The Hidden Villain of Killers of The Flower Moon

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Thomas Flight

Thomas Flight

2 ай бұрын

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A look at what makes Killers of The Flower Moon one of the most provocative film's from Martin Scorsese. A sprawling, haunting, epic that explores Manifest Destiny, the corrupting power of money, and how we must examine our own capacity for evil.
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Пікірлер: 302
@ThomasFlight
@ThomasFlight 2 ай бұрын
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@trinaq
@trinaq 2 ай бұрын
It's sad that "Flower Moon" went home empty handed at the Oscars, it deserved to win some awards, especially Best Actress. Hopefully, Lily Gladstone will receive another nomination in the future.
@nickludwig5
@nickludwig5 2 ай бұрын
I was sure it would win best picture. I was really disappointed it didn't win anything. It deserved a lot more
@CarlHH777
@CarlHH777 2 ай бұрын
Ultimately, it doesn't matter. We remember great movies, not Oscar winners. Many of the greatest movies didn't win awards. CODA won BP and it's already forgotten.
@a-yam943
@a-yam943 2 ай бұрын
@@nickludwig5It definitely deserved best picture in my opinion, but it wasn’t going to win. Not over Oppenheimer. If released in a different year or maybe even earlier in the year, that might have been different. That being said, Scorsese’s last 4 films have all come back from the Oscars with nothing, unfortunately.
@aussieseal9979
@aussieseal9979 2 ай бұрын
​@@CarlHH777you saying CODA wasn't good?
@CarlHH777
@CarlHH777 2 ай бұрын
@@aussieseal9979 No, I'm saying it wasn't a special movie. A perfectly good and forgettable feelgood movie. On top of that, it's just a remake of a recent French film.
@jessrl8025
@jessrl8025 2 ай бұрын
The moment Scorsese walked on and read the last moments of Molly's life, I choked up. It was beautifully done. A way of him mourning this real-life person and her attempts to help her people, but it is like you said, a self-examination of how we've treated violence and crime in media.
@gurratell7326
@gurratell7326 2 ай бұрын
What? That whole last scene was both awkward and cringeworthy, I have no idea what Scorsese was thinking with that one.
@chrisbeaudoin9818
@chrisbeaudoin9818 2 ай бұрын
@@gurratell7326best scene in the movie
@lorrrdy
@lorrrdy 2 ай бұрын
I teared up seeing him. That scene was brilliant!
@K.C-2049
@K.C-2049 Ай бұрын
I loved the ending. it really spoke of Marty's tension with the idea of being a white man telling the story of the Osage people. most out of pocket thing he's ever done and I thought it was brilliant. normally I'm not really one for Scorsese's films, but this one was really something.
@gaylord_focker
@gaylord_focker Ай бұрын
​@@gurratell7326I have to agree on this. I totally get what Scorsese was trying to achieve with the scene and his cameo but for me it just failed for being so abruptly and unexpectedly cut into the film that the whole bit took me out of the immersion and distanced me from the events instead of feeling compassion.
@lovesickmovie
@lovesickmovie 2 ай бұрын
As an indigenous man, this is a great analysis of the movie. I commend you for your diligent research, patience and empathy for the actual history of what happened on turtle Island
@matthewmcshane399
@matthewmcshane399 2 ай бұрын
i like how this movie demystifies criminals in movies with the Hales by showing how pathetic, slimy and frankly stupid they are, which adds to the disgust over their violent actions being done for stupid reasons, as well as showing how inept they with the fact that their conspiracy fell apart pretty quickly when someone actually started investigating them.
@blokey8
@blokey8 2 ай бұрын
On the other side of the coin, even before you know about the angle Scorcese considered and rejected, it's a really effective choice to portray the Bureau men so unsentimentally. It's good that they shut the murders down, but really they just turn up and get to work. They don't grandstand (and the movie doesn't confer grandeur on them), they don't mete out moral judgements (except for sardonic references to the "epidemic" which the community is shrugging off). They're just men doing their jobs. Which makes you consider how much complicity it required from the other authorities in the area itself.
@Kolibri32searchparty
@Kolibri32searchparty 2 ай бұрын
I didn't take in the bit with the oil execs in the film, didn't hit home the scale of this sort of moral corruption though probably knew it was happening subconsciously. That sort of stuff was definitely happening nationwide in the states at the time
@BatAmerica
@BatAmerica 2 ай бұрын
I am so glad that this movie gave Mollie more screen time and didn't shy away from the disturbing nature of these murders. We can hear over and over that murder is evil and be told that Native American people suffered. Still, by showing it, especially when it contextualizes this terrifying history through a more human lens, we can get a small inkling of how these people felt during the atrocities. This choice, paired with Lilly's heartbreaking performance, really made the viewing experience and message impactful.
