Review of “Assassins on the Moon”: Martin Scorsese deconstructs the American Dream

Moon Killers It was one of the most anticipated films of the year. Martin Scorseseone of the best directors of all time, reunited with two of his favorite actors, Robert DeNiro And Leonardo DiCaprio. With just these three ingredients, any viewer could imagine the film being worth the wait. And so it was. Because at eighty years old, despite the numerous controversies that want to tarnish him, the director continues to maintain his unique approach to the stories. And it may not be perfect, but it is very good.

IN Moon Killers, Scorsese adapts the journalist’s novel of the same name David Grann. The writer, whom, by the way, the director seems to have loved since his next project: Bid, also taken from his text. His work dynamically recounts the silent genocide of the Osage tribe in 1920s Oklahoma. The First World War ended and an oil rush broke out among those who wanted to get rich.

It was in this context that the young man found himself. Ernest Burkhartinterpreted DiCaprio. Returning from the war, he reaches the Osage lands, where his uncle lives, William Haleto whom he gives life De Niro. The area is very rich in oil and as a result the Native Americans became extremely wealthy. Hale knew how to move among them and enjoy good health. But an epidemic broke out in the area. One by one the Osages die under mysterious circumstances. Meanwhile, healthy He teaches his nephew to adapt to life there if he wants to move up.

Moon Killers does not raise moral doubts

Point of view Moon Killers It is extremely visual and clear. Over the years, history has told us, even through movies, how free entrepreneurs contributed to the development of an entire country. The ideal is to settle in a place and prosper. Fortunately, time has restored justice, and today it is known that this entire idyllic fable is filled with blood, lies and manipulation. And a film that changes the situation Westerns brave cowboys, never hides it. No matter how much its main characters are part of this dastardly group of thieves and murderers.

Scorsese strips away the story of the American Dream to reveal the tragedy and human suffering beneath its glamor. The Osage were denied land, and there oil crossed their path. What followed was the white man’s excessive greed. This is what they represent Burkhart and his uncle healthy. Its dramatic counterpart Mollynative played by Lily Gladstone. The roles of victim and executioner are perfectly defined, since the director is not interested in playing games of confusion and half measures.

There is no exercise in empathizing with the characters. DiCaprio and above all, De Niro. Their victories are the defeats of a poisoned society. In any case, the doubt remains whether at some point there will be some glimmer of light in the life of the youngest of them. But Scorsese He distances the audience from his protagonists by making brilliant choices that bring us face to face with the truth of our latest civilization. Moon Killers – this is the director’s special call for justice.

Commonplaces, new approaches

At the heart of all this is the very theme that has always interested Scorsese. Violence as a means of power. The desire to be the biggest fish. Absolute lack of ethics and morals in order to reach the top. Foundations that have supported the history of the United States as well as its filmography. One of ours, casino, Gangs of New York, Irish…The same background again and again, thanks to the skill of the craftsmen.

Maybe in Moon Killers He displays this violence in a much more sinister and twisted way than in his other films. But the basis, the study of human nature, points to the same place. Over a sixty-year career, the director’s ability to return to the same point without falling into repetition and fatigue is amazing. He is always able to find new approaches, new nuances to the baseness of a person.

This time, Scorsese He portrays it in a slow, very slow, but constant rhythm. The film gradually plunges into the quagmire of the Osage tragedy, not rushing, but not stopping either. Something constantly happens to his characters that ultimately becomes a catalyst for attention. In your terrible calm, Moon Killers It becomes hypnotic. Family difficulties and marital drama are the chessboard on which the director plans his departure. And a series of misfortunes is its engine, which needs neither sparks nor accelerators.

It’s true, three and a half hours. And therein lies perhaps its great weakness, since small scissors would have been much appreciated. This is a dense film and as such should be approached with caution and slowly. It also plays to the advantage of highlighting the laxity of the authorities to find out what is going on. But if some parts were more compressed, it would be even rounder. This is perhaps what distinguishes him from the greats. Scorsesealthough he is among the most notable.

Lily Gladstone, force of nature

We said that just watching the three main titles of the project is enough to convince any movie fan to watch Moon Killers with desire and enthusiasm. At the moment, little can be said about Scorsese, De Niro And DiCaprio. Both actors have worked with the director so many times that they seem born for each new role he offers them. They are on the same page; in all the footage it is impossible to find a single bad episode. Seeing the three of them together for the first time is a gift.

But, with the permission of such great performers, there is someone who monopolizes all the attention in the world. Moon Killers. and this Lily Gladstone. The strength of their views, the weight of their silence, their constant restraint. Molly She is a silent victim, strong and at the same time frightened, who tears and torments the viewer. In the various registers he uses throughout the film, he always stands out with a force that solemnly overwhelms the screen. Which has even greater merit, given the status of his stage partners.

She is the materialization of all her people. And it’s a shame that, despite Scorsese’s good intentions for the Osage, he spends more camera time focusing on the Osage character. DiCaprio what’s in it. If they had taken a deeper look at the fall—the murder—of a culture that for a few years had become the richest on the planet, it would have resonated even more. In any case, its unexpected ending softens this “stumbling” Moon Killers.

Extraordinary production

On a production level, there are a few flaws to be found in the film. This is a very big project and Scorsese Make the most of your resources. The production is impeccable and the photography thrives on exquisite imagery. The director places the camera in the right place at the right time. Very few Hollywood directors are able to communicate so much through images. His cinematic track record is endless. It would be simply vile to doubt this. Thank God, it looks like he still has some strength left.

With all this, Moon Killers It turns out that this is another amazing work from one of the greatest authors. Like his later films, it consciously and precisely lacks the energy and vitality of the film. Scorsese younger. His cinema evolved with him. And it won’t be perfect, but it is a bold critique of global colonialism through local history. In short, one of the best films of the year currently available in theaters.