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 (Leonardo DiCaprio) and Mollie Kyle (Lily Gladstone), Killers of the Flower Moon is an epic western crime saga, where real love crosses paths with unspeakable betrayal. Also starring Robert De Niro and Jesse Plemons, and directed by Academy Award winner Martin Scorsese from a screenplay by Eric Roth and Martin Scorsese, based on David Grann’s best-selling book.

The Garden Cinema View;

At the heart of Killers of the Flower Moon is a complex love story between Ernest Burkhart (DiCaprio playing against his usual slick type in perhaps his greatest performance to date) and Molly Kyle (Gladstone, whose steely face seems carved especially for the screen). This central relationship acts as a microcosm for the larger events at play, adding an emotional anchor for the audience as the atrocities committed against the Native Americans of the Osage Nation are explored in unflinching, brutal detail.

Moving away from the contemplative and measured style established in recent films (such as The Irishman and Silence), Martin Scorsese provides a pulsating rhythm which keeps the sprawling story moving briskly through its 206 minute runtime. The film not only attempts to shine a light on events that America has tried to sweep under the rug for the better part of a century, but also the US  entertainment industry's role in adapting, presenting and, frequently, exploiting these true crime stories for audiences. Robert De Niro steals the show, giving a performance portraying a mannered and tight-lipped evil reminiscent of every politician you've ever hated. This is modern cinema at its best and most dense.

Cast:
Leonardo DiCaprio, Robert De Niro, Lily Gladstone, Jesse Plemons