@stellviahohenheim
@stellviahohenheim Ай бұрын
It's pointless to show it, nothing have really changed
@krustoff24
@krustoff24 2 ай бұрын
My favorite film of last year. I have talked to people who have said the length and the pace made them feel like they'd never watch it again and I couldn't understand that criticism because I found the dichotomy between the banal evil from DeNiro and DiCaprio's characters (and their cohorts) contrasted against the Osage people so gripping. The way it subverts the typical thriller trope and tells you right up front that Ernest and co. love money more than they love the people in their community is so fascinating. And as you said, the 2nd to last scene with the radio show is so jarring and profound that I found myself super glued to the screen seeing it in theaters.
@jespersichlau4343
@jespersichlau4343 2 ай бұрын
Personally I thought it was too long. And it took away the fun for me. It's not a reason for me never to watch it again, but then again watching a 3½ hour film doesn't happen every day for me. And there are a lot of other movies waiting in line before this one. The problem for me is it feels too predictable along the way. You know you need to go through all these murders and killings and it doesn't come with enough emotional thrills and scene stealers for me to be very invested. Either I don't feel the impact of these tragedies or I get numbed by the sheer amount. Where can the story take me when I already got the point 1½ hour in? Not even the characters are that interesting for me to care despite them being portrayed by some of the best actors the silver screen has ever seen. On a technical level everything is so perfectly executed (of course), and as a moviegoer you know you're being taken good care of. That is apart from the script. I think the problem lies in the script. It's too long, it's got too many characters, and lacks some extra magical moments for the long runtime. I would imagine some of it has to do with the turnaround of the adaptation that happened late in the production (of the script). Also I think it's no coincidence that the two longest Scorsese movies has been produced with streaming services that are longing for quality content. These big directors seems to be able to do whatever they like without studio executives interfering. And I don't think that's a good thing. Not even when it's Martin Scorsese. Compromises are not a bad thing for creativity and without them you often end up "going full retard." That's not to suggest this movie is retarded, but just that too much of anything isn't good. At the end of the day I'm having a hard time seeing what the film would ultimately lose from being 3 hours instead of 3½ hours.
@AppleIndianFTW
@AppleIndianFTW 2 ай бұрын
@@jespersichlau4343you lost nothing either. If you actually “got” the point, then you *would have* been okay with feeling the idea for another hour or two. There is no “too long”.
@jespersichlau4343
@jespersichlau4343 2 ай бұрын
@@AppleIndianFTW Well either I got the point early or I didn't get the point at all. Either way the longer running time didn't help. But please do enlighten me with the point if I happended to miss it. And yes there is such a thing as "too long" and you can bet your sweet juicy ass that's part of why it didn't win a single Oscar.
@MM-jc7uv
@MM-jc7uv 2 ай бұрын
@@AppleIndianFTWstop being pretentious, there was nothing to “get,” it was a straightforward film based on true events. I liked it but didn’t love it and I also thought the movie was too long just not entertaining enough to warrant its runtime. Lots of repetitive scenes all displaying the same idea that didn’t drive the narrative forward which got tiring. Good movie but to me it’s one of Scorsese’s weaker films
@anujpartihar
@anujpartihar 2 ай бұрын
​@@MM-jc7uvYeah definitely, there's absolutely nothing to get, it all seems to be going somewhere and they were building it up but then you realize, they've got nothing to show for all this buildup and patience they've demanded of us. It's all just a smoke show with no satisfying conclusion to the whole tragedy. You just end up questioning why it was told like this in the first place and why did it have to be soo damn long??
@SidPhoenix2211
@SidPhoenix2211 2 ай бұрын
One of the best bit of praise I can give to this 3.5-hour movie is that right after finished it, I wanted to rewatch it immediately. Easily one of my favourite movies of all time. That line, "can you find the wolves in this picture" REALLY is a sort of skeleton key to understanding a lot of what the movie is trying to say. The guy in charge of overlooking the guardian system for the rich, Native American folks is also the leader of the KKK chapter in town. This is revealed in a pretty non-chalant manner. And then later on, he is seen serving on the jury in the big court case. No one is hiding. It is all quite blatant and out in the open. In the illustration of the wolves in that book, the wolves are in the foreground, after all. Clear for us to see. The illustration is pretty much from the perspective of the wolves! I kept wondering how Scorsese would end the film. What I got was VERY unexpected and powerful. It was powerful, self-aware, and reflective. And the final shot just hits like a truck. As I sat and listened to the ambiance that played over the credits, I just felt a DEEP sadness and ANGER.
