Horizon: An American Saga—Chapter 1: Costner’s Ambitious Western
Kevin Costner’s Horizon: An American Saga—Chapter 1, the first of a planned four-film series, opens with a settler tracing the foundation of a house on seemingly available land, immediately raising the colonial question at the heart of the Western genre.
Costner, who produced, co-wrote, directed, and starred in the film, starts with a scene where the settler and his child are killed by Apaches defending their territory, highlighting their rightful anger. This encounter, set against an orange sunset with an old-fashioned score, sets a monumental tone for the film.
A Detailed Portrait of America
Costner paints a detailed picture of pre- and post-Civil War America through small, symbolic stories.
The film introduces various archetypes of the American West: posh English settlers on the Santa Fe Trail (Ella Hunt and Tom Payne), a housewife with a dark secret (Jena Malone) and her naive husband (Michael Angarano) seeking gold, and a sex worker (Abbey Lee) despised by everyone but protected by the hero (Costner).
These personal dramas unfold in extended vignettes with occasional time jumps, though none of the stories are particularly original or compelling.
Unclear Perspective and Clichés
The film struggles to keep all its narratives engaging. For instance, Ellen, the housewife, has a past as a sex worker who killed her abuser, a familiar trope about self-reinvention in the Wild West.
Costner fails to delve deeply into these prototypical stories, offering only quick glances before moving on. This results in a technically efficient but not very appealing pilot, lacking enough depth for viewers to invest in the characters.
Colonialism and Myth
Costner’s approach to colonialism is ambiguous. He aims for timeless myth, suggesting colonialism as an unstoppable force rather than a product of the colonizers’ greed.
After an Apache attack, First Lieutenant Trent Gephardt (Sam Worthington) reminds settlers that the land belongs to Indigenous people, yet the pioneers refuse to leave.
Costner shows both the settlers’ sorrow and the Apaches’ internal disagreements, but frames the conflict as an inevitable force rather than one born of colonial exploitation.
Old-Fashioned Aesthetics
The film’s aesthetics emphasize old-fashioned, sometimes offensive clichés: a white man defending civilization against barbarism, a priest burying pilgrims on Apache land, and settlers building infrastructure.
Costner’s conservative vision is underscored by clichéd dialogue and tedious exchanges, with actors struggling to make the lines believable. Luke Wilson and Michael Rooker stand out as convincing men of the time, but most characters lack depth and authenticity.
Costner as the Hero
Costner plays the strong, silent type as Hayes Ellison, a man caught in a revenge campaign against Ellen. Despite appearing late in the film, his presence quickly dominates. Marigold (Lee), a sex worker, repeatedly tries to seduce Ellison despite his disinterest, culminating in a lifeless sex scene that highlights Costner’s old-school masculinity.
A Relic of the Past
Horizon feels like a 1990s relic, showcasing Costner’s hubris, traditionalism, and sprawling structure. There is hope that Chapter 2 might offer a deeper critique of America’s past and toxic masculinity tied to colonialism.
However, given Costner’s conviction in this first installment, it seems unlikely that the series will shift from its cheesy style and conservative glorification of property, national identity, women, and progress.
