'Killers of the Flower Moon' Review
Martin Scorsese's latest epic and some new home video releases that you can watch at home right now
Faced with his mortality, director Martin Scorsese delivers a late-period epic worth celebrating. Killers of the Flower Moon adapted loosely from the novel by David Grann, depicts the murders of the Osage tribe and the birth of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. What Scorsese’s movie borrows from the novel is a grand scheme to murder the Osage nation and inherit their vast wealth– The wealth that came to them when oil was found in their land. It’s been well documented that Leonardo DiCaprio and Scorsese weren’t much interested in the white men who eventually came to help the Osage, but rather in the relationship between the characters and the men justifying the genocide they were conducting.
Though Scorsese is telling a story about the Osage tribe, this is definitely in the same vein as the traditional gangster movies he’s so well known for. Ernest Burkhart (Leonardo DiCaprio) has returned from serving for the US government and needs a place to start over again. He seeks the help of his well-to-do uncle, William Hale (Robert De Niro), who introduces Ernest to the region, and an available woman, Mollie (Lily Gladstone), from a wealthy Osage family. De Niro plays the part of the friendly, godfather-like, white man. He always provides for the Osage people and has been good to them for several years, but his true nature is underneath his thin smile. He’s always used them to increase his wealth, whether it's from crooked insurance policies or even positioning his family in fortuitous relationships. When Ernest first meets the acquaintance of Mollie, despite their chemistry together it always feels as though the whole relationship has been manufactured to obtain wealth.
Marrying into a wealthy family is not illegal by any means– killing the members of that family one by one until the wealth trickles down to you is another thing altogether. In this fashion, Killers of the Flower Moon reminded me the most of the 1949 British black comedy film, Kind Hearts and Coronets. In that movie, a new Duke decides his only way to the crown is to kill all the relatives in his way. Adding to the comedic tone of that movie, actor Alec Guinness played all eight family members that had to be dealt with. Where that movie was played for laughs, Flower Moon is anything but as one of Scorosese’s trademarks going as far back as Mean Streets, is his usage of unexpected and shocking violence. While there are plenty of movies that glorify violence, the violence in a Martin Scorsese movie is the kind that will make you gasp in your seat.
As we’re introduced to the cast of characters we’ll be following throughout Scorsese’s three-and-a-half-hour epic, we’re also shown Osage members who were murdered. While some of these murders were previously committed before we meet the deceased, some of them are shown in the present as gun leaks behind the shades and a perpetrator kills a mother in front of her child. These murders decimated families but were never investigated. Twenty-four people were eventually murdered. When the Osage gathered and decided to look into these crimes, the people hired were eventually killed as well. It was a “Reign of Terror” that decimated the Osage. While the oil had brought them great wealth, it also brought significant trouble to the tribe as well.
Of course, a Scorsese movie typically includes one of his two muses, De Niro or DiCaprio, but here we get both of them. DiCaprio’s Ernest is a loyal man, but one who has no scruples when it comes to achieving his goals. It’s an intriguing change of pace for DiCaprio who typically plays characters that are on the righteous side of history. For his part, De Niro’s character is a master manipulator. While he seems pleasant on the outside, he’s one of the many wolves that want to take the wealth the Osage have come into for their usage. If there’s a protagonist in this movie, it's undoubtedly Lily Gladstone’s Mollie. It’s her poise that fuels this epic– a woman who doesn’t need to say much to portray a full spectrum of emotion. While I thought she was terrific in 2016’s Certain Women, this is the leading role that she’s deserved for some time.
As some of the finest directors of our generation come to the inevitable end of their careers, there’s always this push to write about their films as if they’re a summation of everything they’ve been known for. I’m here to argue that Scorsese already made his goodbye movie in The Irishman and everything after that allows the director to work without the cavalcade of expectation. That freedom allows Killers of the Flower Moon to flourish and take some unexpected turns, especially in the finale. Moreso than any other movie in 2023, Killers of the Flower Moon will likely determine if audiences continue to see these A-list adult epics, or whether multiplexes will be filled with theme park rides. If that sounds dire, at least there’s one more excellent movie to catch in theaters today. (B+)
Killers of the Flower Moon is now playing in theaters nationwide.
New Blu-ray and 4K
Barbie
“Barbie exceeded my expectations as I originally thought I’d seen many of the surprises offered in the movie in the numerous trailers and promotional materials. I’m happy to report there are plenty of secrets left in the final movie. It’s funny and heartwarming while hitting on nostalgia pretty heavily as well. Many people are championing Ryan Gosling's performance as Ken and he’s terrific in the movie. It isn’t a movie that follows Barbie on her happy adventures, but rather Barbie learning that her idyllic world isn’t what the real world is like. There are so many movies and toys already aimed at Barbie fans under 10 that this movie is more for adults who’ve played or seen their children play with Barbie toys at one point.”
The new home video release of Barbie is pretty barebones in terms of extras, but with a stunning video and accurate sound, it’s the best way to view Barbie in your home.
The Wicker Man
The 1973 classic, The Wicker Man, has made the leap to 4K format. While hardcore fans likely picked up the massive box set that has three different cuts of the movie, Lionsgate released a steel book containing The Final Cut for the US market. Even if the US release only contains that one cut of The Wicker Man, it’s more than suitable for the casual fan. And if you’ve never seen The Wicker Man, the influence it continues to have on the horror genre cannot be underestimated.
Rosemary’s Baby
Even though director Roman Polanski is an absolute garbage human being, the one movie of his that continues to resonate with audiences is Rosemary’s Baby. With Mia Farrow at the center of it, Rosemary’s Baby tackles subjects such as paranoia, women’s liberation, and the occult. Even taking the whole devil thing out of it, the movie can be a horrific example of how a community can manipulate someone to their will. While Rosemary’s Baby was never the best-looking film, the new 4K stands as the de facto home video release of the title.
EVANGELION:3.0+1.11 THRICE UPON A TIME
”Ultimately, Thrice Upon a Time picks a new fate for the teenagers who once protected the world from the threat known as angels. It’s more hopeful compared to the heartbreaking finale of End of Evangelion. That’s fitting because Hideaki Anno has changed quite a bit in the last two decades. He has had a chance to confront his demons and deliver what he believes is the final bow for Evangelion. You can’t satisfy everyone, but I believe this might be the best one yet. And what a marvelous finale it is.”
Evangelion: 3.0+1.11 Thrice Upon a Time premiered digitally on Amazon almost two years ago now, but sometimes Anime takes a long time to come to home video. Finally, GKids has licensed the title and brought it to the home market in 4K and Blu-ray releases. Out of the four rebuild movies it was probably my favorite movie and justified the almost two decades the project took to fulfill. If you’re a fan of Neon Genesis Evangelion, this is a must-get.
*If there are typos, they were meant to be there*
I think I’ll skip Osage and watch Practical Magic for Halloween