@antoinepetrov
@antoinepetrov 2 ай бұрын
I was recently thinking about how Scorsese now is for cinema what Hitchcock was in the 70s. The genius director, acclaimed by everyone and the source of cinematic wisdom for all. This said, Scorsese has done much more for cinema than Hitchock ever did - his contribution to film history and preservation is astounding. Add to that the fact that he's still making masterpieces (unlike Hitchcock in his later years) and I don't know how weird a person should be to dislike Marty.
@LuisSierra42
@LuisSierra42 2 ай бұрын
That's debatable. It's possible that without Hitchcock we wouldn't have Spielberg or Scorsese
@timsopinion
@timsopinion 2 ай бұрын
Not knocking your entire point here - but I think saying that Scorsese "has done much more for cinema than Hitchcock ever did" is a stretch. Hitchcock started making films in the silent era, and basically wrote the book on a certain type of cinematic language. I don't think we could even imagine what the film landscape would look like as a whole without Hitchcock's influence. Again, Scorsese has been massively influential in his own right, I just don't think the impact is as wide-reaching.
@antoinepetrov
@antoinepetrov 2 ай бұрын
@@timsopinion Well, I totally agree, and my point is that Scorsese has influenced not only filmmaking, but film criticism, film preservation, restoration, curation, and so on, areas in which Hitchcock didn't work.
@JJJameson.
@JJJameson. 2 ай бұрын
Good comparison, I think Alfred and Marty are toe to toe though
@kdot.0
@kdot.0 2 ай бұрын
idk how people are even debating this. scorsese has been one of the most important, if not the most important, leaders in film preservation and restoration. his mark on cinema is far beyond just his work.
@Brian_Boru
@Brian_Boru 2 ай бұрын
Thanks for continuing to discuss Killers of the Flower Moon. It deserves to be remembered. I still think about it often. Such a haunting film.
@sean6721
@sean6721 2 ай бұрын
Love the meta commentary. Him possibly accusing himself as a wolf, or us being wolves for indulging in the entertainment that is based on the suffering of a culture and subsequent commoditization of their culture, tragedy, and story by the ones who created the suffering. I appreciate his self reflection in this work more than his other movies. His 'shame' in participating in the glorification, our general misunderstanding of his obsession with 'wolves' and the darker side of the United States and American culture by us not seeing or not caring about how bad his characters can be.
@daniellee2343
@daniellee2343 2 ай бұрын
Scorsese got paid a huge amount of money to profit of this tragedy. He's a pig.
@I-ONLY-BUILD-MECHS-AND-DUSTERS
@I-ONLY-BUILD-MECHS-AND-DUSTERS 27 күн бұрын
So is he going to give all the money he made off of it back? Or just kick the ladder down so the next guy can't do what he profited off of?
@sethpfeiffer47
@sethpfeiffer47 2 ай бұрын
I’m surprised there was no mention of the storm in the credits. That’s what really got me after the epilogue, was sitting with the storm like Molly asked Earnest to earlier in the film. That was such a good way to finish everything off.
@depressedpebbles
@depressedpebbles Ай бұрын
This movie is 3 1/2 hours but I honestly could've watched another hour. It's brilliant and such an immersive historical film. It feels so real and distinct. Everything about this film is fantastic. The technical elements fit so well together. The score is perfect. It feels so old timey but modern at the same time. I absolutely loved it, and Scorsese's cameo sealed the deal for me. I think it was a sweet moment for Scorsese as the filmmaker to speak directly to the audience and show why this period and situation is so important to remember as we go forward. I'm just so glad that this story is being told in a mainstream narrative. I really hope that the Osage people are satisfied with the way this film portrayed their culture and history.
@glyphsandclutter
@glyphsandclutter 2 ай бұрын
sincerely have not stopped thinking about that epilogue since I saw the film months and months ago
@Brolo214
@Brolo214 2 ай бұрын
There’s a moment in The Wolf of Wall Street during a chaotic office scene when the Devo song Uncontrollable Urge starts playing. Devo’s mission, especially in that first album, was to reveal the de-evolution of humanity. I read this as Scorsese saying that the naked pursuit of money is de-evolving us. At the beginning of The Irishman, we see Frank killing German soldiers in cold blood as he was more or less ordered to do. I see this as Scorsese saying war traumatizes us and desensitizes us to human suffering. Here, I I think the two meet. Ernest loves money, of course, but in two separate scenes he also tells both his brother and his uncle about the horrors he saw in World War I which neither family member pays much attention to. Ernest has been shaped by these twin gods of money and violence to the point that he can refuse the understanding that what he is doing is wrong, just as the society that shaped him continues to refuse that same understanding.
@Advent3546
@Advent3546 2 ай бұрын
The ending still shakes me to my core. Scorsese personally reading out the eulogy for Molly followed immediately by the Osage celebration was powerful.
