Blood, Greed, and Betrayal: The Untold Story Behind 'Killers of the Flower Moon

06 Nov,2023

The movie is based on real events, particularly the "Reign of Terror" in the early 1920s, where wealthy Osage tribe members were murdered to gain control of their oil rights.

The film is adapted from David Grann's 2017 true crime bestseller, "Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI."

The term "Flower Moon" in the title refers to the season in Osage County when wildflowers were buried by larger plants, signifying a symbolic shift.

The Osage tribe was incredibly wealthy due to oil rights, with the annual value reaching $30 million in 1923, equivalent to $400 million when adjusted for inflation.

Osage County is the largest county in Oklahoma, roughly the size of Delaware, and it was the original land of the Osage Nation.

Mollie Burkhart, played by Lily Gladstone in the film, was a diabetic Osage woman whose family was entitled to oil wealth but faced government intervention.

Ernest Burkhart, Mollie's husband, was implicated in poisoning her and her sisters as part of a conspiracy to steal the Osage oil rights.

The movie's events are separate from the Tulsa Race Massacre in 1921, which targeted Black citizens, while the conspiracy against the Osage was driven by greed and prejudice against Native Americans.

While the Osage Nation's wealth has fluctuated, a law was ratified in 1925 to prevent non-Osages from inheriting headrights, ensuring the rights to oil leases and royalties remained with Osage Nation members.