I have to disagree on a point you made, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6.great movies that take you on a ride, have you leaving your world behind to inhabit a new one, such that when you’re placed back in reality you’re stunned…”Killers of the Flower Moon” is not that.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n
Maybe that\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s because you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re a man, and not a woman. Yet another story where women have been used, abused, lied to and discarded, but this was truly horrific. \u00c2\u00a0It hurt me inside to watch . Deniro was so good so slimy – he even talked Osage with the Indians. Gee, what a genuine guy (not) I fully empathized with these women. I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m still thinking about about it two days later and have had to go back and watch a few times, because yes, it is too long and so here and there I started to get tired\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6 \u00c2\u00a0I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m dying to know if this is a true story , especially the Indian lands and oil… and I thought that Lily Gladstone was beautifully cast.<\/p>\n
The music was awesome did you know that it was\u00c2\u00a0the eleventh and final collaboration between Scorsese and\u00c2\u00a0Robbie Robertson, who died two months prior to the film’s release. The film is dedicated to him.<\/p>\n
Holly Knight<\/p>\n
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I waited months to watch this as the trailers looked great, and\u00c2\u00a0 I love DiCaprio, DeNiro and Marty….but what a bore.\u00c2\u00a0 Robbie Robertson’s score was great and may he RIP….but Gladstone was like a Zombie….sleepwalking through her part….there was zero emotion from anyone except DeNiro….I felt it was unbearable, totally dull and and a huge disappointment and the worst offense a movie can be and that is a total waste of time!<\/p>\n
I think you’d get DiCaprio if you watch Catch Me If You Can, and Gangs Of New York ( Maybe His Best).\u00c2\u00a0 He’s really great in those.<\/p>\n
But Killers is a dud. It murdered itself with pomposity and a dull heaviness, that puts most everyone asleep who watched it.<\/p>\n
Glad you seem to be feeling better.<\/p>\n
Leigh Goldstein.<\/p>\n
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I just finished watching it too. I am also glad I did. However, besides the thing most everyone will say– it didn’t need to be that long– I will add that two things bugged me while\u00c2\u00a0I watched.<\/p>\n
First, the way Ernest\u00c2\u00a0and Hale and most of the\u00c2\u00a0other\u00c2\u00a0local\u00c2\u00a0whites spoke with one another. By this I mean\u00c2\u00a0how they just repeated themselves\u00c2\u00a0over and over\u00c2\u00a0in a short conversation. The sisters didn’t do that, and Bill Smith (go Jason!) didn’t either. But after a couple of hours, watching Ernest and King have a conversation\u00c2\u00a0was killing me.<\/p>\n
Second, I simply could not believe that Mollie would have gone on being so nice to Ernest after it became much more apparent what Hale and his minions were up to with the killings. She knew from the get-go Ernest was (at least partially) marrying her for her money. I wanted\u00c2\u00a0her to spit on him, to call him out, to punch him in the face. I wonder if any of that happened\u00c2\u00a0in real life.<\/p>\n
I also had a small beef about the editing– the story seemed disjointed– but I concede that maybe there are things about Scorsese’s style that I just don’t dig. But overall it’s a great piece of work.<\/p>\n
Beth Hardy McLennan<\/p>\n
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Long time reader, first time writer, but I felt compelled to respond to your Killers of the Flower Moon post, since I felt like you got it pretty wrong (when most of the time you get it very right). First of all, you should definitely read the book, which I read before watching the movie. I would challenge you to read the book, and then try re-writing or updating your blog post with that newfound understanding. The book goes into how the author visits the grandchildren of Ernie and Mollie, and learns that he reconnected with his children after getting out of jail. But they always had to live with the fact that Ernie had tried to kill Mollie and his kids that night Mollie’s sister’s house blew up.<\/p>\n
The movie is 95%+ true to the book (it was awhile\u00c2\u00a0for me between reading the book and watching the movie, so I can’t say for certain it’s all true), and the book is 100% true. As for the motives of the characters, the author of the book doesn’t go very deep into the motivations of each person, and the movie does a good job or conveying that ambiguity and letting the viewer decide what was going on in each person’s head. And Mollie is intended to be played in a way where you can’t easily read her thoughts.<\/p>\n
