Legendary director Scorsese delivers another American classic
Legendary director Martin Scorsese pairs Leonardo DiCaprio and Robert De Niro together for the first time in one of his movies.
Martin Scorsese stands tall as one of the foremost filmmaking legends, with a career spanning over 50 years and some of cinema's most seminal works to his name. With his latest sprawling epic, , Scorsese has crafted another masterpiece to sit alongside the classics that have defined their eras.
The film confronts the darkest corners of America's past, from the greed and racism that fueled the 'Reign of Terror' against the Osage Nation to the corrupt systems that allowed the atrocities to unfold unchecked. It distils Scorsese's grandest artistic visions down to their essence - his roving camerawork, his indictments of obsessive masculinity, his rumination on violence and national character.
Few directors have remained so sharp, their vision so distinct, over such an expanse. Scorsese's filmography overflows with crowning achievements that have shaped the path of cinema. From early urban masterpieces like and to sprawling crime sagas such as , and , he has innovated new directions again and again.
sees Scorsese confronting the ghosts of history to examine the unresolved past's link to our present turmoil. America's original sins can never be fully buried, and old evils are doomed to repeat in new forms.
Scorsese reunites with Leonardo DiCaprio, collaborating for the sixth time. As wayward ranch-hand Ernest Burkhart, seduced by greed into a web of murder surrounding 1920s Oklahoma's oil boom, DiCaprio reveals new depths reminiscent of his iconic work in .
Opposite him, Robert De Niro disappears into the role of Ernest's devilish uncle, evoking the actor's legendary early performances for Scorsese. Seeing the two share the screen for the first time in a Scorsese film is an acting masterclass.
Anchoring their machinations is Lily Gladstone as Mollie, an Osage woman fatefully married into their murderous plot. Scorsese has long focused on violent men; here, he expands his perspective to capture a Native woman's quiet strength in facing unimaginable horror.
Based on David Grann's bestselling book, the film revisits the chilling 'Reign of Terror' against the newly oil-rich Osage Nation, when opportunistic whites conspired to steal their fortunes through marriage and murder. But Scorsese meditatively examines the tragedy rather than exploiting it.
He suggests the unresolved past lingers like ghosts in the present. Evil begets evil, as even the white conspirators become twisted victims consumed by their boundless avarice. Mollie's dignity amidst the carnage creates an elegiac mood, showing humanity's potential even in darkness.
Scorsese could have sensationalised the story in the vein of . Instead, he focuses on the human impact and how unchecked greed and racism corrupted individuals and governments alike. America is still wrestling with this painful history and its underlying injustices.
The film shifts from the flashy stylisation of his recent works towards something more reflective. Longtime editor Thelma Schoonmaker helps realise this measured vision, crafting a slow character study within a sprawling three-hour historical epic.
Scorsese's roaming camerawork captures the lonely Oklahoma expanses and crowded Prohibition-era speakeasies. The impeccable period details fully immerse the audience in the 1920s setting. Cars signify the oil wealth, contrasted with Mollie's modest lifestyle.
The layered narratives are unified through Scorsese's direction. He juggles political schemes, legal battles, romantic turmoil, and more without losing focus. Scorsese trades the smoky parlours of mafia dens for the drawing rooms of 1920s prairie royalty. But you realise it's all the same gilded cage, just with cowboy hats instead of fedoras. The characters are confined in their obsessive greed, whether it's Wall Street or Big Oil.
Moments echo Scorsese classics, but the mood feels more reflective. He isn't recoiling from violence so much as contextualising how callousness and prejudice dehumanise both victim and perpetrator. The result is arguably his most introspective work since .
Some flaws arise from the expansive scope at times. Supporting characters like Jesse Plemons' FBI agent still need to fully register and the intricate criminal web can tax the attention over such an extended span. But Scorsese masterfully condenses the complex threads into a cohesive epic.
He knows when to punctuate the languid pacing with kinetic bursts. Whether it's gunshots ripping across the plain or riotous powwow scenes, his complete cinematic toolbox makes the long runtime fly by. He harnesses his innovations into their most essential elements.
The themes resonate deeply a century later as America continues to grapple with racial injustice and the unresolved past. Scorsese suggests we remain haunted, individual lives still scarred by national traumas. But there are glimmers of hope if we can confront the painful legacy.
Longtime collaborator Rodrigo Prieto delivers evocative cinematography, capturing the land's stark majesty. Robbie Robertson's spectral score sets the mood, with the late composer drawing from his Native roots.
At nearly three and a half hours, sprawls but is unified by Scorsese's singular vision. He juggles intricate threads while focusing on the human toll of institutional prejudice. Everything coheres into a layered indictment of how unbridled greed and racism become self-perpetuating.
As expected from such a complex narrative, there are few moments of levity, but our extended attention is amply rewarded when we witness a humiliated Ernest ritually spanked with a wooden paddle by the elder of the local Freemason lodge. If the film induced a deep sorrow at the historical plight of the native Americans, this cameo allowed me the catharsis of explosive laughter.
Only some directors still produce such vital new classics so deep into their careers. deserves mention alongside Scorsese's pinnacles like , and , which have inspired generations of filmmakers.
Once again, Martin Scorsese has crafted an instant masterwork – one that enriches our understanding of history and humanity. It marks a master reflecting on the nation's past and present. Scorsese remains peerless in exploring obsession and cruelty, broadening his lens to indict individuals and national character.
represents a towering late-career achievement. Scorsese confronts the ghosts of history, suggests they still haunt our present day, but offers glimmers of hope if we can face the painful legacy. It's a masterwork from an American icon still at the height of his creative powers.
Few directors can make an extended history lesson breeze by without the viewer wilting under its weight. Scorsese has crafted such an engaging ecosystem of characters that you feel fully immersed in 1920s Osage County. You forget the runtime until the lights come up, and even then, you are surprised by the passage of time.
Only Scorsese could make such a sprawling historical epic so unrelentingly claustrophobic. By the climax, you feel the walls of bigotry and scheming closing in like you're living it yourself. The seasoned director still has that telepathic link with his audience, even when transplanting us back a century. I staggered from the cinema bleary-eyed but transported by the magic of cinema to a different time and place. It's a rare phenomenon.
* is now showing at Mayo Movie World, Castlebar.
