In Martin Scorsese’s film “Killers of the Flower Moon,” the character Mollie gives her unsuitable suitor, Ernest, a Stetson hat. It’s a significant symbol, signifying her view of him as a good guy despite the movie’s portrayal of a more complex reality. The story revolves around the relationship between Mollie and Ernest, set in the early 1900s in Oklahoma during the time of the Osage murders and the influence of the oil boom.
The movie is based on the true crime book “Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the F.B.I.” and focuses on the murders of Osage tribe members in the 1920s. The wealth of the Osage from oil reserves made them targets for greed and betrayal, leading to numerous murders. The film delves into the dark history of the Osage people and the exploitation they faced at the hands of white predators.
The Osage were required to prove their ability to manage their wealth, and if they couldn’t, they were declared incompetent and appointed a guardian. The character Mollie, a full-blooded Osage, faces this situation in the film as she is declared incompetent and given a guardian, who is revealed to be sympathetic to the Ku Klux Klan. This portrayal highlights the pervasive racism and exploitation faced by the Osage people during that time period.