Killers of the Flower Moon - Martin Scorsese - AppleTV+

An imperfect but really intriguing effort from Scorsese - and one that's very aware of some of its key limitations.

Fair warning that it is a more sober, elegiac affair than perhaps even The Irishman. That's the right tone for the film, but I do confess to feeling some of that running time in the back half - and I'm someone who thinks directors should make films as long as they can. The issue here is that it can feel somewhat disjointed and scattered and episodic as it jumps through a large span of time. There are frequent moments of brilliance, though - it is Scorsese - and the style of the thing is impeccable. From stunning vistas that emphasise some of the key themes of the film in one simple shot, to stylish, period-specific montages that are pure Marty.

Felt Di Caprio and De Niro were good, albeit in hammy, exaggerated performances. It's Gladstone who once again is the real star - a spectacular performance, living up to that remarkable potential she showed in Certain Women

What's most interesting about the film is how it grapples with both being an adaptation and a real-world story about a horrendous atrocity - the grim foundation of the 'American Way' and the human & cultural cost of capitalist greed. In terms of an adaptation, it's very interesting what it chooses to take and omit from the novel. The FBI (although not quite the full FBI at that stage) investigation - which takes up the entire middle section of the book - is dramatically pared back - Jesse Plemmons as the lead investigator doesn't show up until like the two hour mark. And the lengthy modern-day epilogue - which reveals an even grander scope and conspiracy - is omitted pretty much entirely. The result is a film that very much hones in the Osage experience, but also that of Di Caprio's character Burkhart. Scorsese also isn't really interested in being a whodunnit or procedural thriller - the perpetrators are clear from pretty much the outset, so we just sort of watch their plans unfold.

That's where the film's intriguing challenges with perspective come in. This is clearly a story about the Osage, and there's a lot of love given to recreating and reflecting their way of life here. It's doing justice to their plight. But it also very much hones in on an outsider's perspective, and indeed some of the people responsible for the violence. It sometimes feels like the larger Osage experience and personalities, outside of Molly's, is sidelined - outside of some really smart, elegant little interludes. This viral video doing the rounds is a great, thoughtful response to a complicated film:

I totally understand the somewhat mixed Osage reaction to the film, but intriguingly so does Scorsese himself. He confronts the film's contradictions - a pulpy yet thoughtfully realised blockbuster about a very real tragedy, told by a non-Native American director - in a stunningly frank final epilogue, which might be some of the very best, sharpest filmmaking I've seen in 2023. It's an honest, authentic effort by Scorsese to grapple with a story that's much bigger than him - something reflected in the messy but deeply felt film that preceded it. It's a perfect end to what is often an imperfect film.