Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1514626
Killers of the Flower Moon is a 1923 Western crime drama, directed and produced by Martin Scorsese, who co-wrote the screenplay with Eric Roth. It was based on the 2017 book of the same name by David Grann. Its plot takes place in Oklahoma where members of the Osage Nation are being murdered. Oil had been discovered on tribal lands that had been originally purchased by the Osage from the Cherokee. This gave the Osage a huge financial advantage over everyone else in the region and the white folk of the time wouldn't stand for that. The Osage were subjected to 'conservatorships' where white-owned companies would 'manage' their land and finances, liberally ripping them off in the process. As their greed grew, they wanted to own the land, not just manage it and our primary villain and his cronies devised many elaborate plots to get at it. This sparked an investigation directed by the 29-year-old J. Edgar Hoover and helped establish the FBI as a major U.S. institution. The film stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Robert De Niro, Lily Gladstone and Jesse Plemons. As a side note, readers may be interested to know what the title Killers of the Flower Moon means. Book author Grann writes that, "Taller plants, such as spiderworts and black-eyed Susans, begin to creep over the tinier blooms, stealing their light and water. The necks of the smaller flowers break, and their petals flutter away, and before long, they are buried under ground and this is why the Osage Indians refer to May as the time of the flower- killing moon." It also provides a metaphor for our story. I am always thrilled to work with Production Designer Jack Fisk, who I also worked with on Paul Thomas Anderson's The Master and Water for Elephants. He is one of the most unique designers that I have worked with—a ranch owner with an understated, gritty point of view that was perfect for this film. As is usually the case, this film provided a unique set of challenges, not only with its complicated script but particularly with clearance issues since E m b r a c i n g t h e T y p o g r a p h y o f t h e P e o p l e G R A P H I C D E S I G N O N K I L L E R S O F T H E F L O W E R M O O N B Y K A R E N T E N E Y C K , G R A P H I C D E S I G N E R A. FAIRFAX MAIN STREET SHOP SIGNS. GRAPHIC LAYOUTS. B. FAIRFAX MAIN STREET. SET PHOTO. A B