Killers of the Flower Moon (soundtrack)

Composer Robbie Robertson himself was of First Nations descent; his mother was raised on the Six Nations of the Grand River reserve in Ontario.[4] Although he did not want to compose "any stereotypical Indian music" for the soundtrack,[5] his heritage and experiences helped him incorporate tribal elements into the blues rock sound of the album.[6][7]

I was gathering pictures in my head of music I heard as a child at the Six Nations Indian Reserve. My relatives are all sitting around with their instruments, and one guy would start a rhythm, and then somebody would start singing a melody to that, and it was just haunting. The feeling of the music beside you like that, humming and droning—the groove and the feel of it got under my skin and it lives there forever.

— Robbie Robertson[6]

Robertson had a long personal and working relationship with director Martin Scorsese, and had most recently compiled the soundtrack of Scorsese's 2019 film The Irishman.[8][9] In preparation to score Killers of the Flower Moon, Robertson visited the film set in Oklahoma to meet with Osage musicians and ensure the authenticity of his music.[10] As Scorsese prefers to not to edit his films to temp scores, Robertson had completed a first draft of the soundtrack by the time filming had wrapped.[11]

Sometimes, it’s a small build, but this was a really big one. A lot of music was involved with this. I wanted to build an orchestra of guitar sounds with different variations of the instrument. I kept building and building the orchestra and then I tore it down and tried to keep its soul.

— Robbie Robertson[12]

Tim Grieving of the Los Angeles Times wrote that "Robertson's contribution is an astonishing and lively musical ecosystem that gives immediate authenticity to Scorsese's equally vivid presentation of Osage life and culture in 1920s Oklahoma. It's music that proudly worships and dances with these people — and alternately weeps for their oppression, at times sounding almost sick at their treatment by the story's white predators." He also called the soundtrack "the best music Robertson ever wrote for the screen."[1]

Brian Tallerico of Roger Ebert wrote that "Robbie Robertson's thrumming score is practically a character, giving the film a heartbeat that adds tension to its notable runtime. This story wouldn't have nearly the same momentum with a traditional, classical score.[13]

Hamish MacBain of the Evening Standard wrote that Robertson's score was "absolutely fantastic, particularly the recurring, minimal, two note retro-bass motif that effectively ramps up the tension at key points."[14]

Moira Macdonald of The Seattle Times called Robertson's score "quietly powerful,"[15] while Peter Travers of ABC News called it "haunting" and "a fitting legacy" for Robertson's career.[16]

• Killers of the Flower Moon (Soundtrack from the Apple Original Film) on AllMusic