Off the top of my head — Initial thoughts on Martin Scorsese’s “Killers of the Flower Moon”

*Spoiler alert*

The sheer scale, the magnitude of the background music, Mollie’s shrilling cries that pierce your heart, the thunder of beating drums that reverberate through the theatre rooting the audience in their seats even after the credits roll on - imbibing in us the notion to always remember what transpired in the Osage County - this is Martin Scorsese’s "Killers of the Flower Moon". With a runtime of three & a half hour, there isn’t a single dull moment. The narrative doesn’t feel stretched. It’s so gripping that even the interval seems unnecessary.

The twist is introduced subtly you don't feel the jolt of the reveal, rather the horror of the deeds seeps in. As opposed to Leo's portrayal of Calvin Candie in Django Unchained, which was an out-and-out one of the most hateful characters to exist on screen, Killer's Ernest is a despicable & a disgusting human being who remains unaware of the extent of his ill deeds & still keeps on committing them. The peak of his dumb numb soul is exposed during his ultimate lie to Mollie.

The end - everyone is raving about the climax of the film, & rightfully so. The ceremonial formation & the thudding drums, the chanting that continues as the screen fades to black stamps on your mind. For me, I felt an effect similar to that created by the ending of the Indian film "Fandry", where Jambya throws the rock at the camera directing it towards the audience & the society at large. It hits the screen fading it to black & a cacophony of dhol tasha begins, its intensity increasing with each passing second. It shakes your core, your soul, binding you to the story. Now you are one with the human side of the narrative, a side never to be forgotten. Fandry created that frenzy of empathy & awareness amongst the common people. Killers of the Flower Moon is doing the same.

Let us never forget the sufferings, the struggles of our fellow human beings, despite being world & decades apart. Let us never discriminate. That's the parallel I drew between Fandry & Killers - The mass extermination of a tribe by actually killing them or making them invisible by demeaning their existence.