sinister motivation notwithstanding, the romance between nephew and wealthy Osage woman Mollie (Lily Gladstone) blossoms with genuine mutual affection, with him starting as her chauffer-for-hire an ending up winning her heart, making her laugh with his easy, earthy style. The murder victim is Minnie, one of Mollie's invalid sisters whose share of the rich oil estate goes to their mother Lizzie Q (Tantoo Cardinal).
The next hour meanders through an assortment of minor characters and a series of murders, with victims blown up, shot or die in suspicious-looking ailments. It is at once convoluted and simple, convoluted in details of the matrix of succession of the wealth, and simple in the ultimate intentions of white coveting the oil wealth of native play, playing "the long game", for Ernest to eventually gain the headrights of Mollie's family, after they are eliminated one-by-one.
The final hour moves into FBI procedure and courtroom battle territory. Three pedigree actors appear. Playing FBI investigator is Jesse Plemons (The Power of the Dog, Game Night, Fargo - season 2). Facing off are two lawyers portrayed by John Lithgow (magna-veteran with 132 entries in IMDb but probably best remembered recently as Churchill in TV series The Crown) and Brendan Fraser (gain popularity from crowd-pleasing "Mummy" franchise; earned respect with Oscar-winning "The Whale").
One quote in this movie from a book provides best insight to "Killers of the Flower Moon" - "Do you see the wolves in this picture?" The question is almost rhetorical as the wolves are operating in plain sight, and the worst kind that would stop at nothing, however evil, for greed.
While the aforementioned supports are excellent, this movie pivots on the tripod of leads. Scorsese's two favourite were in a movie together only once before, 3 decades ago, "This Boy's Life" (not directed by him). Gladstone matches these two heavyweights scene for scene, and I won't be surprised that all three get nomination to lead acting awards in the upcoming Oscar.
As broad brush background, a few black-and-while stills follow with captions such as "The Osage Nation", "chosen people", "richest people per capita on earth". Without wasting time, this macro backdrop is complemented with micro details: a conversation. WWI veteran Ernest (Leonardo DiCaprio) comes to work with cattle rancher Uncle William (Robert De Niro), otherwise known as "King". The lofty title reflects not blunt force but rather superb interpersonal skills that wins him the friendship and trust of both Whites and Natives in Osage country. More precisely, this philanthropic outsider is more like a kingmaker in the Osage region. Essential details emerge from this cordial uncle-nephew chat. "The Osage people are kindly people, big-hearted people, but sickly (a very important detail)". "I was a cook in the infantry". "You fed the soldiers, they won the war". "Money flows freely here. You like woman?" "You like Red?"
Under the disarming, congenial persona of the uncle, the plot thickens. Ernest is immediately marked as a useful pawn in scheming for the fortune of the oil-rich tribe, or oil-royalty-rich, more precisely. An ugly, bloody chapter in history is presented by auteur Scorsese in this 206-minute epic: the Osage murders in the 1920s.
The first hour of this 3.5 hour epic takes us through a courtship, a wedding, to a landmark point of a key murder. Uncle's sinister motivation notwithstanding, the romance between nephew and wealthy Osage woman Mollie (Lily Gladstone) blossoms with genuine mutual affection, with him starting as her chauffer-for-hire an ending up winning her heart, making her laugh with his easy, earthy style. The murder victim is Minnie, one of Mollie's invalid sisters whose share of the rich oil estate goes to their mother Lizzie Q (Tantoo Cardinal).
The next hour meanders through an assortment of minor characters and a series of murders, with victims blown up, shot or die in suspicious-looking ailments. It is at once convoluted and simple, convoluted in details of the matrix of succession of the wealth, and simple in the ultimate intentions of white coveting the oil wealth of native play, playing "the long game", for Ernest to eventually gain the headrights of Mollie's family, after they are eliminated one-by-one.
The final hour moves into FBI procedure and courtroom battle territory. Three pedigree actors appear. Playing FBI investigator is Jesse Plemons (The Power of the Dog, Game Night, Fargo - season 2). Facing off are two lawyers portrayed by John Lithgow (magna-veteran with 132 entries in IMDb but probably best remembered recently as Churchill in TV series The Crown) and Brendan Fraser (gain popularity from crowd-pleasing "Mummy" franchise; earned respect with Oscar-winning "The Whale").
One quote in this movie from a book provides best insight to "Killers of the Flower Moon" - "Do you see the wolves in this picture?" The question is almost rhetorical as the wolves are operating in plain sight, and the worst kind that would stop at nothing, however evil, for greed.
While the aforementioned supports are excellent, this movie pivots on the tripod of leads. Scorsese's two favourite were in a movie together only once before, 3 decades ago, "This Boy's Life" (not directed by him). Gladstone matches these two heavyweights scene for scene, and I won't be surprised that all three get nomination to lead acting awards in the upcoming Oscar.