American screenwriter and film director Paul Schrader, known for his work on Martin Scorsese’s acclaimed Taxi Driver and Raging Bull, has shared his thoughts on Scorsese’s latest film, Killers of the Flower Moon. Although he acknowledged it as a good movie, Schrader suggested it could have been improved if Leonardo DiCaprio had played the FBI agent investigating the Osage murders instead of the role of Ernest Burkhart. In a recent interview with France’s Le Monde, the filmmaker labelled Leonardo’s character as an “idiot.”
As per the film, Ernest Burkhart was an American who participated in the Osage Indian murders as a hitman for his uncle William King Hale’s crime ring. He was later convicted for the killing of his wife Mollie Kyle’s sister, Anna Brown, in 1926 and sentenced to life imprisonment.
Schrader, in his interview, expressed a preference for DiCaprio in a different role, emphasising that spending a long time with an idiotic character was a tiring experience. “I would have preferred Leonardo DiCaprio to play the role of the cop rather than the role of the idiot. Spending three-and-a-half hours in the company of an idiot is a long time,” he said.
Originally, Scorsese had reportedly intended for DiCaprio to portray FBI agent Tom White, who led the investigation into the Osage murders in the 1920s. However, DiCaprio personally requested a script change to play Ernest Burkhart.
Scorsese explained that after the script development, DiCaprio questioned it and the focus shifted from the perspective of external bureau agents to the internal narrative. This change led to the portrayal of Ernest Burkhart, played by DiCaprio, as a central character.
“After two years of working on the script, Leo came to me and asked, ‘Where is the heart of this story?’ I had had meetings and dinners with the Osage, and I thought, ‘Well, there’s the story.’ The real story, we felt, was not necessarily coming from the outside, with the bureau, but rather from the inside, from Oklahoma,” director Scorsese told The Irish Times.
The film’s narrative also explored the deeply complex relationship between Ernest and Mollie, a wealthy Osage woman, portrayed by Lily Gladstone. The script adjustment proved successful, earning Scorsese acclaim and awards for the film. While critics mostly praised the film, Schrader expressed a preference for Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer, calling it “the best, most important film of this century.”
Despite differing opinions, Killers of the Flower Moon has garnered attention and accolades, with exclusive streaming on Apple TV+ scheduled for 2024 after its initial release on VOD and digital platforms.
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