Martin Scorsese at Killers of the Flower Moon New York Premiere

At 81, Martin Scorsese is not slowing down. Presenting his new epic drama, Killers of the Flower Moon this week at Alice Tully Hall, noting that his stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Robert DeNiro, and the radiant Lily Gladstone send their greetings, Scorsese kept it brief, knowing a three-hour film was in store. But what a riveting movie. Set in early 20^th century Oklahoma, Killers, adapted from David Grann’s bestseller, limns a dark moment in American history through the story of the Osage Native Americans. In the geographic and moral “’hood” of the noted Tulsa massacre when a prominent Black community was ravaged by white supremacists, prominent Native Americans, recently rich with oil, became prey for racism and greed. The strategy was uniquely sinister, involving intermarriage and murder, all for inheriting wealth.

Leo plays a dimwitted nephew of DeNiro in a godfather-like role, manipulating the young man to marry Molly (Gladstone), a smart yet besotted, moneyed member of the tribe. The stunning events play out in spectacles of weddings, explosions, parades and funerals, no expense spared. At center is Molly’s quiet, knowing, Buddha-like presence, a character so grounded and vulnerable she makes you believe in what America might be in a more ideal, open culture.

At the premiere’s afterparty, an elegant affair in the Lincoln Center lobby, Marty greeted guests. With his stellar career of filmwork, he is always disarming in his rapt attention to audience praise for his latest masterpiece. Among his greatest, Killers stands out for its unexpected brilliance. Members of the Osage community attended, dressed in floral sequins accented with plaids, enjoying being at this great New York night.