Martin Scorsese admitted he rewrote the script for his upcoming film "Killers of the Flower Moon" on realizing he was primarily "making a movie about all the white guys."
His Western true-crime thriller, based on David Grann's 2017 nonfiction book, delves into the Osage Indian tribe murders in 1920s Oklahoma following an oil discovery on their land, according to the Independent.
Leonardo DiCaprio plays Ernest Burkhart, who, under the direction of his uncle, William Hale (Robert De Niro), marries Mollie Kyle (Lily Gladstone) upon arriving in Fairfax, Oklahoma. The event also marks the FBI's inaugural homicide investigation.
"After a certain point, I realized I was making a movie about all the white guys," Scorsese, 80, told Time magazine in a new interview. "Meaning, I was taking the approach from the outside in, which concerned me."
Initially, DiCaprio, 48, was slated to portray FBI agent Tom White, responsible for probing the murders. Yet, they later decided to shift the focus of the film to Burkhart and Kyle's relationship, leading to a recast of the role (now played by Jesse Plemons).
Scorsese commended Gladstone, 37, for her exceptional performance, saying there is "a fierceness and serenity at the same time. And it’s encased in this intelligence — the eyes say it all."
Scorsese and his team collaborated closely with Osage Principal Chief Geoffrey Standing Bear and his office, with consulting producer Chad Renfro informing Time that hundreds of Osage individuals participated in the production of the film.
"The first day of filming, we had an elder, Archie Mason, come and say a prayer," Renfro said.
Gladstone previously criticized Taylor Sheridan's hit neo-Western drama series “Yellowstone,” which features some Native American characters alongside its cast of wealthy white ranch owners, labeling it as "deplorable" in an interview with Vulture.
She did not further elaborate on her stance, but did say she meant "no offense to the Native talent" in the show.
Discussing her part in "Flower Moon," Gladstone said she felt at ease when she realized Scorsese's project was "not a white savior story."
"It’s the Osage saying, Do something. Here’s money. Come help us," she said. "It was clear that I wasn’t just going to be given space to collaborate. I was expected to bring a lot to the table."
Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
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