Among the new movie releases of the second half of 2023, Martin Scorsese’s “Killers of the Flower Moon,” based on the 2017 non-fiction book by David Grann, stands out. The film follows a string of murders within an Native American tribe: the Osage.
Clocking in at a three hour and 40 minute runtime, the film sets itself up as an ambitious one, both narratively and logistically. So often have films failed to truly capture the entire story, or told it from a one-sided perspective. Scorsese, however, treats the characters with raw empathy. He portrays instances of violence with a realness that exposes the extent of the racism against and the exclusion of Native Americans over the course of American History.
Besides the long runtime, I had few expectations going into the film. Although the runtime was necessary in order to narrate such a dense and complicated topic, the length felt more than apparent at times, and I found my attention drifting at particularly long discussion scenes. That being said, I am not sure how Scorese would have portrayed the story of protagonist Mollie Berkhart, played by Lily Gladstone, within a shorter time frame.
Aside from the runtime, the film kept me engaged in a storyline that retained its relentlessness up until the very final scene. The film portrays the evils of corruption and racism within the American south in the 1920s with a clarity that is equally powerful and important. Stylistically, “Killers of the Flower Moon,” includes a striking use of color and beautifully composed shots that clue viewers in about the truth behind the mysterious murders the film is centered around.
The final scene spares any sort of catharsis or resolution, choosing instead to focus on the traditions of the Osage people. Scorsese manages to acknowledge the film’s own limits in terms of uplifting the voices of a narrative that is not his own to tell, which I feel was a nice nod to his own role as director and storyteller.
In attempting to convey a story that is not his, Scorsese asks the viewer to think about the limitations of film itself. If there are any big narrative takeaways from his film, they lie in how we watch a film about a history that is not necessarily ours to be telling. Moreover, it asks, how can we amplify the voices of the Osage people and others properly?
Overall, “Killers of the Flower Moon” is a well-rounded film that holds a deep meaning, and it will certainly be a contender in the upcoming 2023 Golden Globes.
