Those who watch Killers of the Flower Moon, Martin Scorcese’s latest theatrical epic, will certainly get their money’s worth. I mean that literally–at three and a half hours, the movie is the longest I have seen in recent memory. I also mean it substantially. Scorcese’s Catholicism is known to deeply influence his films, and one should open his or her eyes a bit wider in anticipation of the spiritual substance present there. This film is no exception.
Based on a true story (which David Grann chronicles in his book by the same name), the plot centers around the Osage Native American tribe in Oklahoma in the early 1900s. Having discovered oil on their land, the Osage nation has become the wealthiest people per capita in the world. Ernest Burkhart (played by Leonardo DiCaprio) is a white man who has recently returned from serving in World War I, and he comes to live with his brother and his uncle, William Hale (Robert De Niro), on the Osage reservation. Hale is a well-known figure in the area, serving as a sort of beneficent patriarch for the community. However, the viewer quickly becomes aware of Hale’s evil intent, fueled by his greed. When Ernest arrives, Hale encourages him to pursue and marry Molly Kyle (Lilly Gladstone), a wealthy member of the Osage tribe. Ernest complies.
Over the rest of the film, Hale, Ernest, and his brother, with the help of a few others, more-or-less murder Molly’s entire family in order to inherit their wealth. Molly, a diabetic, is the last one remaining toward the film’s conclusion, and Ernest has been slowly killing her by slipping small doses of heroin into her insulin shots. However, the newly-formed FBI arrives on the scene and manages to catch him and the rest of the murderers.
Ernest is the film’s central figure, and he’s played brilliantly by DiCaprio. The viewer sees that Ernest genuinely loves Molly, and vice-versa. However, as time unfolds, Ernest gradually submits himself to his own greed and to his uncle’s evil influence. Hale seems to be Scorcese’s embodiment of Satan in my view. He’s the Master Manipulator, the Great Liar. Hale’s nickname around town is literally “King,” which he tells Ernest to call him early in the movie. Ernest does indeed allow the Enemy to be his King. He becomes more and more involved in the murders of Molly’s family, until he finally even agrees to drug Molly. Evil is all-consuming, indeed. Fellow sinners, how many of us can relate to complying with evil in our own lives–albeit in less grave ways–to the point where we wonder, “How did I get here?”
In my favorite scene of the film, after the details of the crimes have come to the light, Ernest gets an opportunity to confess everything to Molly face-to-face. He does so, except for one detail. Molly asks him what he gave her when administering the insulin shots. Ernest, clearly wrestling with what to say, just can’t manage to tell the whole truth. He claims it was just insulin. Disappointed, Molly gets up and leaves him for good.
Molly’s disposition is remarkable in this scene. Despite what her husband has done to her and her family, she clearly seems to maintain her love for Ernest and is willing to take him back. It merits disbelief. However, her one condition for Ernest seems to be as follows: he must bring his sins against her to the light. It has to be all of them. Only then will she give her love to him. Ernest can’t seem to let it all out, though. He’s too ashamed. He remains in darkness. Thus, Molly leaves.
Does that dynamic between Ernest and Molly sound familiar? Molly’s love is that of Christ. No matter what we’ve done–and as we see from this film, we sinners have done some horrific things–Christ remains willing to extend his love to us. Here’s the catch: we have to come clean. We have to be honest and bring our sins to the light, specifically in the Sacrament of Confession. If we allow Christ to see everything, His love shines on us and wipes away every sin. If we hide in our shame, then we remain separated from Him.
“…God is light, and in him there is no darkness at all. If we say, ‘We have fellowship with him,’ while we continue to walk in darkness, we lie and do not act in truth. But if we walk in the light as he is in the light, then we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of his Son Jesus cleanses us from all sin. If we say,‘We are without sin,’ we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we acknowledge our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive our sins and cleanse us from every wrongdoing. If we say, ‘We have not sinned,’ we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.” - 1 John 1:5-10
May our good and gracious God give us the grace to step into the light today! He’s ready, with open arms.