Warning: The article contains spoilers for Killers of the Flower Moon
Killers of the Flower Moon ending scene is explained by Larry Fessenden. Fessenden portrayed a radio announcer at the end of Killers of the Flower Moon, revealing the aftermath of William King Hale’s (Robert De Niro) trial and updates on Ernest (Leonardo DiCaprio) and Mollie Burkhart’s (Lily Gladstone) life. The epilogue also unexpectedly featured the movie’s director Martin Scorsese as the radio show producer, who read more details about the characters’ fates following the Osage Nation murders and investigation.
Speaking with Insider, Fessenden provides more details about Martin Scorsese’s cameo in Killer of the Flower Moon‘s ending. He reveals that Scorsese’s appearance was not ideated by the veteran director. Instead, casting director Ellen Lewis suggested the opportunity. Fessenden spoke on how impactful and “profound” filming the last scene was as the primary actors stayed and watched him read the details. Check out the full quote from Fessenden below:
The reality is Ellen Lewis had suggested this to him before rehearsals started. She said, “Marty, you have to play that part.”
That’s the power of the collaborations he has. We know of Robbie Robertson, Thelma Schoonmaker, but Ellen is also essential. She thought he should do it.
So on the day of shooting, they cleared the room, and the whole audience left. But we, the actors on stage, were allowed to sit in and watch.
I had tears in my eyes. I could see this was so seminal to the whole project, Marty’s career, even without seeing the movie yet. I just sensed there was genuine anger and a mea culpa about violence. It was profound.
He did it several times and directed himself. We all felt quite privileged to watch it happen.
Why Killers of the Flower Moon’s Ending Works So Well
After all the brutal murders, Killers of the Flower Moon ends by jumping forward to an old-timey news anchor played by Scorsese. In this almost spoken-word epilogue, Scorsese reveals what happened after the Osage murder trials, including the death of Mollie Burkhart at age 50 from diabetes. The radio anchor then utters one final line about Mollie’s obituary: “There was no mention of the murders.”
After a 3.5-hour epic of conspiracies, betrayal, and deception, the radio scene ending is a chilling reckoning with the injustices audiences have just seen. Before speaking of Mollie’s tragic death, Scorsese’s radio host reveals that Ernest received a life sentence but was soon pardoned, while Bill was soon released from prison. Both Bill and Ernest lived not far from the Osage Nation but lived separate lives. The victims, including his ex-wife Mollie, are left in silent suffering as the Osage murders are covered up for years and left with “no mention.”
While Killers of the Flower Moon’s final spoken line is attributed to Scorsese, the radio show is not the last shot in the film. Rather, the crime drama cuts to a powwow, dazzlingly shot from a birds-eye view. As a result, Scorsese shows the endurance of Native American traditions despite centuries of oppression from White settlers. In these contrasting final scenes, Killers of the Flower Moon reveals why critics are calling the movie a masterwork.