@mentorassassin0282
@mentorassassin0282 2 ай бұрын
I do love them video analysis essays sir
@pleasecallmesensei
@pleasecallmesensei 2 ай бұрын
🤣🤣🤣
@lucasarif4387
@lucasarif4387 2 ай бұрын
that intro with the osage dancing in the oil has stuck with me ever since i first watched the film. i was high but i was smiling through the whole thing. genius filmmaking.
@solreategui418
@solreategui418 2 ай бұрын
We need a video on The Zone of Interest
@natepoch2416
@natepoch2416 2 ай бұрын
I thoroughly enjoyed “Oppenheimer,” but “Killers of the Flower Moon” shot my jaw through the floor. Absolute masterpiece.
@catarmy9496
@catarmy9496 2 ай бұрын
If Marty saw this video he would have been very flattered that someone found so many layers in his film and expressed them so eloquently. Hopes are low, but why not dream...
@LuisSierra42
@LuisSierra42 2 ай бұрын
hahaha, I'm pretty sure Thomas is not the first person to see the layers in this movie
@dinodinosaur2930
@dinodinosaur2930 2 ай бұрын
👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽 The ending radio scene did feel out of place ... But you explained its meaning beautifully ... Thank you for your brilliant work you produce
@mikejennette8478
@mikejennette8478 2 ай бұрын
Scorsese also made Silence which is essentially a dissection of Catholicism as well
@lisannebaumholz5028
@lisannebaumholz5028 2 ай бұрын
I agree, and as a Japanese lit major from many, many years ago, I recommend the excellent novel by Shusaku Endo upon which Scorcese based his film.
@brockeldon444
@brockeldon444 2 ай бұрын
This is terrific work. You are my favourite new film video essayist. I became partial to your channel with your Oscar preference for this one. I'm really enjoying your work. Thank you for this.
@iangeorge7913
@iangeorge7913 2 ай бұрын
I don't know if you saw VFX breakdowns for this film @thomasflight but the storybook image was actually added digitally to the book after it was filmed. The original page just looked like a normal page of a book. Loved your video though, I especially loved the radio dramatization at the end and agree with everything you said about it. It's probably the best use of a director cameo I can think of.
@hqelias
@hqelias 2 ай бұрын
This essay has made me appreciate the film much more. Thank you!
@lt3880
@lt3880 2 ай бұрын
I really liked this film but I could not get past Leo doing the dang grumpy cat face the entire film. I presume its to make him look unsympathetic and simple-minded, but its just so funny.
@magzdilluh
@magzdilluh 2 ай бұрын
At that line about the wolves I never felt more helpless
@maharanieh
@maharanieh 2 ай бұрын
i love the mindset you start with for this analysis. i immediately subscribed, im hoping i could enjoy more of these insightful videos. great job!
@QuantumHistorian
@QuantumHistorian 2 ай бұрын
11:20 _" It's not saying that money or technology is always bad or the root of all evil, it's valuing these things above human life that leads to horrific violence"_ is the kind of subtlety (both in films and in analysis) that is very welcome. It's tiring how much media is an overly simplific Capitalism /Socialism / Religion / Insert_Ideology_Here is bad with no attempt at looking at things from a different angle than the point of view being pushed.
@confused_lefty
@confused_lefty 2 ай бұрын
Technology is generally neutral, who wields it and what it is wielded for makes it good or bad. I say generally because things like oil extraction is objectively making our planet worse
@Dayvit78
@Dayvit78 Ай бұрын
That's actually the true meaning of "money is the root of all evil." It's not money that's evil, but valuing it above human life. Humanity should come above all.
@OldBluesChapterandVerse
@OldBluesChapterandVerse 2 ай бұрын
Great video, Thomas. Helped me understand elements of the film in ways I hadn’t. Which is the point.
@jamesgray9950
@jamesgray9950 2 ай бұрын
Very thoughtful analysis, I'm glad I watched it and thank you explaining Manifest Destiny's influence in this film.
@hoodedmexican
@hoodedmexican 2 ай бұрын
I'm so early to a new Thomas video what a time to be alive thank you for this. I've been thinking about that line since I saw it opening day.
@MrOtistetrax
@MrOtistetrax 2 ай бұрын
Thomas contiually knocking it out of the park with his insightful analysis.
@A15cinema
@A15cinema 2 ай бұрын
Wonderful dissection. You nailed it, especially the true depths of the epilogues.
@odeio_milho
@odeio_milho 2 ай бұрын
This might just become one of my favorite movies of all time. Every time i rewatch or merely think about it i find something new to be struck by. Harrowing stuff.
@lightandtheweight
@lightandtheweight 2 ай бұрын
Another great video thank you sir. Manifest Destiny is just a fancy word for “because we could.” Not coincidentally it’s the bully’s rallying cry. What a great, sinister cover-word for our collective diffusion of responsibility in any context. In a world where most everyone plays at least some part of “the wolf” archetype, you don’t need to find them whole to discern our evil.
