‘Killers of the Flower Moon’ with author David Grann, Martin Scorsese and Chief Standing Bear
Nov 9, 2023
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"Killers of the Flower Moon" is discussed in this special podcast episode featuring David Grann and Martin Scorsese. They delve into the adaptation of the book into a film and the importance of accurately representing Osage culture. The podcast also explores the history of Osage land ownership, the duality of Christianity in the story, and the role of film in expanding cultural awareness.
The film adaptation of 'Killers of the Flower Moon' aims to accurately portray the history and culture of the Osage community, shedding light on systemic racism and corruption.
Films like 'Killers of the Flower Moon' play a crucial role in bringing awareness to under-taught and distorted Native American history, encouraging further exploration of Osage culture and literature.
Deep dives
The Story of Killers of the Flower Moon
Killers of the Flower Moon is a highly rated film based on a book by David Graham, which explores the true events surrounding the Osage Murders. The film adaptation is directed by Martin Scorsese and features interviews with Graham, Scorsese, and Osage Chief Jeffrey Standing Bear. The film aims to emphasize the importance of accurately portraying the Osage culture and history, shedding light on the complicity and sins of omission surrounding the crimes. The filmmakers prioritize building relationships and trust with the Osage community, employing Osage language consultants, using accurate historical details, and shooting on location.
The History of the Osage Nation
The Osage Nation was once a powerful Native American tribe with a vast territory in what is now the United States. However, they were forced off their land and confined to a reservation in Kansas. Later, they relocated to an area in present-day Oklahoma, maintaining control of the subsurface mineral rights beneath the land. The discovery of vast oil reserves made the Osage among the wealthiest people in the world, but it also led to widespread corruption and the appointment of white guardians to manage their fortunes. Martin Scorsese's film explores the systemic racism and corruption faced by the Osage community.
Importance of Learning and Teaching History
The history of the Osage murders and the broader Native American experience has been systematically distorted, erased, and under-taught in American classrooms. Efforts to erase or censor uncomfortable history continue today, with laws in some states making it harder to teach such history. However, films like Killers of the Flower Moon play a crucial role in bringing awareness to important historical events and sparking conversations. The film should serve as a starting point, encouraging audiences to read works by Osage writers like Charles Red Corn, John Joseph Matthews, Elise Paschen, and Dennis McAuliffe, who offer further insights into Osage culture and history.
On this very special episode of The Letterboxd Show, we focus on Martin Scorsese’s latest film, Killers of the Flower Moon. This special is structured like the book that it’s based on: in three acts. The main interview is with staff writer for The New Yorker and National Book Award finalist, David Grann, whose searing account of the Osage murders is the basis of Scorsese’s new film. We speak to not just Grann, but also include two bits from a roundtable interview with Scorsese himself, paired with Osage Chief Geoffrey Standing Bear. You’ll hear from Scorsese himself about adapting Grann’s book, then an in interview with Grann, wherein he talks at greater length about some of the broader history that he charts in his phenomenal book and about some of the Osage writing that made it into the film. And finally this special will close with some words from Chief Standing Bear about their trust in Grann and the trust that Scorsese had to earn.
Credits: Recorded in Los Angeles and New York City; produced by Brian Formo, edited by Slim; features music from Robbie Robertson’s score for Killers of the Flower Moon.