As for the movie’s length — yes, it was long, drawn-out, and slow, but so was the systemic killing of the Osage people. Scorcese did a great job of portraying how it was a conscientious choice for Ernie to poison his wife day in and day out, while keeping up the pretenses of a loving marriage for years, even having multiple kids with his wife. It is meant to be uncomfortable and drawn out.<\/p>\n
Jessica Wang Kane<\/p>\n
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Glad you wrote about this.\u00c2\u00a0 One thing you didn’t mention that I think supports your thesis is the roles of modern Americana royalty, Jason Isbell and Sturgill Simpson.\u00c2\u00a0 I’m a big fan of their music but found their screentime in this pic painful and wanting.\u00c2\u00a0 It seemed like it was all for the cameo cache and their delivery was flat and uninspired.\u00c2\u00a0 This was particularly true of the scene between Isbell and DiCaprio when they are waiting together in the living room alone.\u00c2\u00a0 DiCaprio’s expressions are every contortion his face can possibly make, while Isbell lets the words fall out of his mouth with the excitement of a $0.99 slice of cheese.<\/p>\n
David Gill<\/p>\n
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Thank you Bob for writing this.<\/p>\n
Finally, someone who shares my exact sentiments on this film, Scorsese, Leo–he will never have what someone\/an actor like\u00c2\u00a0a\u00c2\u00a0Cillian Murphy has, and DeNiro being the star.<\/p>\n
I told a friend recently that believing that all of Marty’s films are masterpieces is just a placebo effect, because we’ve been told they are repeatedly.<\/p>\n
I did enjoy Lily Gladstone and the unexpected guest appearances by Jason Isbell, Sturgill Simpson, Pete Yorn, and Jack White–but even those didn’t make this an amazing work.<\/p>\n
Thanks for always being honest with your reviews and observances.<\/p>\n
Cheers,<\/p>\n
Siria Contreras<\/p>\n
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Great movie. Did you notice Jason Isbell and Sturgill Simpson? Very pleasantly surprised at how competent they both were with a cast like that. I guess if you can craft a great story in a song, it might be easier to act in someone else\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s great story?<\/p>\n
I have Apple+ along with all the other apps, but I watched \u00e2\u20ac\u0153KOTFM\u00e2\u20ac\u009d in IMAX the first weekend it went wide \u00e2\u20ac\u02dccos I value that sort of immersive communal experience \u00e2\u20ac\u201d saw IMAX versions of \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Stop Making Sense\u00e2\u20ac\u009d and \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Godzilla Minus One\u00e2\u20ac\u009d for that reason \u00e2\u20ac\u201d but I wish I would have waited to see it at home.<\/p>\n
Coming off watching the third and final season of \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Reservation Dogs\u00e2\u20ac\u009d (FX on Hulu), I wanted \u00e2\u20ac\u0153KOTFM\u00e2\u20ac\u009d to foreground the horror story of Osage genocide by bureaucracy, of extermination by rubber stamp and cheap booze. Instead, I got a tonal mishmash of three different films that lacked any hybrid vigor and felt longer than it was.<\/p>\n
The sound design and photography were beyond reproach, and the coda \u00e2\u20ac\u201d both metatextual and moving \u00e2\u20ac\u201d sits among the best things Scorsese has ever done. But I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve never felt more disconnected from the critical acclaim and my first impression, so much so that I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m almost moved to give it another try, from the comfort of my couch. But I won\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t.<\/p>\n
Erick Haight<\/p>\n
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I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve begun questioning people who praise Gladstone and DiCaprio\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s performances. I would hardly call what they did good and the movie was far and away the most overrated of the year\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6 and that\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s saying something for a movie that came out the same year as Oppenheimer.<\/p>\n
Michael Vorhees<\/p>\n
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Oppenheimer was 10 times better than Killers of the Flower Moon and it will win best picture.<\/p>\n
Robert Pisaneschi<\/p>\n
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lol. \u00c2\u00a0Wrong. \u00c2\u00a0So so wrong.