@esock2001
@esock2001 2 ай бұрын
Crying tears of joy. LETS GOOOO! ANOTHER BANGER FROM THE GOAT!!
@grausn
@grausn 2 ай бұрын
Thomas you are so brilliant, thank you for this.
@isaiahwilliams2642
@isaiahwilliams2642 2 ай бұрын
Lily Gladstones Oscar is probably the biggest snub since Judy Garland for "A Star is Born."
@majinweabuu6679
@majinweabuu6679 2 ай бұрын
Nah, Emma deserved it. Honestly this years best actress category was incredibly stacked in general.
@majinweabuu6679
@majinweabuu6679 2 ай бұрын
Nah, Emma deserved it. Honestly this years best actress category was incredibly stacked in general.
@K.C-2049
@K.C-2049 Ай бұрын
@@majinweabuu6679 absolutely not. Sandra Huller spanked everyone. what an absolute BEAST.
@majinweabuu6679
@majinweabuu6679 Ай бұрын
@@K.C-2049 she was fantastic
@alyssa01825
@alyssa01825 2 ай бұрын
amazing video as always!!
@SH-ix6mc
@SH-ix6mc 2 ай бұрын
This was a wonderful analysis that weaved in history and society. Thank you, it's giving me much to think about and process.
@matthewrikihana6818
@matthewrikihana6818 2 ай бұрын
❤ the video Thomas, you hit the nail square on.
@siopaosoysauce
@siopaosoysauce Ай бұрын
this video is incredible, thank you for making it. this film is a masterpiece
@____smith
@____smith 2 ай бұрын
one of the greatest movies I've ever seen. Scorsese's run from Wolf to KotFM is extremely impressive, some of the best work of his career. Schoonmacher continues to be one of the greatest editors to ever do it, the pacing is perfect.
@alyssashannon1218
@alyssashannon1218 Ай бұрын
Wow amazing analysis. Thank you for discussing everything with such respect and awarness
@MikeGeyer
@MikeGeyer 2 ай бұрын
Fantastic piece, Thomas. Thank you!
@beincheekym8
@beincheekym8 2 ай бұрын
Excellent analysis as always. Love your work. Cheers!
@tommyjds1
@tommyjds1 2 ай бұрын
Great video! Been watching your channel for a couple of years now and just wanted to give an early congratulations for reaching 1 million subscribers! Honestly, well deserved.
@TheRenzinoable
@TheRenzinoable 2 ай бұрын
Fire video essay Thomas! Keep it up!
@amanjaiswal9389
@amanjaiswal9389 2 ай бұрын
Make a video on some of PTA's films. I loved your video on PTA about the shift in his style but I'd love a video taking in depth about one of his films maybe The Master, Phantom Thread, Inherent Vice or even Licorice Pizza.
@Vinicius_Augusto
@Vinicius_Augusto Ай бұрын
Genius insights. Thanks
@Conflictful
@Conflictful 2 ай бұрын
Your review and analysis of movies is unmatched in this space, thank you and keep pushing your originality
@whatisitg
@whatisitg 2 ай бұрын
Very astute review. It's videos like these from you that made me start my own KZfaq channel and try to write down my thoughts and criticism about film and media. You have such a great way of bringing out my own feelings towards something in your description. That 'The Wire' video really spoke to me. And can I also say: you have also really strongly improved during these years. To many more.
@JAN014
@JAN014 2 ай бұрын
I have not had the time to watch it yet but i am excited to eventually! This story interested me a lot
@warmweathr
@warmweathr 2 ай бұрын
Awesome video dude. Made me think a lot
@jiga6832
@jiga6832 2 ай бұрын
Martin Scorsese is the living embodiment of "I CAN DO THIS ALL DAY" 😂 The guy is going to be making films to his last breath and I'm here for it 😅😅
@invancouver691
@invancouver691 2 ай бұрын
I only heard one complaint: "The movie is long!" But I need to understand why that is a problem when the movie is so good! Don't you guys think that if the Oscars were honest, Best Picture would've gone to Killers of The Flower Moon, Best Director would've gone to Martin Scorsese, and Best Score would've gone to Robertson!? Probably the greatest American Director alive won only one Oscar!!!
