Leonardo DiCaprio’s improvisation on the set of “Killers of the Flower Moon” has been a topic of discussion among the cast and crew. According to Martin Scorsese, who directed the film, DiCaprio’s improvisations were “endless, endless, endless!”. Scorsese and Robert De Niro, who also starred in the film, were not always pleased with DiCaprio’s choices while filming.
“Killers of the Flower Moon” is a movie based on David Grann’s book of the same name. The story is set in 1920s Oklahoma and follows the investigation into a series of murders of wealthy Osage Nation members. DiCaprio portrays Ernest Buckhart, the nephew of William Hale, who is played by De Niro. After Ernest meets Mollie Kyle of the Osage Nation, William persuades him to marry her because oil is discovered on their land, leading to her becoming wealthy.
Lily Gladstone portrays Mollie Kyle in “Killers of the Flower Moon”. According to DiCaprio, Scorsese didn’t even need to audition Gladstone, as he immediately knew she was perfect for the role. Talking about the impact Gladstone had on “Killers of the Flower Moon,” Scorsese said, “One could see that there’s a lot going on in her face but her not doing very much, which is perfect for film acting. Also the intelligence and level of understanding coming from Indigenous people and being an activist; we could learn from her, which is what we did and we all worked together — myself, her and [Leonardo DiCaprio] — very closely”.
The film’s sensitive subject matter made it necessary for Scorsese to work closely with the Osage Nation. Ahead of the film’s release, Osage language consultant Christopher Cote stated that he believes Scorsese “did a great job representing [the Osage] people.” However, Cote did not entirely agree with how DiCaprio’s character was presented in the movie. “They kind of give him this conscience and kind of depict that there’s love. But when somebody conspires to murder your entire family, that’s not love. That’s not love, that’s just beyond abuse,” he said.
“Killers of the Flower Moon” premiered in theaters on October 20th, 2023.
