The True Story Behind Killers of the Flower Moon and Why Leonardo DiCaprio and Lily Gladstone Were Cast as the Leads
Killers of the Flower Moon star Lily Gladstone talks about the backlash from the acclaimed Martin Scorsese-helmed Western drama.
Killers of the Flower Moon‘s breakout star Lily Gladstone understands the criticisms surrounding the Martin Scorsese-led Western drama but offers a balanced perspective regarding the backlash surrounding its storyline and perception.
Speaking with Variety, Gladstone responded to concerns expressed by members of the Osage community about their portrayal in the film.
The Native American actor, who stars as Osage woman Mollie Kyle in Killers of the Flower Moon, addressed critiques by, among others, the movie’s Osage Consultant Christopher Cote about framing the movie through the perspective of the controversial Ernest Burkhart (Leonardo DiCaprio).
When asked about Cote’s comments, Gladstone said, “Chris and I have had that exact conversation in his living room.
Marty is a titan, but he’s not bigger than history. He’s a major shaper of it though. It’s the tricky nature of a story like this.
You have more representation, but coming from somebody who’s not from the community. So you always have to look at it with a different angle.
And there’s nothing wrong with that; you just have to be very aware of the film that you’re watching and what lens it was made through.”
Shortly after the end of the SAG-AFTRA strike, Gladstone put out a social media post in support of Indigenous people who had an issue with Killers of the Flower Moon, saying they should see the film “when and only if” they were ready to do so.
Another criticism Natives brought up about the film was the depiction of Burkhart, who was in cahoots with his uncle, William “King” Hale (Robert De Niro), when the Osage murders took place, questioning how much the real-life war hero really loved her when he and his influential family member were taking lives of people in the community for their wealth.
Addressing the love story between Ernest and Mollie, Gladstone said, “Love is complicated. I’ve certainly loved people in my life that were not good for me, and I couldn’t really free myself from it.”
Martin Scorsese Broke His Casting Protocol to Hire Lily Gladstone
Gladstone has been widely lauded for her performance in Killers of the Flower Moon, validating Scorsese’s decision to break his usual casting protocol when he hired her during a Zoom call.
Scorsese has spoken glowingly of Gladstone, who primarily starred in independent films before appearing in his latest project, speaking highly of her intelligence, image and confidence she brought to production. Her portrayal has been so critically acclaimed that she has been touted as a potential Oscar candidate for Best Supporting Actress.
Killers of the Flower Moon, which also stars Jesse Plemons (Tom White), Brendan Fraser (W.S. Hamilton) and Scorsese as a radio news personality, has also been taken to task for its violence.
Reservation Dogs star Devery Jacobs recently slammed the movie, calling it “unnecessarily graphic” and depicting “underwritten” Osage characters while telling the story through the eyes of Burkhart. Additionally, fans have criticized Fraser’s performance as Hale’s corrupt lawyer, deeming it over-the-top and a distraction from the movie.
Clocking in at 3 hours and 26 minutes, Killers of the Flower Moon has been deemed worth the extended runtime by critics and audiences since its premiere, with legendary director Francis Ford Coppola giving it high marks.
Whether it will be a box-office hit remains to be seen, with the blockbuster making $138 million against its $200 million budget so far.
Killers of the Flower Moon is now showing in theaters worldwide.
Source: Variety