@username.exenotfound2943
@username.exenotfound2943 Ай бұрын
its too long because you can cut probably 30 mins out of it and the film will be the same
@user-qs1dc7qy4e
@user-qs1dc7qy4e 2 ай бұрын
Fantastic analysis
@luke.hoffman
@luke.hoffman 2 ай бұрын
Great video, Thomas. A lovely illustration of how Scorsese handles the Manifest Destiny theme. I enjoyed the film; it's undoubtedly great from a technical and theatrical perspective. However, I think Scorsese made some very strange decisions in his approach to telling this story that keep it from being his best work. His narrow focus on Molly and Ernest meant that so many important details about the broader effect of the evil inflicted upon the Osage were entirely glossed over (e.g. how many other murders took place that were never looked into and how the Osage went about protecting themselves as a community). I much preferred David Grann's take in the novel, where there was significantly more mystery and, consequently, shock factor when it is eventually revealed who the wolves responsible for the sinister murder plot really are. I also think Grann did FAR more with Jesse Plemons' character, Tom White. He's very uninteresting in the film (a farcry from his fascinating depiction in the book). Lastly, I think Molly deserved far more screen time and focus in the third act than Ernest--his turmoil really seemed to dominate the story here when it arguably shouldn't have. If you've read the book, I'd be keen to hear your thoughts (and the thoughts of anyone else who's read it) :D Edit: Your point about one of the film's goals being to push us to examine, recognise and resist the type of evil on display here is fantastic-I couldn't agree more. And I think it would still have been achievable if Scorsese hadn't focused so much on Molly and Ernest and had instead taken an approach similar to that of the book. I would have loved to see at least half the story told from Molly's subjective perspective so, like the book, we could get a clearer idea of how well these wolves were hiding in and manipulating the community so effectively.
@CapitalFProductions
@CapitalFProductions 2 ай бұрын
I’ve read the book and get your complaints though disagree. They were initially going to make Tom the protagonist but worried that it would come off like a white savior story and that as a person, he really didn’t have any flaws. He was a straight shooter and works if you wanna tell the story of the origin of the FBI but would distract even more from the native POV. The Molly/Ernest focus is meant to be a microcosm of the community trauma and while I think it works, it can definitely vary. I feel like they narrowed the focus because it’s such a big story in scope that broadening out the character focus would get us lost
@realtalk13
@realtalk13 2 ай бұрын
I do wish Scorcese filmed more from Molly's narrowed perspective, similar to Rosemary's Baby or Get Out, not just because the lack of information would add to the tension, but because it further forces the audience in the mindset of Molly and the Osage, living through a nightmare caused by those who are physically and sometimes intimately closest to them. That said, I do get the point of Ernest's perspective in showing the casualness and mundanity of it all to the white people of Osage. What is shocking and unthinkable to the Osage people and modern audiences was considered so normal and justified via a matter of fact belief in white supremacy that they barely thought of masking their actions and intentions. And Ernest being boring is also part of the narrative from my perspective: he wasn't some interesting guy with a particularly warped view. He's dumb and mediocre. Average at best. That shows how accessible and attractive white supremacy was and can be, even for those who don't consider themselves true believers. A part of me wishes that the film was split to more clearly evoke that dissonance: part 1 from Molly's perspective, part 2 going over the same events from Ernest's perspective as the reveal, and part 3 the trial/aftermath once the feds get involved.
@luke.hoffman
@luke.hoffman 2 ай бұрын
@@CapitalFProductions yes, I saw that their first draft of the script more closely resembled Grann’s approach to the book. And while this would have been interesting, I actually agree with your point that focusing solely on Tom and his team would have been a mistake. But that doesn’t mean they couldn’t have built his character out a bit more and given us a bit more time with him and his team (particularly during their investigation and the trials later on - this all goes way too fast, in my opinion). I wish they’d found a way to blend the two versions of the script into something that still felt original and achieved their goal of keeping the story so personal, but also helped us appreciate some of the others involved in the story (both the oppressors and the oppressed). I actually did my own video and article on this, so if you get a chance, I’d love to hear your thoughts on them 👍🏽
@luke.hoffman
@luke.hoffman 2 ай бұрын
@@realtalk13 I really like your points here, dude. Particularly the part about splitting the film into different perspectives - this is how I was hoping they’d done it. Maybe starting at the end during the trial and showing the various events through each of the characters subjective viewpoints, gradually revealing the atrocities as each account was dissected. Something like this would have been a riveting and original way to tell the story whilst capturing all the nuance and conflict (in my opinion, anyway 😂)
@CapitalFProductions
@CapitalFProductions 2 ай бұрын
@@realtalk13 If the scope of the story was much more narrow, an approach like Get Out or RB could work but the goal was to encapsulate a really wide story set over many years. The examples mentioned are much briefer in time but at the end of the day, it's really about who's telling the story. I think a lot of the people commenting on the movie (mainly twitter) tended to get obsessed with what THEY would've done and because Scorsese didn't do it, shade was thrown. Which is a big reason I love the ending as much as I do, that it does acknowledge how limiting cinema can be when telling a story as raw as this
@cristinasponk
@cristinasponk 2 ай бұрын
Scorsese’s own monologue on the stage at the end has become my favorite scene in a long time
@JamieCant
@JamieCant 2 ай бұрын
Fantastic essay, clarified many thoughts I couldn’t have put into words and reminded me of why I loved this film so much.
