"I do love that money, sir."
Recounting the true story of the insidious murders of the native Osage people for their land rights and oil in the 1920s through interracial marriages and blatant organised hits, Scorsese's three-and-a-half-hours epic might not exactly fly by but it is absolutely wonderful and captivating. Focusing on one main story of a returning soldier (Leonardo DiCaprio) manoeuvred into marrying a strong Osage woman (Lily Gladstone) by his powerful local-big-shot uncle (Robert De Niro) but clearly representative of more widespread abuse, it reflects a time between the old Wild West and emerging modern times beautifully both in mise-en-scene and its ability to tap into more modern themes and audiences. It is again to Scorsese's credit here that he can make lengthy talk-heavy material so cinematic, and the careful steady pace allows the story to unfurl with powerful precision and for the characters to truly breathe and develop. This film contains one of DiCaprio's best performances and Lily Gladstone is excellent as his wife, with both actors delivering genuine and demanding character arcs across the movie, and De Niro is on form as the gently calculating and manipulative kingpin. Both respectful but shocking, Killers Of the Flower Moon plays out a terrible episode in history with themes and characters that feel at home in Scorsese's body of work and one of his best pieces.
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