Martin Scorsese has plenty of longtime collaborators who help bring his films to the big screen, and with the release of his latest film Killers of the Flower Moon, his most tenured partner has some strong praise for the film's lead actor.
Thelma Schoonmaker spoke about her work on Scorsese's latest film with GamesRadar and how she knew early on Killers of the Flower Moon was something special. She had particularly strong words for Leonardo DiCaprio's performance as Ernest Burkhart, one of the people at the center of the unsolved murders in Oklahoma believed to be over the oil discovered on Osage Nation land. Schoonmaker didn't mince words, saying she thought “he's done his best work, given his best performance.”
Thelma Schoonmaker says Leonardo DiCaprio gives his best performance ever in ‘KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON’.
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— DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) October 18, 2023
Schoonmaker is easily among Scorsese most seasoned collaborators, first working with the director on his 1967 directorial debut Who's That Knocking at My Door. She wouldn't work with him again until 1980's Raging Bull and has been one of his go-to editors since then, working on a majority of Scorcese's films since then. The relationship would prove fruitful for Schoonmaker, as well, with three Academy Awards for Best Editing on her mantle thanks to her work on Scorsese's films.
She was keen to share her praise for the rest of the film's cast, giving similar praise for Robert De Niro for his turn as Burkhart's uncle and political boss William Hale.
Schoonmaker's experience means she has seen her fair share of acclaimed performances over the years, from De Niro in Raging Bull to Joe Pesci in GoodFellas and many more. DiCaprio is no different as he's garnered massive praise for several of his Scorsese-directed roles, including Academy Award nominations for 2005's The Aviator and 2014's The Wolf of Wall Street. That said, Schoonmaker so willingly praising DiCaprio's latest turn may indeed be his best performance to date.