A Certain Rock Star Makes A Rare But Rewarding Acting Appearance In Killers Of The Flower Moon
The following article contains spoilers for "Killers of the Flower Moon."
Martin Scorsese's "Killers of the Flower Moon" hits theaters this week, and if you've seen it, you know that the cast is astonishing. Lily Gladstone turns in a powerful performance as Mollie Burkhart, an Osage woman whose family is part of the horrifying murders of tribespeople to gain their money and profit rights after oil is discovered on their land. The Osage Nation became wealthy, and white men used a number of underhanded and despicable ways to get their hands on the money. That includes the plotting of a series of murders by William King Hale (Robert De Niro) and his nephew Ernest Burkhart (Leonardo DiCaprio).
Based on the true story of the Osage murders in Oklahoma at the beginning of the 20th century, the cast includes Jesse Plemons, Tantoo Cardinal, John Lithgow, Brendan Fraser, Cara Jade Myers, Tatanka Means, and a certain rock star you may have recognized at the end of the film. It is, of course, Jack White, the Grammy-winning musician best known for his duo White Stripes.
This isn't White's first acting role. He's also appeared in films like "Cold Mountain" with Nicole Kidman and Renée Zellweger, "Coffee and Cigarettes," and "Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story" where he played Elvis Presley. White's role in "Killers of the Flower Moon" is small, but has a connection to the history of this tragedy.
A show within a show
Near the end of the film, we see a radio show about the Osage murders. Jack White plays one of the three radio performers dramatizing the story. His character has a number of roles in the show-within-a-show, speaking about the life and fates of Mollie Burkhart, Ernest Burkhart, William King Hale, and more. White switches between accents and personas, visibly checking his script before each line and taking a second to get into character. It's a really beautiful scene, sort of mirroring the historical drama we're watching with the film, as well as the disconcerting feeling we get with this tragic story being turned into a form of entertainment. White isn't the only performer in this fictional radio show. Scorsese plays a role as well.
That part wasn't completely fiction, however. During the golden age of radio in the 1930s (when the radio show in the film is set), dramas were often sponsored by a company or brand (like Lucky Strike cigarettes in the film), which is then mentioned in the show. Think back to "A Christmas Story" and the Ovaltine-sponsored "Little Orphan Annie" broadcast. There was actually a real radio show called "G-Men" which began in 1935 (which became "Gangbusters" in 1936), with an episode about the Osage murders.
"Killers of the Flower Moon" is currently in theaters.