Martin Scorsese’s Killers Of The Flower Moon receives standing ovation at Cannes

By Naomi Clarke, PA Entertainment Reporter

Martin Scorsese’s Killers Of The Flower Moon starring Leonardo DiCaprio Robert De Niro has received a standing ovation following its premiere at the Cannes Film Festival.

Based on David Grann’s non-fiction book of the same name, the western follows the story of the Osage Nation who became very wealthy due to oil on their land.

Set in the 1920s, the film explores how the wealth of these Native Americans attracted white interlopers who manipulated, extorted and stole as much Osage money as they could before resorting to murder.

DiCaprio and De Niro star in the film adaptation for Apple alongside Jesse Plemons, Lily Gladstone and Brendan Fraser.

Hollywood star DiCaprio plays Ernest Burkhart, a white man married to Gladstone’s Mollie Burkhart, a woman of the Osage Nation in Oklahoma.

On Saturday, the film made its world premiere at the French festival and videos circulated on social media of the event show the audience giving it a roaring standing ovation.

Addressing the crowd after the screening, Scorsese said: “We shot this a couple of years ago in Oklahoma. It’s taken its time to come around but Apple did so great by us. There was lots of grass. I’m a New Yorker.”

Ahead of its debut, the star-studded cast also walked the red carpet together with director Scorsese, DiCaprio, De Niro and Plemons all wearing classic black tuxedos.

Meanwhile, Gladstone donned a black gown with a yellow floral-style pattern and statement earrings.

Singer Robbie Williams, actress Salma Hayek and supermodel Naomi Campbell were also among the celebrities who attended the star-studded event.

The film’s premiere on Saturday marks Scorsese’s first to debut in Cannes since 1985’s After Hours.

Killers of the Flower Moon is to open in cinemas on October 6 before streaming globally on Apple TV.