Killers of the Flower Moon

[MagAmberson]

Anyone seen this? I took the day off work yesterday and treated myself to trip to the cinema to watch this as the running time is 3.5 hours. I knew the history from listening to a podcast a few years ago. I thought Lily Gladstone had a wonderful presence and Leo DiCaprio's great performance as a not so bright man who possibly did love his wife but is also greedy and easily manipulated.

The treatment of the native American population by the white settler, the complacency towards the deaths of so many, is infuriating. And why this story was all but forgotten until a few years ago.

You could argue that the film should have been from Molly Burkhart's perspective but I guess to produce a movie nowadays having Leo as the main character is the reason why it reached cinema screens.

Not seen it but listened to the podcast on it (Tim harford's cautionary tales) I will watch it at some point. I was pretty horrified by the true story, though in all honesty not surprised

Loved it! It took me a while to get in to it as I hadn’t ready any reviews or spoilers but I thought it was excellent. I am glad I watched it at the cinema as I think it’s definitively a film that benefits from being seen on a big screen. I can see all three of the main cast being nominated for Oscars.

Good but very long. The cinema showed the earlier showing than the one we went to with an interval. Possibly needed some editing .
A few people walked out of the cinema early !

Agree Leo di Caprio was v good. He does have that amazing ability to be as convincing as a smart guy as he is playing a not so smart one.

Saw it last night. Thought Leo was right at the limit of his range, De Niro was comfortably in his groove and Lily Gladstone was under used. It was too long - we liked that the story played out in depth, but it would have been helpful to have had more cues about how time was passing. Martin Scorcese’s cameo at the end was nice.
Incredibly moving and shocking story that we had no idea about until seeing this film.
It’s a good movie but not a great one. That said, it will probably scoop up at the Oscars.

I really fancy seeing this but the fact it's a Scorsese worry's me, is it gory/very violent?

I was going to see this but then saw it was 3.5 hours long and i didn't fancy sitting in a cinema seat for that long so i'll wait and watch it at home. I'm sure it will be better on the big screen though

No cinema for 45 minutes drive here, so I can't get to see it easily. But it comes onto Apple TV soon. So I will watch it on there. Looking forward to it.

I missed 'Talk to me' too (a horror I really wanted to see!) But this is on Netflix from this Thursday! I am looking forward to that too!

That is VERY long! Don't think I would have gone to the cinema to see it to be honest. Way too long for me to watch there! At least at home, I can watch half, and then switch off and watch the second half the next day.

The book is superb. The film doesn’t do justice to the true extent of the appalling treatment of the Osage, both by murderous sharks like Hale and by the government.

It also doesn’t give enough detail about Tom White who was a remarkable, humane man.

It’s still a very good film, though, IMO.

I am another one wondering how violent/ disturbing / grim it is.

I want to see it but the length puts me off. I see theatre at the cinema this long, but there's a pee break!! Or in the case of A Small Life, a break to buy alcohol to get you through the second half. I'm not sure if to just wait for it to come out on telly. Certainly too long to watch whilst the kids are at school, annoyingly

We went last night and thought it was great.

DD read the book earlier in the year and talked about ut at the timr so I was familiar with the story which helped as some things needed a bit of spelling out

I did worry that it would be too long but I enjoyed spending an entire evening watching a well made film (lucky to have a very nice cinema near us).

I'm increasingly tolerant of books and films that are long - seeing them for the work of art they are. What you're actually getting is a lot of film and book for your money!

There is some violence and gore. But not excessively so. Not bad as goodfellas imo.

There were one or two gruesome moments but nothing too gratuitous.

Even at 3.5 hours running time I think it is a story that would require a ten part miniseries to do it justice.

I saw it today and quite enjoyed it. I did feel it needed a good edit and that the real star of the show was Lily Gladstone. My other half was not remotely interested in it and fell asleep!

Saw it tonight. It didn’t drag, despite the length

I had trouble fitting the two halves of Ernest together !

Saw it a few days ago, thought it was excellent. I was glad I’d checked the running time first, so I was prepared for how long it was! Didn’t drag at all though. Dicaprio was excellent I thought, difficult to play a fairly mediocre person well. Lily Gladstone was very good, will watch out for her.

I was braced for considerably more violence/gore than it contained, not as much as I associate with Scorsese. It’s only a 15.

I really know very little about Native American history - are there any good podcasts or books I should try?

Ive just got back from the cinema😃 I just loved it. It passed very quickly. Not one person got up to even go to the loo. It helped we were at an Everyman so had pots of tea and blankets. Funnily I watched Once Upon a Time in America yesterday for the first time so I must be liking my long films. I mean with those three, whats not to love? Did anyone think that Leo is looking more like Marlon Brando and not in his prime. It was the down turned mouth which DeNiro does more naturally it annoyed me on Leo😃😃 I know need to read more about the subject matter as I absolutely know nothing about it apart from the obvious.

I’d have liked to have seen much more about the Osage tbh. Scorsese was obviously respectful and had done a lot of research. Lily Gladstone was brilliant, even the way she moved. Think it should have been from Molly’s perspective, interestingly the trailers we saw did seem to be a film about the murders seen from her perspective, with Leo in it, rather than the other way round. Suspect the OP is right about it needing to be ‘about’ him to get the cash. Felt like the bit at the end might have been a comment on that?

I think I could watch it again.

Yes I thought that re Marlon Brando. He also had 'bad teeth' make up, so not looking pretty.

Absolutely agree on the Brando point, I never thought he looked like him as a younger actor but he definitely reminded me of him. I liked that he didn't look very attractive, he was always a bit sweaty and unkempt. Whereas Molly was more serene and luminous at times.

I thought the cameo and the entire ending were very effective, a commentary on who writes history, who determines what we remember. Perhaps an acknowledgement too that it's an Italian American making this film rather than a Native American

We saw it last night. I baulked at the length but it was ok. I did feel it dragged a bit.

Lily Gladstone was so good in it despite not saying much. Your eye always went to her and so beautiful.

There is no way you would have described Leo as handsome in this. I thought he was ok maybe too much face pulling. De Niro was slick in it. Am sure all three will get Oscar nominations.

And they deserve them. I wonder what other films are coming up?

I'm a huge fan of the director and Leonardo but the run-time for this has put even me off from seeing it until I read this today:

https://www.theguardian.com/film/2023/oct/28/uk-cinemagoers-hail-return-of-intermissions-as-films-hit-three-hour-mark