\n\u00e2\u20ac\u0153This is an epic movie, which will probably win the Oscar for Best Picture\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n
Oppenheimer will win that award And BEST DIRECTOR, among many, like it did a day or so ago at The Critics Choice Awards.<\/p>\n
Steve\u00c2\u00a0Sequeira
\nMiddletown, Rhode Island<\/p>\n
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Did you watch Maestro? I couldn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t watch more than about thirty minutes. I thought it was a steaming pile of crap.<\/p>\n
Harold Love<\/p>\n
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I really appreciate you reviewing and shining a light on “Killers of the Flower Moon”, Bob.\u00c2\u00a0 I did venture out to a brand new theater to view it. The cushy reclining seats were a bonus. I was ready for the long screening, but in all honesty, the three hours and 26 minutes felt like 90 minutes to me. I was glued and wired in. Although a New Englander, I had done my student teaching on the Navajo Indian Reservation in the mid 70’s. That direct experience sensitized me to Native American culture. I have been an active supporter of Indigenous Peoples’ causes ever since. I happen to love Scorcese’s brilliant film. And the only problem I have with your review, is your take on the female lead, Lily Gladstone. You have to realize, Bob, that most in most Native Tribes, it is common for folks to be soft spoken. My students were quiet to a fault, very respectful of their elders, even to a young teacher in my case. I believe Lily’s performance was spot on, understated, quiet, mysterious. And like all great actors, the magic was in her eyes and her facial expressions. Kudos to Marty, who as a film elder, delivered an important masterpiece.<\/p>\n
Cob Carlson<\/p>\n
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I saw it in the theater and I’m glad I did as it looked amazing on the big screen (as all Scorsese films do…props to Thelma Schoonmaker!). And I really enjoyed the film overall like you did.\u00c2\u00a0 But to me, it wasn’t as good as my two favorites of the year (Poor Things and Oppenheimer) because it had elements of what I had seen before from Marty.<\/p>\n
For instance, at one point I was expecting DeNiro to tell Lily Gladstone to go look at some new dresses he just got that were down a dark alley because it felt like him once again doing clean up duty like he did after the Lufthansa heist from Goodfellas.\u00c2\u00a0 It was a very good film, just not his best.\u00c2\u00a0 However, I could say that Christopher Nolan just\u00c2\u00a0released his best film to date as well as Yorgos Lanthimos.<\/p>\n
That’s my two cents.<\/p>\n
Jaime Feldman<\/p>\n
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Molly is such a strong character and no dummy. De Caprio’s\u00c2\u00a0character was vapid and a complete lazy-ass with no backbone of any kind. The romance to me was not convincing. What was the attraction? He wasn’t even charming in a dumb sorta way. And why did she let him keep injecting her as she was clearly getting worse and worse? — and it wasn’t like he was out there taking care of business while she was wasting away.\u00c2\u00a0 So their story did not hold up for me and that was a giant hole in the plot. De Niro is always De Niro no matter what character he is playing. They just change the costumes and the scenery. Don’t shoot me, De Niro fans.<\/p>\n
Karma Martell<\/p>\n
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I hear you regarding Killers of the Flower Moon, amazing to look at, I did read the book and it gives a different look into the Osage Tribe, more nuanced, more details fleshed out.Marty had to pick one of the many characters in the book and make it his primary story arc.The \u00c2\u00a0book also gives us more on the birth of the FBI. \u00c2\u00a0I , too, watched at home in two separate sections \u00c2\u00a0, worked well . \u00c2\u00a0It is a great movie , see De Niro shine , it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s a story we need to know.<\/p>\n
Gerry Lauderdale<\/p>\n
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I agree with your assessment Bob. I watched it in the theater and did squirm at about the 2.5- 3.0 hours mark.<\/p>\n
I went to see it because I am an admirer of Robbie Robertson’s work. It would be his last soundtrack.<\/p>\n
I think this work would have been close to his heart because of his indigenous roots.<\/p>\n
Good to see the soundtrack has been nominated for an Oscar.<\/p>\n
The soundtrack was more blues influenced than I thought it would be, given the historical context\/location of the film.<\/p>\n
I would have like to have heard the Charlie Crockett song in the movie, even over the end credits, but didn’t.<\/p>\n
Good also to hear a mention in the film by Leonardo’s character re: insulin being from T.O.<\/p>\n
That’s where Banting and Best discovered it- at the University of Toronto.<\/p>\n
Even though there are many films shot in T.O, it’s unusual to hear Toronto mentioned in a film.<\/p>\n
Perhaps that was to be completist re: factual details of the film and likely it’s just a coincidence that Robbie Robertson was also from Toronto.<\/p>\n
Ultimately it is a sad movie because of the very sad tale that it tells.<\/p>\n
Paul Sanderson<\/p>\n
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Just read your comments on “Killers Of The Flower Moon” — and you’re right — it should have been a mini-series.<\/p>\n
