Warning: This post contains spoilers for Killers of the Flower Moon
Directed by Martin Scorsese, Killers of the Flower Moon is based on true events — ones that were researched in depth for David Grann’s book, Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI — but there are some changes made for the film. Adapting a true story has its challenges, especially when it comes to the depictions of real-life people and the details surrounding the case. Though Grann wasn’t the first to write about the serial Osage murders, his book served as one of the main resources for Scorsese’s Killers of the Flower Moon.
The positively received Killers of the Flower Moondetails William King Hale and nephew Ernest Burkhart’s conspiracy to murder Mollie Burkhart’s family, and other members of the Osage Nation, for their headrights, which could only be inherited. Grann compiled research over five years for his book, and it uncovered a lot of information that was ultimately included in Scorsese’s film. But a book and a film are never exactly the same, and Scorsese, along with co-writer Eric Roth, tackled the true events somewhat differently than the book. Scorsese sticks to much of the facts, but there are slight alterations and omissions made throughout, though they don’t change the story’s impact.
8 Killers Of The Flower Moon’s Killings Aren’t A Mystery In The Movie
William King Hale’s plans are clear from the start of Killers of the Flower Moon, and they only build from there. The murders, and who committed them, aren’t a secret in the film, but they are in the book. Since the book is focused on the investigation and uncovering the truth behind the murders, there are several twists that crop up throughout. It leaves the full scope of the Osage murders unknown for a while, whereas the film immediately sets it up, so the audience knows what Hale and Ernest are planning to do and how they plan to do it.
7 Mollie & Ernest Burkhart Aren’t The Main Characters
Scorsese’s Killers of the Flower Moon is centered around Mollie Burkhart, her husband Ernest. The film follows them through courtship, marriage, and the birth of their children, all while Ernest is complicit in the murder of Mollie’s family behind her back. However, the choice to focus on Mollie and Ernest at all is different from Grann’s book, which, though non-fiction, largely follows Tom White, a Bureau of Investigation agent, as he investigates the Osage murders. In the book, Mollie and Ernest are central to Tom understanding the case, but they’re in supporting roles. White plays a crucial role in the film, but he doesn’t enter the story until much later.
Martin Scorsese wanted Killers of the Flower Moon to be immersed in the Osage story and traditions. Initially, the film was going to follow the same format in its focus on Tom White and the investigation, but the script was rewritten to bring Mollie and Ernest to the forefront. Scorsese felt that he was approaching the story from the “outside in” and that the movie was essentially “about all the white guys” (via Time), which is something he ultimately didn’t want. Featuring Mollie more prominently gave the film direction and heart as it showcased the immeasurable tragedy she suffered.
6 FBI Didn’t Uncover The Full Conspiracy Behind The Murders
Although Killers of the Flower Moon ended with Ernest and Hale being given life imprisonment, Grann doesn’t think (thanks to research and talking with several Osage descendants) the FBI uncovered the entirety of the murder conspiracy to steal Osage wealth (via BBC). Grann says that many killers walked free and several other crimes weren’t even recorded. There were far more murders than initially believed, with many Osage having been killed under suspicious circumstances and whose families went without getting justice. Mollie Burkhart’s family was at the heart of the tragedies, but hers wasn’t the only one. So many people were directly involved or complicit, and many got away with it.
5 The Explosion That Killed Rita Was Also Meant For Mollie
In Killers of the Flower Moon, Ernest was relieved that Mollie wasn’t at Rita’s house because he knew it was going to be blown up. Grann surmises, however, that Ernest meant for Mollie and their children to die in the explosion that killed Mollie’s sister Rita, her husband, and their maid. Ernest didn’t admit to it, but given the fact that he was complicit in the murders, and knew that Mollie was being poisoned by the doctors, it’s not so farfetched to think that he intended for Mollie to die on the same night as her sister.
4 Mollie Burkhart Wasn’t Among The Osage To Visit President Coolidge
After the murders of her family members, Mollie asks for $300 to take a trip to Washington, DC to meet with President Coolidge. She speaks to him about what happened to her family and the killings of the Osage, but he ignores her. She later poses for a picture with him and other Osage. The Osage did visit Washington, DC and met with Coolidge, but Mollie wasn’t among them when it happened. The Osage Nation had requested for the federal government to investigate the string of murders called the Reign of Terror.
3 Mollie Hired More Than One Private Investigator
In the film, Mollie is gutted by the murder of her younger sister Anna, and she hires a private investigator to find her killer. In reality, and according to Grann’s book, Mollie actually hired a team of private investigators to solve the murder. But they were either killed, as was the private investigator Mollies hired in Killers of the Flower Moon, they were corrupt themselves — one of them took a bribe before committing a murder (via NPR) — or had a criminal history. So whether there was one or multiple didn’t help the situation or solve the murder cases.
2 Kelsie Morrison Was Working As An FBI Informant
Kelsie Morrison was hired by Ernest and Hale to kill Anna Brown, and though Hale’s nephew Bryan was also involved, Kelsie was tried for shooting her. To give an example of the level of corruption that was happening, the BOI (which later became the FBI) recruited Morrison as an informant, who agreed to help them to avoid an assault charge (via Oxygen). Tom White didn’t know that Morrison killed Anna Brown, however, until Ernest Burkhart revealed the information. Morrison was arrested and admitted to his crime. After his involvement with Hale and Anna’s murder was revealed, his time as an informant quickly ended.
1 Attorney W.W. Vaughan Wasn’t Included In The Movie
W.W. Vaughan, a white attorney who was deemed trustworthy, wasn’t featured in Killers of the Flower Moon, but he played a role in the attempts to find the killers and end the Reign of Terror. Vaughan had retrieved information from George Bigheart, an Osage member who was dying after being poisoned, who had evidence regarding one of the killers (via Famous Trials). Vaughan had called the Osage County sheriff to tell him he’d met with George about the murders, but he never made it back. On his way back, Vaughan was killed after being thrown from a train. The information he had about the Osage murders died with him.