@wabi_sabi52
@wabi_sabi52 2 ай бұрын
I love your analysis
@howiespancakeshack
@howiespancakeshack Ай бұрын
incredible essay.
@chrysanthesky
@chrysanthesky 2 ай бұрын
You have such a gift for analysing stories and presenting your own takes on this.
@isabellasantiago6473
@isabellasantiago6473 2 ай бұрын
I think the wolf motif can also tie in with the joke that Ernest tells Molly when they talk alone for the first time, he asks if what she said meant that she called him a coyote-a coyote is similar to a wolf but not quite; they’re both dangerous predators. Ernest was one of the main perpetrators but he was much dumber in contrast and cowardly, a wolf but not quite.
@BlackReaper0
@BlackReaper0 2 ай бұрын
Excellent analysis!
@ead630
@ead630 2 ай бұрын
I saw this movie a second time in theaters and now I thin it is truly a great film
@mr.bondnews4505
@mr.bondnews4505 2 ай бұрын
Great analysis!
@RoxanneJ81
@RoxanneJ81 2 ай бұрын
Brilliant analysis. I think everything you mention after 12:23 is why this film DIDN'T win Best Picture but "Oppenheimer" did. When it comes to stories about history, Oscar voters don't want to be made to reckon with anything. They don't want a film that prompts introspection or meditation on truly difficult subjects like racism and greed. Oscar voters want to walk out of the theater feeling good, and they want to reward movies that do that for them. That's why "Oppenheimer" had the edge. When you get down to it, it's a movie about people complicit in mass murder. But the movie doesn't dwell on that. It doesn't ask, "Isn't it ****ed up that you just spent three hours rooting for these people to create a weapon of mass destruction that slaughtered thousands?" What examination "Oppenheimer" performs of the man and his actions stays vigilantly surface level. On top of that, it spends a big part of the film making you feel sorry for him being the subject of a personal vendetta. It never asks you to extend that same sympathy to the Japanese people Oppenheimer and his colleagues helped kill. It just doesn't ask viewers to dig deep and ask unsettling questions about our government, our military, our culture, ourselves. If it did, it wouldn't have won Best Picture because Oscar voters wouldn't have left the theater feeling good. I'm not saying that "Oppenheimer" is bad in any sense; it was a good piece of entertainment. And it was just that: entertainment. KOTM aims to be more than that, and, as you mention, challenges us to see what happened to the Osage Nation as more than a just true crime story. When you consider this, it's obvious why Oscar voters sent KOTM away empty-handed.
@user-ql2ce5tx5c
@user-ql2ce5tx5c 2 ай бұрын
Very well said.
@saml302
@saml302 2 ай бұрын
this film was a masterpiece. it's honestly heartbreaking that Oppie took best picture of KotFM
@SigmaQuotesForRealSigmas
@SigmaQuotesForRealSigmas 2 ай бұрын
I love your videos, man
@nachosniewolnosci3147
@nachosniewolnosci3147 2 ай бұрын
I really would love to see some essay on Hugo.
@HorseJoint
@HorseJoint Ай бұрын
My BOI is literally on the CUSP, of 1MIL subscribers. LETS GOOO!
@servinwow
@servinwow 2 ай бұрын
Honey! Get in here! Thomas Flight dropped a new video!
@nemtudom5074
@nemtudom5074 2 ай бұрын
6:20 "the middle two and a half hours of the motive" Excuse me WHAT. How long is this thing? Three and a half hours?! Geeez
@user-ql2ce5tx5c
@user-ql2ce5tx5c 2 ай бұрын
And not a minute wasted!
@MrWilmsy
@MrWilmsy Ай бұрын
@@user-ql2ce5tx5c such hyperbole
@charlie5310
@charlie5310 2 ай бұрын
Very interesting analisis!
@tdbourneproductions8220
@tdbourneproductions8220 Ай бұрын
I found the last few moments of Killers of Flower Moon very intense. It was definitely a mirror flipped to the audience.
@WhytheBookWins
@WhytheBookWins 2 ай бұрын
Such an incredible movie!
@prestely
@prestely 2 ай бұрын
Very interesting video. i shall be thinking about the wolves in the picture for quite some Time, thanks to you. To me the pacing in the movie goes with the representation of an evil or violence more systemic and cultural than Scorsese's mafia movies and i really appreciated his showing the slow, Insidious percolating of such violence, inversely proportional to how it IS looked down on by the "wolves". I couldn't help but regard the film as the other side to"Silence", with religious violence repeating itself over and over, dragging on to a luminous ending (killers would be the dark side). The ending reminded me both of the audience AT the end of the Wolf of Wall Street and also of Spike Lee's "wake UP" montage AT the end of BlacKkKlansman.