While the film is terrific, especially the first hour which dazzles, it also left me thinking that it could have been more. That Scorsese had the original script completely rewritten after he got to know the Osage is well-known now. But you have to think that some elements weren’t quite massaged well enough.<\/p>\n
The Osage struck oil. Then they’re rich. But you don’t see the effects of this enough. Beyond that, one of the biggest issues is that it’s unclear what motivates DiCaprio’s character. If it was greed, then you didn’t see that. Was it to impress? Because he could?<\/p>\n
Lily Gladstone’s character IS memorable. But it also seemed as if all of the sisters spent the duration of the film being sick. You wish there was enough time spent building their personalities up so that viewers could feel for them more.<\/p>\n
DeNiro is superb and is the anchor of the film. But the film didn’t build to a stunning conclusion — unless you want to include that fairly unique concluding scene. All of the cards were laid out on the table well beforehand.<\/p>\n
So again, as visually stunning as it was and as good as some of the performances were, you just get the feeling that it could have been even better — a true classic even — if some storylines were given more play and allowed to breathe.<\/p>\n
I wrote more about it here for those who are interested.<\/p>\n
Thanks…Scott Murphy<\/p>\n
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I watched on Apple over three nights.\u00c2\u00a0 I liked it, but didn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t think it was amazing. I was particularly disappointed by the ending – the radio drama seemed like a cheap narrative device.\u00c2\u00a0 Like Martin ran out of gas or was suddenly in a hurry to finish.<\/p>\n
James Welby<\/p>\n
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Rarely touches your heart?
\nYou must be a cold SOB, sorry to say.<\/p>\n
Joanne Schenendorf<\/p>\n
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I loved the book and it really informs the film which leaves a lot out related to the hows and whys surrounding guardianships \u00c2\u00a0and the formation of the FBI. Grann is granular (pun intended) but he ultimately pays it off in the end.<\/p>\n
Barry Blumberg<\/p>\n
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Because of the interior nature of the film, after I watched it I wish I watched at home. Excellent movie .<\/p>\n
Peter<\/p>\n
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Saw Killers Of The Flower Moon the Friday it was released in the evening after a full day of work. I knew not to get a drink before the film or during, so after the credits rolled I hightailed it to the men\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s room to pish. I really liked the movie and especially the end as the radio drama, but my favorite movie of 2023 was The Holdovers.<\/p>\n
If you haven\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t seen it yet, I hope you do and I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122d like to read your thoughts on that one.<\/p>\n
Russ Turk<\/p>\n
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Agree with everything you say about this movie, especially Gladstone’s performance.<\/p>\n
Steven Powell<\/p>\n
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Agree on the film, the book is a great Joe Friday true\u00c2\u00a0crime book. Easier to read than The Wager for mine.<\/p>\n
Phil Bonanno<\/p>\n
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You know how I know you saw this at home?\u00c2\u00a0 OK because you started with that, but also because\u00c2\u00a0you didn’t even mention an incredibly crucial\u00c2\u00a0aspect of the film and to seeing the film as it was intended to be seen in theaters: Robbie Robertson’s brilliant score.<\/p>\n
You want arc? How about considering the arc of Robertson and Scorcese’s musical collaborations over the years?\u00c2\u00a0 Among the many brilliant stories told in ‘Killers of the Flower Moon’ and in the making of the film, one of them is how this final project between these two ends up being some of Robertson’s most emotional, personal, and gripping film work, something seeing the film in theaters drives home.<\/p>\n
I did a podcast about the film and about how brilliant DeNiro, DiCaprio, Lily Gladstone, Scorcese, Robertson and so many aspects of this film are.<\/p>\n
It’s really Scorcese’s defining masterpiece:\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0https:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/us\/podcast\/full-cast-and-crew\/id1438276325?i=1000632654537<\/p>\n
To quote yourself to yourself: you won’t listen to this but you should.\u00c2\u00a0 And the good news is you can pee whenever you want when listening to it.<\/p>\n
Jason Cilo<\/p>\n
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Saw it in the theatre a month or two ago. I agree with every single point you made. We want so badly to experience excellence with recent art. Yet, it just doesn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t seem to get there. Same with Leo. I really, really like him, but it feels like I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m watching a guy who in the aggregate is a bit this and a bit that. Yet, he falls short of being transcendent, like this film. My dad has a saying when I send him new music, that he just knows too much. And when what you know and where you come from is exceptional, difficult for the new kid in town to make a mark.<\/p>\n
Marty Winsch<\/p>\n
PS – The piss I took after the movie ended was better than sex.<\/p>\n
