Killers Of The Flower — Moon

Killers of the Flower Moon is not a whodunit. We know who did it early on. It is a devastating American tragedy about the original sin of greed and the dehumanization of Native people that persists as a shadow in U.S. history. The story ultimately asks: Who gets to tell history, and whose suffering is remembered?

It was a legalized form of theft.

This sudden prosperity led to what became known as the "Reign of Terror." Because of a corrupt "guardianship" system, many Osage individuals were deemed "incompetent" to manage their own money, requiring white overseers to control their headrights (shares of oil revenue). This legal loophole incentivized a wave of calculated murders. Osage men and women were poisoned, shot, or killed in staged accidents so that their wealth could be funneled to white conspirators. The Investigation and the Birth of the FBI Killers of the Flower Moon

In the early 1920s, a series of mysterious deaths began to occur among the Osage Nation. At first, the deaths were written off as accidents or natural causes, but as the number of deaths grew, it became clear that something more sinister was at play. Killers of the Flower Moon is not a whodunit

Between 1918 and 1934, an estimated 60-150 Osage people were killed, either by poisoning, shooting, or other means. The victims were often killed in a way that made it appear as though they had died of natural causes or accidents. The perpetrators, who included local businessmen, politicians, and law enforcement officials, were rarely prosecuted. The Osage people lived in constant fear, and their deaths were often met with indifference by local authorities. The lack of investigation and prosecution of these crimes created a sense of impunity among the perpetrators, emboldening them to continue their crimes. history

Burkhart was eventually convicted of murder and sentenced to life in prison. However, many of his co-conspirators were never brought to justice, and the full extent of the conspiracy was never fully revealed.

Much has been written about Martin Scorsese’s decision to change the focus of the film. In Grann’s book, the protagonist is Tom White, the FBI agent. In the film, the protagonist is Ernest Burkhart, the weak-willed conspirator married to the Osage heroine, Mollie (played by Lily Gladstone in an Oscar-nominated performance).