CONTENT WARNING: This article discusses racism toward indigenous people, violence and sexual assault
Man: “Well, that was good!”
Woman: “It was horrible. It just makes you so ashamed to be white.”
This was the brief interaction I overheard when the final credits for Killers of the Flower Moon (KOTFM) rolled on opening night. No doubt, this was the exact reaction that Martin Scorsese wished to evoke from his audiences. Based on true events, KOTFM recounts the serial murders of members of the Osage Nation. What was the motive? Oil money.
These brutal and calculated murders, known as the Reign of Terror, occurred just one hundred years ago. Shortly before they started, citizens of the Osage Nation became the wealthiest on the continent due to the oil deposits discovered under their territory. They were granted headrights, allowing individuals to profit from the oil. Word soon spread, and the murders commenced.
Based on David Grann’s 2017 book, Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI, Scorsese recognised the cruelty and injustice faced by the Osage Nation. Opting to shed light on this shameful history, Scorsese recruited two longtime collaborators – Robert DeNiro and Leonardo DiCaprio – guaranteeing KOTFM an instant mainstream audience.
Although it reaches three hours and 26 mins in length, KOTFM grips you for its entirety. The Osage members dancing and the oil raining down on them is truly mesmerising. Complimenting the stunning mise-en-scene is the enthralling original soundtrack by the late Robbie Robertson, another longtime Scorsese collaborator. Robertson, whose mother was Cayuga and Mohawk, captured the mood of the 1920s with his blues-heavy soundtrack that included contributions from Osage singers and musicians. Naturally, the harrowing performances of the main perpetrators, by DeNiro and DiCaprio, steal the show. KOTFM also introduces Lily Gladstone to her first major role in a Hollywood feature. Playing the resilient Mollie Burkhart, and in strong contention for an Oscar, there is no doubt that we will see more of her in years to come.
Despite the obvious highlights, KOTFM is far from perfect. Throughout cinematic history, Native Americans have lived in the collective imagination of what is known as the “Hollywood comfort zone”. These tend to be Westerns that focus on the westward expansion of the United States in the 19th century, and generally historicise, victimise, and dehumanise Indigenous communities. Although set slightly out of this traditional “comfort zone”, KOTFM still adheres to tropes from this period of cinema, portraying the array of Hollywood Indian stereotypes – the alcoholic, the sexually promiscuous woman, and referring to them as “s*vages”in a racist manner. Until the FBI enters the narrative, the Osage are shown to be helpless to the plight of white wickedness.
Another arguably tiresome cinematic cliche is explicit violence against Indigenous women. Although the film recounts the stories of men who were murdered during the Reign of Terror, the victims were predominantly women, and KOTFM displays some of these in unnecessarily graphic detail to the point of gratuity. Furthermore, despite equal billing, Gladstone’s screen time is surprisingly limited and seems to be a supporting role compared to the presence of DeNiro and DiCaprio, which is entirely different from the book.
Given the film’s length, it is shocking how rushed the ending feels. Arguably, it is a poignant attempt by Scorsese to show his fallibility as a white man making a film about Indigenous issues. If this is so, why did he bother making it at all? Why didn’t he hand the project to a Native director? The final scenes merely rounds up the true story – who goes to jail, who doesn’t; who survives, who doesn’t. KOTFM misses an opportunity to address how the Reign of Terror continues to impact the Osage Nation. Settler families still have Osage land and headrights, descendants of the murdered Osage fight legal battles for the return of land and headrights, and injustices against Indigenous communities – not just the Osage – continue to this day. If you are interested in ongoing contemporary issues involving Osage headrights after the events portrayed in KOTFM, I recommend the podcast In Trust by Rachel Adams-Heard.
The Reign of Terror isn’t the only dark moment in the United States settler colonial legacy. If you haven’t heard about theAmerican Indian residential schools, watching Jeff Barnaby’s directorial debut, Rhymes for Young Ghouls or listen to IllumiNative’s podcast, American Genocide are a good place to start. If you would prefer to consume something more vibrant and joyful that celebrates contemporary Indigenous lives while giving agency to Native artists, then check out these two hilarious Indigenous-led comedies: Reservation Dogs and Rutherford Falls.
KOTFM, regardless of its inadequacies, is still a very important film. It is also a step in the right direction regarding films that focus onIndigenous topics but are directed by non-Natives. Osage consultants were advised throughout the making of the film and authorised the representations chosen by Scorsese. Moreover, if KOTFM was intended to be a white-centred narrative aimed at unsettling predominantly white audiences, it may have served its purpose. Most importantly, the historic crimes committed by a group of heinous, rapacious, manipulative white settlers are rightly hung out to dry.
