Killers of the Flower Moon highlights how injustices stay covert, drawing immediate lines today. There are themes of colonialism, displacement, cultural erasure, manipulation, honesty, greed, corruption, and inequality. It has tragedy, natural dialogue, flawed characters, believable relationships, contrasting perspectives, earned arcs, brief levity, and emotional conflicts. The measured acting adds physicality, chemistry, intensity, vulnerability, and range. Still, the film prioritizes plot over intimacy, leaving the drama cold and vague. This undercuts the sense of dread and connection with viewers. Undoubtedly, it's an important story but Flower Moon is more respectable than enjoyable.
Technically, Flower Moon is immersive but dry. Its imagery uses focus, lighting, angles, framing, color, scale, and barriers. The editing offers inserts, cross cuts, intercuts, dissolves, pacing, and a long runtime with iffy momentum. Its music is cultural, temporal, era-specific, and repetitive. The effects add CGI, makeup, pyrotechnics, violence, prosthetics, and stunts. Its sound utilizes silence, volume, split cuts, atmosphere, fading, action, and turning points. The cast blends famous leads, representation, and key cameos. Its production design is detailed, tangible, grand, regional, earthy, and dynamic. Overall, Flower Moon delivers understated energy and sobering information.
Writing: 9/10
Direction: 9/10
Cinematography: 9/10
Acting: 9/10
Editing: 8/10
Sound: 8/10
Score/Soundtrack: 9/10
Production Design: 10/10
Casting: 10/10
Effects: 8/10
Overall Score: 8.9/10
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