PSS – What\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s Eating Gilbert Grape\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6I dig that Leo.<\/p>\n
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Agree with many of your points, I certainly wouldn’t recommend it to anyone and my initial thoughts were to rename it “Killers of the lost time” as there’s plenty of other things I could’ve been doing. I continued watching partly out of respect for Scorcese but also with the faint hope that something interesting would happen. That’s not to diminish the importance of the story as it needed telling, it’s just a shame it couldn’t have been told with engrossing acting performances and a little more intrigue. I pretty much knew what was going to happen next all the way through as any tension was pre-framed sloppily. DiCaprio”s deviousness could have easily been confused stupidity as I wasn’t ever clear what was really going on in his brain and therefore the development of a main character leaves big questions. DeNiro was the highlight but only stood out with generally flat performances across the board.<\/p>\n
Nikky French<\/p>\n
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This is a first, my first ever answer to a Lefsetz letter.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
For a reason: I can absolutely relate to every single word you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve written. That’s exactly how I felt in the theater. A powerful movie with an incredible story that needed to be told, no doubt. With possibly the best De Niro in ages. And yet something was missing that would have made the movie a masterpiece. It’s also down to Di Caprio’s role, which is just a little too one-dimensional and dull. It’s hard to believe that he doesn’t undergo any kind of transformation in the course of the movie, that he’s so incapable of really liberating things.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Thanks for that, all the best<\/p>\n
Torsten Gross<\/p>\n
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Spot on film criticism of Killers Of The Flower Moon.\u00c2\u00a0 I watched it with my wife. It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s her type of movie. She loves historical fiction, and is particularly drawn to books and films that tell the stories of women and minorities in America\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s past.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
I tapped out after an hour.\u00c2\u00a0 She made it through two hours, but said she just couldn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t finish it.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
I know it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s blasphemy, but I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve said for years that Scorsese needs an editor. His ideas for movies are great, but generally the execution is too meandering.\u00c2\u00a0 Maybe your analysis that the films are \u00e2\u20ac\u0153flat\u00e2\u20ac\u009d is the right one.\u00c2\u00a0 I feel they\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re generally disjointed. And this film was definitely both.\u00c2\u00a0 Looked great, interesting topic, but the story wasn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t cohesive or that compelling.\u00c2\u00a0 The last thing I loved of his was The Departed, but even the films before that like Gangs of New York did not live up to their potential give the subject matter and casts.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
I do disagree that this is the best of the Best Picture nominees.\u00c2\u00a0 I thought both Oppenheimer and Barbie were better films. Barbie won\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t win, but I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122d vote for Oppenheimer over Flower Moon.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Side note, Oldman is fantastic in Slow Horses. Without him, that\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s a mediocre series, but his performance kept me coming back for every episode.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Seth Keller<\/p>\n
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I watched it in the theater. I, like you, was worried about the dash to the facilities. And I also made it all the way through without any trouble. I enjoyed it, thought it was great. I saw it in Helsinki and my date was shocked that it was based on a true story.<\/p>\n
When I got home and remembered it was coming on Apple I was kinda sorry.<\/p>\n
Oh well. At least I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m waking on Napoleon.<\/p>\n
Tracy Lipp<\/p>\n
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I felt the same way about Oppenheimer: An amazing story rendered flat and forgettable.\u00c2\u00a0 I’m wondering if you’ve seen the absolutely wonderful\u00c2\u00a0but hard to find Sam Watterson version of Oppenheimer, created by PBS in the 1980.\u00c2\u00a0 Comparatively it’s low budget but far more informative and engaging than Christopher Nolan’s overwrought epic.\u00c2\u00a0 While watching the recent monstrosity, almost scene by scene, and character by character, I kept thinking back on the 1980 version, where I learned far more of what actually happened from pre Manhattan Project to the conflicts over the development of the “super” bomb and Robert’s ultimate disgrace. And as good as Matt Damon is, his General Grove lacked any real depth.\u00c2\u00a0 To this day, everytime I see Sam Watterson on any of a million cop shows,\u00c2\u00a0I still see him as the\u00c2\u00a0real Oppenheimer.<\/p>\n
