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Since the ’30s, Hollywood narrowed down the Native Americans to regressive stereotypes, predominantly in Western. And it wasn’t until a few decades back that new filmmakers started to go against the tide. WithKillers of the Flower Moon, Martin Scorsese, who grew up loving those Westerns from that era, felt kind of complicit in the pain and misrepresentation of Native Americans.
And it wasn’t untilKillers of the Flower Moonthat the filmmaker finally right the wrongs of the old-age Hollywood problem after Marlon Brando made a statement back in ’73 by declining his Oscar.
Also read:Beverly Hills Cop: Martin Scorsese Turned Down Eddie Murphy’s Evergreen Franchise Because of Clint Eastwood
Martin Scorsese Finally Felt Atonement After FilmingKillers of the Flower Moon’s Epilogue
Back in 2017, Martin Scorsese started working onKillers of the Flowermoon, which was set to be based on David Grann’s 2017 book of the same name. However, considering Scorsese and screenwriter Eric Roth initially approached the story from the perspective of FBI Agent Tom White, the director realized he was doing a grave wrong by not making Osage the center of it.
While revamping the script,Martin Scorseseand Eric Roth decided to make Lily Gladstone’s Mollie, a wealthy Osage woman who finds herself entangled in the horrors of the killings, the heart of the story. Scorsese further recastsLeonardo DiCaprioas Ernest Burkhart, who ends up marrying Mollie. And it wasn’t until filming the epilogue that Martin Scorsese felt“an acknowledgment, an atonement”in which he plays a radio announcer reading Mollie’s obituary, which is shot as an old-time radio play. He said (viaTHR),
“It all came. It landed on my shoulders, and I felt it… I felt an acknowledgment, an atonement. I loved that art form at that time in the ’40s and ’50s, I did. I don’t feel regret. It’s how I grew up, but I have to acknowledge it. I mean, here I am doing this. It’s still, in effect, the story of suffering that you turn into entertainment. A kind of entertainment I’d hope would have a richness and depth that could sustain for a long time. That’s all. And in which case, then, I’m to blame. I’m there.”
Prior to Scorsese righting the wrongs of the industry, which limited American Indians to stocks for decades, Hollywood icon Marlon Brando made a statement about it by not accepting his Oscar in ’73.
Also read:“Maybe it requires a woman”: Sharon Stone Wants Martin Scorsese to Cast More Women, Stop Focusing on Just Leonardo Dicaprio, Robert De Niro
The Reason Marlon Brando Rejected His Oscar
The 1973 Oscar is not remembered for Marlon Brando’s win, which was almost a guarantee following his performance inThe Godfather, but for American Indian actor Sacheen Littlefeather. Littlefeather, who walked to the stage and declined the Oscar on Brando’s behalf,statedThe GodfatherStar won’t be accepting the honor following Hollywood’s treatment of Native Americans.
“Hello, my name is Sacheen Littlefeather. I’m Apache, and I’m the president of the National Native American Affirmative Image committee.I’m representing Marlon Brando this evening and he has asked me to tell you a very long speech which I cannot share with you presently because of time…He very regretfully cannot accept this very generous award, and the reasons for this being are the treatment of American Indians today by the film industry and on television and move reruns.”
Also read:“I would’ve made something interesting”: Martin Scorsese Broke Silence on His Godfather Sequel Despite Francis Ford Coppola Wanting Him to Direct
While the Academy did reach out to Littlefeather with their long overdue apology decades later for the vicious response she garnered from many attendees that night, it was a little too late for that.
Killers of the Flower Moonis available to stream on Apple TV.
Santanu Roy
Senior Writer
Articles Published :2543
Santanu Roy is a Senior Entertainment Writer at FandomWire, majorly focusing on movies, with over 2,000 articles under his belt. He has been pursuing a degree in Animation and possesses a deep love for the medium of animation. Having spent the better part of the last two years pumping out articles for FW, Santanu excels at covering movie analysis and news surrounding Pixar, DCU, DreamWorks, and Batman’s cinematic legacy.With psychological thrillers and intimate slice-of-life dramas ranking among his favorite genres, Santanu is a big admirer of Luca Guadagnino, Shane Black, Park Chan-wook, and Brad Bird.
