by Jamil Weeks

When you think of cinema, you think of Martin Scorsese. His movies have been studied in film courses across the country. Scorsese has given us countless classic films since the 1970s, focusing on flawed characters put in difficult situations. His films explore themes of human morality and the human condition. The trend continues with his latest offering, Killers of the Flower Moon, where Scorsese dives into the awful things men will do to satisfy their greedy tendencies. Money is the root of all evil, and this sort of evil takes center stage in Scorsese’s latest, starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Robert DeNiro, and Lily Gladstone. Based on a true story, this epic crime drama takes place in 1920s Oklahoma as an Osage tribal town is invaded by outsiders looking to capitalize on the oil found underneath the ground.

Killers marks the 10th time Scorsese has worked with DeNiro and the seventh time he has worked with DiCaprio, but the first time all three have worked together. The cinema gods are smiling this weekend, as both veteran actors deliver powerful performances. DeNiro has not been this menacing since his portrayal as Max Cady in Scorsese’s 1991 remake of Cape Fear. In the case of DiCaprio, you can make a genuine argument that his portrayal of Ernest Burkhart is the pinnacle of his acting career. With DeNiro, as William Hale, and DiCaprio, the movie shows how evil can take different forms. DeNiro serves as a diabolical mastermind, who pulls the strings from the shadows like a devilish puppet master. DiCaprio, as Hale’s nephew, Ernest, might be even worse. You never doubt his love for his wife, Molly Burkhart (portrayed by Lily Gladstone), but his weakness for money supersedes everything. The fact he is so easily coerced into doing his uncle’s bidding makes him just as dangerous, if not more. You keep waiting for him to grow a backbone and do the right thing, desperately hoping that seeing the devastation being wreaked upon the Osage community will be enough for him to muster up the courage to stand up to his uncle.

As brilliant as both DeNiro and DiCaprio are in this film, Lily Gladstone steals the show. Most of the killings that happen in the film are brief, but it is through Molly that you see the psychological damage inflicted on the survivors. Molly serves as the face of the Osage community, as you see how she is being mentally tortured by the wolves in sheep’s clothing that surround her and her family members.To her and the other members of the Osage tribe, the outsiders are like famished vultures circling around them waiting for tribe members to die so they can feast upon them. Molly remains stoic throughout the film in the face of all the chaos surrounding her. Despite her justified suspicions, she continues to believe in the good in Ernest, proving that love is truly blind.

Despite Lily Gladstone serving as the heart of Killers, she takes a back seat to DeNiro and DiCaprio, as the film concentrates more on their plotting tactics. As much as we can applaud Scorsese for telling a story most people never knew about, you can also criticize him for the way he chose to tell the story. You can make the argument the film would have been more compelling if told from the perspective of the Osage people. Outside of Molly, not too much screen time is devoted to the other members of the Osage nation portrayed. Even Molly does not get enough scenes to properly flesh out her character. Lilly portrays Molly as smart and cunning, as she reveals in an early scene that she knows Ernest only wants to get close to her because of her money. Yet her character’s actions continually fly in the face of logic, as she seems like she would have figured out what Ernest and his cronies were up to before the action unfolds. The brutal killings that occur in the movie would have more gravity to them if we got to know those Osage characters more. So even though this film sheds light on the atrocities that were inflicted within their community, the victims play second fiddle in what is essentially supposed to be their story.

Much has been stated about the runtime of Killers. It proves to be a valid criticism as you really feel the length of this film. At almost three and a half hours, watching this film in theaters is almost as long as working half a shift at work. The pacing of the film does not help. The first hour of this movie drags at a snail’s pace, as Scorsese takes his time to tell the story and set up the characters. When I checked my watch about an hour into the film, I literally thought to myself “you mean I still have two and half hours left?!” Some scenes linger a little too much. Gone are the days when Scorsese had quick montage shots that kept the film going at a faster pace. With The Irishman and this film, Scorsese lets the scenes breathe, almost to the detriment of the movie. The film does pick up once the investigation into the murders starts, but it takes a long time to get to that point.

The investigation by the “Bureau of Investigation”, a prelude to the organization that would become the FBI, as well as the ensuing trial is where this film really starts to gain steam. The last hour and a half or so seem to fly by as things begin to unravel for William and Ernest once the Bureau shows up to town. The audience is treated to some great cameos, most notably by Jesse Plemons, who portrays officer Tom White, sent from Washington to investigate the murders. There are more notable cameos sprinkled throughout the second and third acts, but I will not spoil any of them so you can be generally surprised when you watch the film.Killers excels with the casting, as there are literally no weak performances in the film, no matter how big or small the role. Expect at least a couple of Oscar nominations during award season.

If you can, I recommend watching this movie in theaters. We may not see too many more films released in theaters from such a brilliant cinematic genius. Killers could be the last time we see Scorsese and DeNiro work together, so you do not want to take a film like this for granted. In an era where the box office is dominated by franchise blockbusters and superhero films, it is refreshing to watch a movie that is filmed in real locations. Absent are the green screens and questionable CGI effects. Just good old-fashioned storytelling. Killers certainly will be one of the main competitors for Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer biopic. While it may be hard to watch, movies like this are important and deserve to be told, especially since the events that took place were swept under the rug. The reward is watching a fantastic film that proves to be one of the cinematic highlights of the year in every facet, whether you see it in theaters or at home when it is released on Apple TV.