Killers of the Flower Moon

Martin Scorsese first optioned the rights to David Grann’s bestselling book Killers of the Flower Moon back in 2016, sensing it would make for a powerful film. After years of pre-production, casting leads like Leonardo DiCaprio and Robert De Niro, and nailing down the intricate period details of 1920s Oklahoma, Scorsese finally brought his sprawling murder mystery to life. 

Here’s a hint at what we talk about:

We dig into the movie’s treatment of the real-life Osage murders, analyzing if Scorsese succeeded in his goal of reclaiming this story for the indigenous victims. There’s debate around the choice to focus on DiCaprio and De Niro’s characters rather than the Native American perspectives. We also discuss standout performances from Lily Gladstone and Brendan Fraser, and touch on the cinematography and editing. 

Here are a few other points in our discussion:

• The pacing and episodic nature of the 3.5 hour runtime
• The reliability of DiCaprio’s character 
• Accuracy of the Osage language spoken
• The effectiveness of Scorsese’s meta cameo
• How this compares to past Scorsese films  

Killers of the Flower Moon prompted a thought-provoking discussion on our show. While we didn’t all see eye to eye, we appreciated the chance to dig into this complex and haunting story. We have a great time talking about it, so check it out then tune in before The Film Board adjourns again!

Film Sundries

• Watch this on Apple or find other places at JustWatch
• Theatrical trailer
• Killers of the Flower Moon by David Grann
• Letterboxd