Killers of the Flower Moon

Tomorrow we will bury this one

This Pipe Person.

Our messenger to Wah-kon-tah.

It is time to bury this Pipe with dignity...

...and put away its teachings.

The children outside listening...

...they will learn another language.

They will be taught by white people.

They will learn new ways...

...and will not know our ways.

[tribe member speaks Osage, sobs]

Phillips Oil workmen, right here.

Kraceon Oil pipeline crew, over here.

Burbank Oil Field, over here.

Marland Oil!

Rock hounds for Phillips Oil, this truck.

Make it rich. You can make it rich. Make it rich. Right here.

[recruiters clamoring, shouting indistinctly]

Phillips Oil workmen!

Ernest!

Yeah.

Ernest Burkhart? - Henry. - Yeah.

Henry Roan.

- I'm taking you to your uncle Hale. - All right.

Come on. Let's go. This is us, right here.

Come on, stop!

Whose land is this, Henry?

My land.

My land.

Well, well, well. Our war hero has arrived.

Welcome home, Ernest. Welcome home.

It's so good to see you again.

I'm so glad you made it.

Brother.

- Thanks for writin', huh? - Good to have you back, Brother.

Ernest, now, here's your aunt Myrtle and your cousin, little Willie.

Welcome. It's so good to see you.

Look how big she's grown. Isn't that something?

Now, this is a cattle ranch. There's no oil here.

No oil? Yeah. No oil, no fear, so I'm settled with no fear.

Time will run out. This wealth will run dry,

drier than the seven years of famine that plagued the pharaohs of old.

They're a sick people.

They're kindly people, big-hearted people, but they're sickly.

What about you? You see bloodshed?

- Some. - Mm-hmm.

Well, I was a-- I was a cook in-- in the infantry.

Mm-hmm.

You see Kelsie Morrison? He was over there.

- I did. - Yeah.

Otis Griggs and the others, if... ...if you remember.

Soldiers have to eat. You fed the soldiers that won the war.

- Well, saw more die from the flu, but... - Mmm.

So what happened to your stomach?

My-- My gut, it burst.

Mmm, mmm. You almost lost your life.

They gave me a belt and told me not to do any heavy lifting.

Well, you made a good choice coming back here, 'cause here--

I know.

Money flows freely here, now.

Well, I do-- I do love that money, sir.

Don't call me "sir."

You call me "Uncle,"

or call me "King," like you used to. Remember?

- Call you "King"? - Yeah.

King.

Now, you didn't pick up any disease over there, did you?

- No. No. - Sure?

I'm sure, sir. I'm sure.

Not that I know of.

You keep that thing wrapped up over there?

- I did. I did. - Mmm.

- As best you could. - As best I could.

Yeah.

You like women?

Ah, you know I like women. That's my weakness.

What kinds they got out there?

Just white. - Just white, that I saw. - Hmm.

Mm-hmm.

You like red?

Red?

You mean - that kind of red? - Mm-hmm.

I like red. I like white. I like blue.

I like all of 'em.

- Don't matter to me. I'm greedy. - Mmm.

I-- I like the heavy ones. I like the heavy ones, pretty ones, soft,

ones that smell good, you know.

Well, we gotta keep an eye on you. You're all over the place.

Uh, speaking of that...

Hey, Byron.

Yeah.

Oh.

Oh, yeah, that's good. That's-- That's real good.

Don't get played out in the open with alcohol, you hear?

'Cause then you'll cause trouble.

- Right, Byron? - That's right, King.

- Mmm. - No, sir. I w-- I won't. I won't.

Now, most fellas out here are crooked.

Some do things right, most do bad, so don't be simple.

- No, sir. I won't. - Don't make small trouble about nothing.

You gonna make trouble, make it big.

Get a big payoff for that, you hear?

Yes, sir.

You see, I am officially reserve deputy sheriff in Fairfax.

I don't want to bring unwanted eyes.

- I won't find that trouble. - Yeah.

I won't do stupid things.

And you got your head on straight after being over there?

Course I do. I'm not-- I'm not thick, sir. I'm-- I'm-- I'm strong.

Well, I got a place I'm gonna put you.

- That'll be driving. - Mmm.

'Cause you can't do much else 'cause of your gut.

You don't read much, do you?

Read?

Do you read, yeah. Read much?

Well, I can read.

Eh. Well, you smarten yourself up.

Get him that book on the Osage, Byron.

- This one? - Yeah, that one.

- You smarten yourself up. - I-- I can read, sir.

The Osage. They have the worst land possible...

...but the good Lord, he outsmarted everybody.

The land had oil on it. Black gold.

But they're wise people.

They worked it so as they had the say who gets the oil, who gets the headrights.

The Osage are sharp.

They don't talk much, so that might make you feel

like you've got to run your mouth to fill the space,

especially you been drinking.

Better you be quiet if you don't got nothing smart to say.

Don't get caught on that.

It's what they call, "blackbird talk."

- -

- -

Blackbird talk.

- -

Just 'cause they're not talking,

don't mean they don't know everything about everything.

Yeah, Osage are the finest and most beautiful people on God's earth.

John Whitehair, age 23.

No investigation.

Bill Stepson, age 29.

No investigation.

Anna Sanford, age 41.

No investigation.

Rose Lewis...

age 25.

No investigation.

There we go.

And Sara Butler, age 21.

Suicide.

State your name.

I'm Mollie Kyle. Incompetent.

What is your allotment number?

Two hundred eighty-five.

You've asked for additional moneys of $752

to pay a medical bill for an abscess.

Yes, sir.

Was the operation successful?

Yes, sir.

And the diabetes?

I have a prescription at Fairfax Drugs. I'll send my help to fill twice monthly.

You gotta look out for that, you know.

Now, Mollie, it's your mother.

You know she's restricted too, so we have to account for every penny.

It says here she spent $319 and 05 cents for meat

at the grocery.

Don't you think that's an awful lot of meat for what she needs?

Yes, Mr. Beaty.

Well, you'll look after that, won't you?

Yes.

All right, people. Let's form a line here for allotment payments.

Unrestricted only.

Restricted, take your guardian. He has to be with you to sign your checks.

You need to find your guardian. Nothing new this time, folks.

Thirty-dollar photo for posterity.

Don't you wanna preserve your family history? Come on.

How about you, sir? You--Now, don't go after him.

He don't know nothing. He's an amateur.

You need a proper photo for you and your family.

For you, sir? $40. For you, sir? $40.

How much? $40?$40.

All right. I got $35 cash for you right now.

- Take it or leave it. - Thirty-five's a deal.

Let's have it, get it done.

Y'all are gonna make a pretty picture.

Y'all, come on this way, over here.

My wife's been feeling poorly. The doctor says it's her constitution.

The boy's got asthma.

His asthma's holding him back. He just needs a chance.

You've got your checks. You're unrestricted. Please.

We'll take one. In that color.

- - [in English] Thank you. Thank you!

I'll tell you what, you run out of gas, you get a flat tire,

you come right on back and buy another.