If you haven’t seen it, this is highly recommended if you can find it.\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0https:\/\/www.imdb.com\/title\/tt0078037\/<\/p>\n
wolfereeno<\/p>\n
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I have not seen Killers Of The Flower Moon yet, but now that it’s on Apple TV and because I am a huge Scorsese fan it is a must see. I’m always interested to read your commentary on how the younger generation(s) experience\u00c2\u00a0music and movies. I’ll be 50 in March and have a son who will turn 12 in February. So, when I read your comments I naturally compare it to what I am experiencing\u00c2\u00a0at home, raising my son. You’re not far off on a lot of things. Music\u00c2\u00a0doesn’t matter as much\u00c2\u00a0to my son and his friends\u00c2\u00a0as it did us. His favorite band is AC\/DC and that’s because they play their songs\u00c2\u00a0at NFL games which he then hears on the Madden video games for his X-Box. Thanks to his mother and me, he’s been exposed to a wide variety\u00c2\u00a0of music, so I take comfort in that.<\/p>\n
Movies, however, are different. Years ago I introduced my son to IMDB. My son loves lists and loves ranking things. So, the fact that IMDB has user ratings for every movie\u00c2\u00a0ever made and has a Top 250 list has instilled in my son a desire to watch the classics and understand why they are so highly regarded. Over the summer my son and I watched the entire Breaking Bad series (judge me for exposing him to violence at such a young age), which then led to us watching Better Call Saul. If you’ve seen these shows you then know Better Call Saul is much more character driven, which to a younger person may be boring. There was an episode where Jimmy McGill was sharing a dinner with his brother Chuck and his wife (a flashback scene). On the table Chuck and his wife were enjoying glasses of wine while Jimmy was drinking a bottle of beer. I asked my son if he understood what they were trying to accomplish with that and in his own way perfectly described that they were somehow trying to illustrate that Chuck existed in a higher class than Jimmy. He understood exactly the idea of character exposition and development. There have been many moments like this and his undying desire to see classics like The Godfather, Casablanca and others along with modern day movies gives me hope that there are others out there like him, which hopefully will give way to a wider variety and, yes, something deeper than superhero franchises in the near future.<\/p>\n
Neil Johnson<\/p>\n
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I agree with you on this film. Good, but not greatness.<\/p>\n
The feeling you describe of staring at a black screen when it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s over and done with, I experienced that this past weekend when I finished the series 1883.<\/p>\n
It was phenomenal with amazing writing in my opinion. I just sat there afterwards, thinking. Reflecting. And then praising it to all of my group chats, saying it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s one of the best shows I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve seen in recent memory.<\/p>\n
I highly recommend you check out 1883 if you haven\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t already. It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s a single season show on Paramount+ – 10 episodes. I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122d be very interested in your take on that show – whether it impacts you the way it impacted me.<\/p>\n
Omar Zulfi<\/p>\n
___________________________________<\/p>\n
We saw it on the big screen and were immensely relieved when it was finally over. “The English” was better. Scorcese’s film, like others we have seen in the past year, is too long. Why? They have lengthy sections that just coast on a theme that has already made its point. There is no development, narrative, character or otherwise for a significant chunk of the film. Just unnecessary repetition of a plot point. We just saw Poor Things…same thing. Asteroid City…same (alright, it was quirky, but still…). I binged season one of “Vigil” on the BBC iPlayer on my Macbook Pro and it was way better than “…Flower Moon”. It was produced by the same company that did the “Line of Duty” series.<\/p>\n
Robert Bond<\/p>\n
___________________________________<\/p>\n
I saw Killers of the Flower Moon twice in theaters.\u00c2\u00a0 After I saw it the first time, I knew I wanted to see it again.\u00c2\u00a0 Like a lot of the best films, it is a much richer experience on a second viewing; knowing the story the second time around allowed me to focus more on the artistic flourishes and thematic elements that are so important to Scorsese.\u00c2\u00a0 I love how it subverts the standard narrative of the Western and really becomes an interrogation of American history.\u00c2\u00a0 It may not have the kind of dramatic peaks that you write about, but the flatness that you note in Scorsese\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s work is what makes his films so potent for me.\u00c2\u00a0 He\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s not really going for the typical narrative that we\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re used to; he\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s trying to get us to think.\u00c2\u00a0 I know that might not be the reason why a lot of people go to the movies, but at this stage in Scorsese\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s career I forgive him that indulgence.\u00c2\u00a0 He\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s an old man, and he\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s trying to apply the wisdom of a long life to his art.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
