Scorsese’s ‘Killers of the Flower Moon’ skips Cannes competition

Renowned filmmaker Martin Scorsese, 80, revealed that he chose not to enter his latest film, “Killers of the Flower Moon,” into the main competition at the Cannes Film Festival, stating that it was “time for others” to take the spotlight. The movie, which stars Leonardo DiCaprio and Robert De Niro, received rave reviews from critics and is based on the true story of a series of murders among the oil-rich Osage Indians in the 1920s.

Scorsese, who won the Palme d’Or in 1976 for “Taxi Driver,” expressed his decision to AFP, saying, “It’s time for others. I got to go. There are kids around.”

He continued…

“I like the golden statues. I like them very much. But now I think of time and energy and inspiration — that’s the most important thing.”

Despite being set in the past, Scorsese does not view “Killers of the Flower Moon” as a period piece and believes the treatment of Native Americans is “still a wound that needs healing”.

He added…

“Maybe by knowing our history and understanding where we are, we can make a difference and live up to what the country is supposed to be.”

The director has long harboured a dream to make a Western film and was excited to finally work with horses, although he admitted he didn’t want to get too close to them. One aspect of the film he found disappointing was its setting during the prohibition era, as he had always envisioned creating memorable scenes in a saloon or bar, reports Bangkok Post.

Scorsese had considered delaying his previous film, “The Irishman,” to focus on “Killers of the Flower Moon.” However, he ultimately decided against it due to the costly special effects required to de-age stars like De Niro and Al Pacino. He recalled, “Bob pointed out that… we had to de-age everyone… If we wait another two years… we were going to have a much tougher job,” he said, laughing.