Martin Scorsese’s Killers of the Flower Moon has been receiving immense critical praise and acclaim, thanks to the director’s brilliant storytelling of the tragic tale of the systematic murder of the Osage Nation. Apart from the storytelling, Leonardo DiCaprio is being praised for how well he embodied his character, and there have been calls deeming it an Oscar-worthy performance.
Starring as a World War I veteran, the actor was originally slated to portray a very different character, the FBI agent being portrayed by Jesse Plemons now. But the pandemic and a last-minute change by Scorsese led to a change in the overall script, and a new role was made for DiCaprio which he can be seen masterfully portraying in the movie.
Leonardo DiCaprio Was Originally Slated To Play Jesse Plemons’ Character
Leonardo DiCaprio‘s role of Ernest Burkhart, a war veteran in Martin Scorsese’s Killers of the Flower Moon is being hailed as an Oscar-worthy performance by critics and audience alike. His skilled portrayal is being lauded by many as the best in his entire career so far.
Not only does he blend in with the rest of the characters perfectly well, but the subtlety and nuance of his portrayal make it stand out even though the movie stars legendary actors like Robert De Niro. As much praise as he deserves for his acting, the credit lies partly with Martin Scorsese, whose last-minute script change made it all possible.
DiCaprio was originally roped in to play the role of Tom White, an FBI agent now portrayed by Jesse Plemons. However, both DiCaprio and Scorsese felt the original script was going wrong, DiCaprio had concerns about playing the lead FBI agent while Scorsese had concerns about the movie being too centered on a White perspective.
Now playing the lead with Plemons’ role ended up being a supporting role, DiCaprio seems to have outdone himself, yet again.
Leonardo DiCaprio And Martin Scorsese Didn’t Think The Original Script Was Worth It
Based on David Grann’s book of the same name, Killers of the Flower Moon, centers on the FBI’s point of view as they investigate the systematic killings of the Oscage Nation in an attempt to take over their oil-rich land. However, the movie centers around the relationship between Mollie (played by Lily Gladstone) and Ernest, while still keeping the harrowing events at a focal point.
But this viewpoint wasn’t always the focal point of the movie and the original script was heavily based on the book. But a last-minute review of the script drove Leonardo DiCaprio and Martin Scorsese to change the entire storyline, for they felt the movie wasn’t being as honest as it should be.
A script review made the director realize that he was making a movie that was too centered on the white guys instead of providing an honest internal perspective of the events. These concerns eventually made them change the storyline, and thus this is how it became the masterpiece it is now.
Killers of the Flower Moon is in theatres now.
