Horizon: An America Saga-Part I
review by Bobby Blakey
While Kevin Costner has been headlining the hit series Yellowstone, we often forget that the man is a prolific filmmaker as well with films such as Dances with Wolves, The Postman and Open Range. Now he is returning to the old west for the epic saga Horizon: An American Saga with the first film hit theaters this summer and the original plan for the second part was scheduled for August but has now been pulled. Could this western opus bring something we haven’t seen in the genre, or will it fail to find its borders?
Horizon: An American Saga Part 1 explores the lure of the Old West and how it was won—and lost—through the blood, sweat and tears of many. Spanning the four years of the Civil War, from 1861 to 1865, Costner’s ambitious cinematic adventure will take audiences on an emotional journey across a country at war with itself, experienced through the lens of families, friends and foes all attempting to discover what it truly means to be the United States of America.
The film features an massive excellent cast including Sienna Miller, Sam Worthington, Jena Malone, Owen Crow Shoe, Tatanka Means, Ella Hunt, Tim Guinee, Danny Huston, Colin Cunningham, Scott Haze, Tom Payne, Abbey Lee, Michael Rooker, Will Patton, Georgia MacPhail, Douglas Smith, Luke Wilson, Isabelle Fuhrman, Jamie Campbell Bower, Alejandro Edda, Wasé Winyan Chief, Michael Anganaro, Angus Macfadyen, Jon Beavers, Alex Nibley, Kathleen Quinlan, Etienne Kellici, Amos Jason Charging Cloud, Bodhi Okuma Linton, Gregory Cruz, James Russo, Jeff Fahey, David O’Hara, Chris Conner, Leroy M. Silva, Bernardo Velasco, Tom Everett, Glynn Turman, Giovanni Ribisi and more.
I have been eager to see this film since it was announced and was excited
it was going to be a two-part epic. When Costner announced during interviews there was going to be four entries it further enticed me to see what he had up his sleeve. His passion for the genre is always apparent and this film is further proof of bringing another successful piece of iconic filmmaking to his resume.
This film is structured in a way that we are being taken through multiple stories similar to the classic How the West Was Won in the structure while still being its own thing. I was worried it would end up being a predominantly talkie film and it is on some level, but it jumps right off the horse in the first act to really set the tone of the violence of the time and circumstance they are dealing with. The focus is split between the settlers trying to find their place and claim land and the Native Americans fighting to secure what is already theirs.
This sweeping epic is filled with beautiful shots of the mountains and plains to fully immerse yourself into this time. The attention to detail in every shot is outstanding and you can see the efforts and passion to really create something that not only delivers on the big screen but honors the time and people of the era. Even during the most violent moments it is still a wonder of the world and a reminder of the beautiful planet we inhabit despite the way we treat it.
The story is simple but offers enough layers to keep you interested from the first outing. From the trailer you may think this film is mostly focused on Costner’s character, but he is just one piece of the larger picture. You don’t even see Costner on screen until almost an hour into the film as we witness the brutal slaughter of an entire town. The story is in chapter sections without actually saying it with the stories weaving in and out of each other once they are all established. They are all infused with survival, vengeance, hope and new beginnings in a time where every day and expectations were unclear.
Costner has crafted yet another western masterpiece that pulls you into the story and makes you care about these characters and the plight of them all. There are no good or bad sides and yet there are. You fully understand the anger of the Native Americans, but not always the sheer brutality of their nature. The same can be said for the settlers looking to just find a place for their families, but eh disregard to those there before them and their boundaries. The film brings every element of the genre to the mix and successfully merges the one cohesive story that allows closure and growth to further entries and the history of it all.
I know a lot of people complained about its three-hour run time, but I was happy to endure. It keeps moving and never felt like that long which is just a further compliment to the filmmakers. The complaint about length is a grey area one with some legitimately with an issue, but others just complain when it’s not a certain type of film. Both are ridiculous and letting the longer run time go is great as long as it serves the story, and this one does just that.
If I had one complaint it was the ending itself. When it made the final scene, it shifts into a montage that is obviously a trailer for sorts of the next chapter as though we are watching a mini-series but gives no indication it is going that way and was a bit confusing at first. It in no way affects the film as a whole and I get what they were doing, just needed to be made more straight forward.
I loved this flick and hope we get the next chapter sooner than later and that Costner can make all four films that he clearly wants to make. Sadly, this first chapter didn’t succeed as they had hoped, but with the second chapter complete its great knowing we will at least get that in some capacity.
Decide for yourself and check out Horizon: An American Saga-Chapter 1 available now on digital, 4K, Blu-ray and DVD from Warner Bros Discovery.