Martin Scorsese premieres new film at Cannes
Martin Scorsese, renowned director of classic films including Taxi Driver and Raging Bull, premiered his latest film, Killers of the Flower Moon, at the Cannes Film Festival. The movie stars heavyweights Leonardo DiCaprio and Robert De Niro, with Lily Gladstone also in a prominent role.
The film, based on the non-fiction novel The Assassins of the Moon by David Grann, is about the extermination of the Osage tribe in Oklahoma. Betrayed and robbed by their supposed “friends,” the Osage were also subjected to murder at the hands of their white neighbors. The film explores the systemic racism of the United States and how it contributes to the banality of evil.
The film was one of the most anticipated events at Cannes and the press conference with Scorsese and his stars DiCaprio and De Niro, as well as Osage Nation chief Geoffrey Standing Bear, was the most attended event so far at the festival.
DiCaprio and Gladstone play the married couple Ernest and Mollie Burkhart, respectively, while De Niro portrays the sinister William King Hale. The film’s script prioritizes the Osage perspective in the story of love, tragedy and betrayal.
Despite the risk of delving into this forgotten and dark chapter in American history, Scorsese proceeded with the project. At the conference, DiCaprio praised Scorsese’s dedication to bringing truth to his stories, no matter what they are.
Killers of the Flower Moon premieres in theaters in October and will be available on streaming service Apple TV+ afterwards.
