Osage murder film gives us lessons on taking care of each other and admitting bad truths
Credit: Echo Reed/Osage News | Osages attend the NYC premiere of Martin Scorsese's "Killers of the Flower Moon" on Sept. 27, 2023, at the Alice Tully Hall in the Lincoln Center.
When David Grann released his book, Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI, in 2017, I was traveling every few weeks between my home in Virginia and my mother's place in Michigan. Her health was failing and Alzheimer's was stealing her from those of us around her.
Grann's book was my relief on the nine-hour drive home and the return trip a few days later. I gobbled up the mental get away mystery, ignorantly unaware of the story unfolding.
That same story is now out in a three-hour epic film directed by Martin Scorsese–Killers of the Flower Moon–detailing the systematic murder of members of the Osage tribe, all in the name of greed. I quickly gobbled up the hard-to-believe story based on a Grann's wonderful book that was written for the big screen by Eric Roth.
In the film, the lands of Osage and Washington County in Oklahoma, provide the true landscape for the astonishing stories of collusion between the law, the invaders, the medical community, and so many more.
The story is a stark reminder of how willing we are to believe what people say instead of believing the facts in front of us. Often we don't want to rock the boat or challenge someone. When that attitude prevails, people who see something choose not to say something. And, tragedy follows.
We see this in mass shootings and other types of gun violence. In the Osage world, the film shows how person after person dies, yet those who might have stepped in did not have the bravery to do so.
Credit: Robyn Beck/AFP via Getty Images | Lily Gladstone poses with the Golden Globe for Best Performance by a Female Actor in a Motion Picture - Drama for "Killers of the Flower Moon."
If you are thinking of seeing the movie, I'll add two items as a heads-up.
First, the film is 206 minutes, which might explain the $200 million budget. It's too long in some areas but that is a typical Scorsese film. Scorsese used the time to expose the audience to an authentic Osage dancing circle, their colors, language, and lifestyle.
Second, the film spent much of its time on the complicated relationship between two white actors, Leonardo DiCaprio and Robert DeNiro. It's an unfortunate miss on more fully taking the viewer inside the Indigenous world.
If you are an awards follower–Oscars, Critics Choice, Golden Globes, and many more–take hold of your hat. The movie has already been identified as one of the top for the year and its nominations include just about every category of award including the director, actors, writers, editing, score, and more.
I like to see the best actress nominations for longtime actress Lily Gladstone. Gladstone, who grew up on a Blackfeet Nation reservation, plays the lead opposite DiCaprio and won instant praise for the performance. If you haven’t heard, Lily Gladstone won the Golden Globe for Best Performance by a Female Actor in a Motion Picture and soon, we’ll know if she is Oscar nominated for Best Actress [Updated 1/23/24: Lily Gladstone is nominated for Best Actress!]
Whether you read the book or saw the movie, I urge you to also watch a documentary on the Smithsonian Channel by filmmaker David Bishop, who grew up on the Osage Reservation. He goes to the reservation and U.S. historians to share the images and words of those who know the story the best, the Osage descendants.
Credit: Smithsonian Channel | America’s Hidden Stories