@SP-ny1fk
@SP-ny1fk Ай бұрын
It's why film is such an essential artform.
@santiagorojaspiaggio
@santiagorojaspiaggio 2 ай бұрын
Great film. Great video.
@Sirrajj
@Sirrajj 2 ай бұрын
Change happens when we self- reflect & confess our wrongdoings with outmost honesty & objectivity but many times we are too much blinded by power, perceived honour/respect that we don't really deeply reflect, instead try to justify so much so rhat we no longer see that as crime but "a necessary thing" even though it's far from truth, in the end its upon us whether to just brush it off as a sad misfortune of far away past or to actually find the wolves in the current picture (often we ourselves) & bring a meaningful change
@lobachevscki
@lobachevscki Ай бұрын
Scorsese might be by far the director with the most 'the point went through your head' number of fans of his movies.
@santiagogarza8121
@santiagogarza8121 Ай бұрын
I read the story a while before watching the movie and when I heard Di Caprio was on it, I was sure that he'd lay the Sheriff and be the protagonist. It was to me a shock to see that we'd be following the bad guys instead
@DadJokeCinema
@DadJokeCinema Ай бұрын
I like your sweater, dude.
@dukeee19844
@dukeee19844 2 ай бұрын
king drop the link to that sweater you're wearing 👀
@Keenonhang
@Keenonhang 2 ай бұрын
Loved this film. A classic Scorsese film. Very powerful, dark and harrowing and expertly crafted and told by one of the greatest filmmaker of modern times. Adore his films.
@connorcolucci
@connorcolucci Ай бұрын
Bros so close to 1M
@flyingaviator8158
@flyingaviator8158 2 ай бұрын
An excellent review of a significant film made by a true master of craftsmanship. Personally I think KILLERS OF THE FLOWERMOON together with SILENCE and AVIATOR are Scorsese's most underrated films.
@CC3GROUNDZERO
@CC3GROUNDZERO 2 ай бұрын
That Garfield avatar though. I just rewatched "What the internet did to Garfield" :/
@anujpartihar
@anujpartihar 2 ай бұрын
I think Silence still remains one of the greatest movies ever made and there's so much thought provoking themes discussed in that project that I salute sir martin for making it possible and actually tell the story. I was sooo hyped to watch this only to realize it's really just an excessively long telling of a great tragedy with no satisfying conclusion at the end, the audience is made to leave speechless as they're left wondering why it had to be soo long in the first place! It's just criminals doing crimes and innocent people watching their family be destroyed in front of their eyes. I don't care how revered you are as a filmmaker, but that is not good storytelling. There's no depth to be found here folks, it's just depressing to watch and no payoff whatsoever for sticking around.
@RYC2788
@RYC2788 2 ай бұрын
Love of God is ultimately the same thing as loving him and loving neighbour as oneself - so by loving money first, Ernest is unable to love neighbour too
@AllisonMoon-SheWandersFeral
@AllisonMoon-SheWandersFeral 12 күн бұрын
8:21 you TOTALLy missed the classic #NYCMoney&Power #Horror of #RosemarysBaby: the #BigReveal where Rosemary understands the building community in which she has been living
@davidb9531
@davidb9531 2 ай бұрын
It’s shocking to me how monumentally disregarded this film has been and how any intellectual criticism is boiled down to the puerility of “scorcese goes woke” - populism and politics has not only ruined the world but also film criticism
@Brunanaoexiste
@Brunanaoexiste 2 ай бұрын
Brillant !!!!
@krystalscott2880
@krystalscott2880 2 ай бұрын
This was so well written and thoughtfully analyzed. Thank you-for your craft, and for sharing it!
@4thoseabout2r0ck4
@4thoseabout2r0ck4 2 ай бұрын
Sadly, this is happening right now in Palestine but many people who were on Molly's side while watching the movie will make excuses for the atrocities committed in the present.
@user-yu1pm9vj8j
@user-yu1pm9vj8j Ай бұрын
The movie is about what the bad guys did. The Osage literally did nothing while they got killed off one by one.
@subroy7123
@subroy7123 2 ай бұрын
Ernest is the most Scrosese-like thing in the entire movie for me. David Ehrlich of Indiewire said that Scorsese has always tried to show how blurred the line is between love and exploitation. Ernest is a perfect vessel for that. As to the ending, it's clarifies Scorsese's intent with this movie so well that it shocked me. Usually Scorsese avoids this step.
@mariaphillips2664
@mariaphillips2664 Ай бұрын
Nice Analysis..can you als do one for May December
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