Lily Gladstone Is Too Good To Actually Win An Oscar For Killers Of The Flower Moon
This post contains spoilers for "Killers of the Flower Moon."
Robert De Niro or Leonardo DiCaprio starring in a film directed by Martin Scorsese is so commonplace it could be its own category of movie trivia, which only makes the casting of Lily Gladstone in "Killers of the Flower Moon" all the more exciting. As reported by Variety, Gladstone (she/they) will be campaigning for Best Actress, not Best Supporting Actress the way many critics and analysts had predicted. Since her breakout role in Kelly Reichardt's "Certain Women" in 2016, Gladstone has been classified as "one to watch," but nabbing a leading role in a Martin Scorsese film has skyrocketed them into public consciousness.
As she (along with other SAG-AFTRA members) is currently on strike, they hasn't been able to talk at length about her performance in "Killers of the Flower Moon," save for interviews conducted months ago. If they were to secure a nomination, she would be the first Native American actress ever nominated for Best Actress at the Academy Awards, joining other Indigenous nominees Merle Oberon for "The Dark Angel," Keisha Castle-Hughes in "Whale Rider," and Yalitza Aparicio for "Roma." They'd also be the first non-cisgender nominee.
The prospect of making history has had film pundits buzzing, with many acknowledging that what Gladstone is delivering is unlike any other performance of the year. It's also unlike anything that tends to wow the Academy. Gladstone's performance is so effortlessly brilliant that it would not surprise me if that talent was overlooked in favor of something more showy. I hope I'm wrong, but if I'm not, it will solidify my fear that Lily Gladstone is too good to actually win an Oscar for "Killers of the Flower Moon."
The key of subtlety
Lily Gladstone stars as Mollie Kyle, an Osage woman who married Ernest Burkhart (DiCaprio), a white man who at the behest of his uncle William Hale (De Niro), murdered — or contracted others to kill — Mollie's family in an attempt to steal her Osage oil fortune. The film is based on a horrific true moment in America's history that is often overlooked, putting an additional weight of importance on the shoulders of all involved. De Niro and DiCaprio are both captivating in their own right, completely dialed in on the type of masculine bravado that Scorsese films are known for — and delivering performances that helped make them both famous.
Gladstone, in contrast, is the complete opposite. They are able to convey a full spectrum of emotion with a single raised eyebrow what it takes DiCaprio's Ernest or De Niro's Hale to express with their entire bodies. People often confuse "louder" or "bigger" as a sign of being "better," and while moments of explosive emotion make for impressive highlight reels and can be quite difficult to appropriately ground in reality — compelling stillness is infinitely harder to portray, and Gladstone is masterful.
There's a quietness to Gladstone's delivery that keeps her present even when not on screen. They linger over the entire film, even during the extended scenes focused on Hale, Burkhart, and their co-conspirator's massacre known as the Reign of Terror. And she does it without ever raising their voice. In fact, the only instances where Gladstone's volume spikes are in moments of mourning or celebration. Even before we meet her, we are told the Osage have no use for what they call "blackbird talk," or mindless chirping just to fill the air. Gladstone's performance of Mollie wholeheartedly embodies that belief. She doesn't need to flail wildly or stretch the limits of her vocal register to command the audience — they just need to look at the camera.
No screen is big enough to capture their power
"Killers of the Flower Moon" is enjoying a theatrical release before it becomes available on Apple TV+ sometime in early 2024. Given the lofty runtime of nearly three and a half hours, there's a high probability that many viewers will wait until the film lands on streaming, and they have the ability to pause to take bathroom breaks at will. I fear that this will do a grave disservice to Gladstone's performance, which demands to be seen on the biggest screen possible.
She's not playing to the cheap seats in the nosebleed section, they're playing to those willing to give themselves over to the story and pay attention. If people are free to screw around on their phones or watch the film in a smaller format, the nuance may be lost. Unfortunately, I also don't trust the Academy — which includes folks who have admitted that they don't watch all of the contenders for Best Animated Feature and instead vote based on whatever their children like — to give Gladstone's performance the attention it deserves when they're binge-watching For Your Consideration discs at home ahead of voting.
But this movie does not function without Gladstone at the heart. Her voice is the narration that rightfully calls out the systemic failures that endangered the Osage Nation. Mollie is the one who travels to Washington D.C. and pleads for federal help to put an end to the murders. And she does this while grieving the monumental losses of her family and community members, while her husband is slowly poisoning her.
All of these conflicting and complicated emotions are present in Gladstone's body and written all over their face like a tapestry, shifting in an instant with the curl of a lip, the furrow of a brow, the pacing of a blink, or the adjustment of a blanket shawl. It's the performance of a lifetime, and I can only hope that the Academy doesn't follow its own history by neglecting to honor her excellence.
"Killers of the Flower Moon" is currently showing in theaters.