Killer Of The Flower Moon is an American epic revisionist Western crime drama film. It was directed and produced by legendary filmmaker, Martin Scorsese. The film was released in theatres on 20 October 2023 and is based on the 2017 book of the same name written by David Grann.
The film’s plot explores a series of murders that occurred in the Osage Nation during the 1920s after significant deposits of oil were discovered on Osage land. The murders continued until the FBI stepped in to solve the mysterious murders. Killer Of The Flower Moon received an overwhelmingly positive reaction after it premiered on 20 May 2023 at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival. It has also been praised by audiences since its theatrical release. This article dives into the cast who embodied the characters central to the Osage story.
Lily Gladstone as Mollie Burkhart
Lily Gladstone, born on 2 August 1986 is an American actress. She grew up on the reservation of the Blackfeet Nation in Browning, Montana. Her father is of Piegan Blackfeet and Nez Perce heritage and her mother is European. She made her film debut in Jimmy P: Psychotherapy of a Plains Indian, a 2013 French drama film. During a recent interview, she mentioned she had considered a career change before getting the opportunity to star in Killer Of The Flower Moon, going as far as registering for a data analytics course.
In Killer Of The Flower Moon, Gladstone portrays Mollie Burkhart, who is a major protagonist in the story, as all of the events in the film surround her and her family. Mollie is an Osage woman and is very close with the rest of her family. Her family’s considerable wealth from oil makes her an easy target for extortion. When her family members are murdered, she becomes determined in her pursuit of justice.
Robert De Niro as William Hale
Robert De Niro is an American actor widely considered one of the most influential actors of his generation. He is a frequent collaborator with Martin Scorsese, with Killer Of The Flower Moon being their tenth feature film collaboration. Over the course of his decorated career, he has received various accolades, including two Academy Awards, a Golden Globe Award, the Cecil B. DeMille Award, a Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award, the Kennedy Center Honor, and a Presidential Medal of Freedom.
De Niro portrays the major antagonist of Killer Of The Flower Moon, William Hale. The character is inspired by a real-life political boss and crime lord of Osage County. He made his fortune through cattle ranching, fraud, and murders of the local members of the Osage. William Hale is an evil mastermind with his eyes on the oil wealth and would do anything to get what he wants, including killing his own people.
Leonardo DiCaprio as Ernest Burkhart
Leonardo DiCaprio needs no introduction. He is an American actor famous for his work in period and biographical films. He has received several accolades, including an Academy Award, a British Academy Film Award, and three Golden Globe Awards. DiCaprio’s films have also garnered him considerable wealth. He has been placed in the annual rankings of the world’s highest-paid actors eight times.
DiCaprio plays Ernest Burkhart in Killer Of The Flower Moon. Ernest, one of the most important characters in the story, is Mollie Burkhart’s husband and William Hale’s nephew. He is very loving and supportive of his wife but is also under his uncle’s very strong influence. This dilemma results in internal conflicts and emotional struggles for him, making him torn between love and money.
Jesse Plemons as Tom White
Jesse Plemons is an American actor who began his career as a child actor. His breakthrough role came as Landry Clarke in Friday Night Lights which ran between 2006 and 2011. In later years he portrayed Todd Alquist in the fifth season of the iconic crime drama series Breaking Bad. Plemons has appeared in several other films including The Master, Black Mass, The Irishman, Judas and the Black Messiah, and The Power of the Dog.
Killer Of The Flower Moon sees him portray Tom White, a BOI (now FBI) agent investigating the murders of members of the Osage nation. His character is based on the real-life agent, Thomas Bruce White Sr., who was appointed by J. Edgar Hoover to investigate the murders. Tom White is portrayed as the justice seeker on a hunt to find the killers of the native tribes and members of Mollie Burkhart’s family.
Tantoo Cardinal as Lizzie Q
Tantoo Cardinal is a Canadian actress of Cree and Métis heritage. As a screen and stage actress, she has been recognized for her contributions to the growth and development of Aboriginal performing arts in Canada. Her birth name was Rose Marie, but her grandmother nicknamed her “Tantoo” after an insect repellent they used when berry-picking in the bush together. In Killer Of The Flower Moon, Cardinal plays Lizzie Q the mother of Mollie Burkhart and her sisters. She is also based on a real-life person, Lizzie Ne Kah Es Sey, who was a victim of the Osage Murders.
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