I love the performances in this film.\u00c2\u00a0 Leo DiCaprio is terrific in an incredibly understated way.\u00c2\u00a0 How many actors would willingly play a role that requires them to diminish themselves in front of the camera?\u00c2\u00a0 That\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s what Leo does here in taking all the shine off of his persona and playing a dunce.\u00c2\u00a0 It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s the kind of work that most Hollywood stars don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t do because they\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re more concerned about their image.\u00c2\u00a0 He\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s really shown himself as the proper heir to Jack Nicholson or Gene Hackman, both of whom played such roles to perfection (see The Conversation for Hackman, and The Last Detail and Ironweed for Nicholson).<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
I think time will show this film to be one of the great American films of its era, and that it will become more appreciated as the years pass.\u00c2\u00a0 If you are able to watch it again, I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122d encourage you to.\u00c2\u00a0 I know it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s a big ask in terms of time investment, but this movie rewards it.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Take care,<\/p>\n
Wes R. Benash<\/p>\n
___________________________________<\/p>\n
One of your best writings\/insights IMHO.<\/p>\n
\u00e2\u20ac\u0153\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0in a world where technology has delivered so much physical perfection we’re looking for something a bit flawed, a bit human, that makes us feel alive\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6\u00c2\u00a0We seem to have lost the art of chiaroscuro analysis. Something is either good or bad, period. Shades of gray are not allowed. But it’s in the shadows that things are unclear, where life and the mind truly live\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n
Great stuff, Thanks!<\/p>\n
Shepherd Stevenson<\/p>\n
Los Angeles<\/p>\n
___________________________________<\/p>\n
\u00e2\u20ac\u0153in a world where technology has delivered so much physical perfection we’re looking for something a bit flawed, a bit human, that makes us feel alive\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n
I think the last time a new movie did this for me was \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Three Billboards Outside Ebbing Missouri.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Or maybe \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Jackass Forever.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n
C\u00e2\u20ac\u2122est la vie.<\/p>\n
Brian Howell<\/p>\n
___________________________________<\/p>\n
“Something is either good or bad, period. Shades of gray are not allowed.”<\/p>\n
Especially in politics and the news media, where nuance is non-existent.<\/p>\n
It’s almost like society itself transitioned from analog technology to digital technology, where everything is either 1 or 0.<\/p>\n
Craig Anderton<\/p>\n
<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
I have to disagree on a point you made, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6.great movies that take you on a ride, have you leaving your world behind to inhabit a new one, such that when you’re placed back in reality you’re stunned…”Killers of the Flower Moon” is not that.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Maybe that\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s because you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re a man, and not a woman. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[15],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-20475","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-movies"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/s96vPs-20475","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lefsetz.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20475","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lefsetz.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lefsetz.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lefsetz.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lefsetz.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=20475"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/lefsetz.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20475\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":20477,"href":"https:\/\/lefsetz.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20475\/revisions\/20477"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lefsetz.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=20475"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lefsetz.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=20475"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lefsetz.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=20475"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}