Reach into the bag of tried and tired Hollywood to put Indigenous pain in the periphery to centre and focus on the white people. Pillage and plunder but make it cute with The Killers of the Flower Moon this week.

Every February, we kick off our Reference Degustation. A month-long celebration of the sizzling Scorsese cinema for our fifth year of the For Your Reference podcast.

TRIGGER WARNING: Sending love to all our Indigenous friends and lovers and note to listen with care especially those from Osage nation. While this is a film and we don’t go into graphic detail it is still portraying genocide and we acknowledge the very real and ongoing pain that does not get taught but also is a part of truth telling.

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Summary

In this episode, the hosts review the film ‘Killers of the Flower Moon’ and discuss its approach to Indigenous pain. They critique the film’s perspective and treatment of Indigenous characters, highlighting the white lens through which the story is told. The hosts also analyze the film’s direction and stylistic choices, as well as its historical retelling of real events. They explore themes of religion, violence, sin, and guilt, and discuss the conflicted and ethically flawed protagonists. The episode concludes with reflections on the film’s impact and responsibility, as well as the hosts’ overall journey through Scorsese’s films.

Takeaways

  • The film ‘Killers of the Flower Moon’ is criticized for its white lens and the decentering of Indigenous perspectives.
  • The hosts express frustration with the film’s portrayal of Indigenous suffering and the lack of representation and humanization of Indigenous characters.
  • The film’s direction, stylistic choices, and historical retelling are analyzed and found lacking in their portrayal of the Osage murders.
  • Themes of religion, violence, sin, guilt, and conflicted protagonists are explored in the film.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction and Recap of the 2024 Reference Degustation
01:13 Discussion of the Film’s Approach to Indigenous Pain
06:19 Exploration of the Film’s Direction and Stylistic Choices
15:51 Analysis of the Film’s Historical Retelling of Real Events
22:42 Exploration of Violence and Conflict Resolution in the Film
23:33 Analysis of the Film’s Themes of Sin, Crime, and Guilt
26:08 Discussion of Conflicted and Ethically Flawed Protagonists
31:06 Exploration of the Film’s Colonial Violence and Greed
33:16 Reflection on the Film’s Impact and Responsibility
35:26 Closing Thoughts on the Scorsese Journey