Horizon: An American Saga-- Chapter 1

Westerns have been a staple genre of Hollywood since the inception of film making, so there have been a plethora produced. Kevin Costner has acted and directed a number of westerns, so is no newcomer to this genre, so when I had realized that he had acted in and directed "Horizon: An American Saga-- Chapter 1", I had to view it, and it was worthy of its 3 hour running time.

This chronicles a multi-faceted, 15-year span of pre and post-Civil War expansion and settlement of the American west. Explore 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, embark on an emotional journey across a country at war with itself, experienced through the lens of families, friends and foes, including Hayes Ellison (Kevin Costner), Frances Kittredge (Sienna Miller), Lt. Trent Gephart (Sam Worthington), Ellen Harvey (Jena Malone), Pickering (Giovanni Ribisi), Marigold (Abbey Lee), Taklishim (Tatanka Means), and others, all attempting to discover what it truly means to be the United States of America. 

Others to round out the cast are Owen Crow Shoe as Pionsenay, Ella Hunt as Juliette Chesney, Tim Quinee as James Kittredge, Danny Houston as Col. Albert Houghton, Michael Rooker as Sgt. Maj. Thomas Riordan, Georgia MacPhail as Elizabeth Kittredge, Luke Wilson as Matthew Van Weyden, Scott Haze as Elias Janney, Tom Payne as Hugh Proctor, Colin Cunningham as Chisholm, Will Patton as Owen Kittredge and Jim Lau as Mr. Hong.

This was directed with such grit, pathos, poignancy and grandeur by Kevin Costner ("Dances with Wolves" '90, "The Postman" '97, "Open Range" '03, "Horizon: An American Saga-- Chapter 2" 8-16-24). Not only was Costner able to encourage his actors to emit the most subtle of emotions, which is difficult to do, but he was truly talented in showcasing the raw grit of the pioneering west--everything from violent shootouts to showing the smallest of things proving that the old west was indeed difficult to traverse. This actor could easily hang up acting and continue with directing solo--he is that talented. He's one of those names I look for when it comes to fine directing. It was executed well by writers Jon Baird ("Horizon: An American Saga-- Chapter 2" 8-16-24) and Kevin Costner ("Horizon: An American Saga-- Chapter 2" 8=16-24) plus TV, based on a story by Jon Baird, Kevin Costner and Mark Kasdan. This was delineated with incredible character development where the audience truly could connect with so many of these individuals. The only mishap in this might be that it was a bit disjointed in a couple of small spots and it did experience a very small amount of slowness, otherwise this script was amazing. This story was comprised of several different territories and getting caught up with very different individuals and how all these people were going to make it in the settling of the west. As mentioned prior, Chapter 2 will continue this journey on August 16, 2024. Between the photography by J. Michael Muro and the sweeping score by John Debney, this production was simply captivating.

Before viewing this film, I had noticed that it received very mixed reviews, and I'm perplexed of why it did. What were these other critics looking for? I believe this film showcased the violent, grueling, exciting and difficult aspects of the history of America. We can truly thank these people , in many cases, of going through the hardships they did so we can have the easier way of life today. You've got to see this on the large screen just for the grandiose of the epic. 

Out of 4 Stars: 3.5                                   Rated: R                                         181mins.