Martin Scorsese Worried 'Killers Of The Flower Moon' Was Too Much 'About All The White Guys'

Martin Scorsese had serious concerns "Killers of the Flower Moon" was too focused on the white characters in the film.

The highly-anticipated Apple film tells the true story of members of the Osage Nation dying under mysterious and violent circumstances in Oklahoma in the 1920s.

The film is based on an incredible book from David Grann, and I can't recommend it enough. It's one of the best books I've read over the past several years.

While the book is loaded with white men who were very real people, Scorsese thought that was a bit of a problem.

"Killers of the Flower Moon" tells the story of the Osage Nation murders in the 1920s. (Credit: Apple TV+)

Martin Scorsese feared "Killers of the Flower Moon" focused too much on white people.

"After a certain point, I realized I was making a movie about all the white guys. Meaning I was taking the approach from the outside in, which concerned me," Scorsese said in a TIME profile.

So, what did Martin Scorsese do? He pivoted to focus the film more on Mollie and Ernest Burkhart over the rise of the FBI, which is a heavy focus of the book.

That's right, folks. Martin Scorsese decided the REAL EVENTS covered in "Killers of the Flower Moon" were too white, and thus, the film should pivot its focus a bit to a more Native American storyline.

Martin Scorsese worried "Killers of the Flower Moon" focused too much on white guys. (Credit: Apple TV+)

The story is a true one, and race shouldn't matter.

To be clear, the story of Mollie (a Native American woman) and Ernest Burkhart (a white man played by Leonardo DiCaprio) is fascinating, intriguing and absolutely captivating.

But the issue is the book, which is a fast read, focuses heavily on the investigation into all the deaths. Whether people like it or not, law enforcement in the 1920s (the deaths are believed to have spanned mostly through that decade) was mostly white. You might not like that, but it's true.

All the major law enforcement and investigation players were white. That's not a problem. It's just history. It's like the people who think "Dunkirk" needed more minorities or that a film set in Denmark in the 1750s should have more minorities. It doesn't make sense and doesn't reflect the reality of the time.

"Killers of the Flower Moon" premieres October 20. (Credit: Apple TV+)

Hopefully, the film lives up the hype. All the early chatter surrounding "Killers of the Flower Moon" has been through the roof. This comment from Scorsese just seems weird and unnecessary. The story of the Osage Nation is fascinating and troubling no matter what angle you look at it from. Let's just hope nothing gets messed up when it's released October 20.