Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1

Directed by Costner, this is a passion project of the star that he co-write with Jon Baird based on an original story, but drawing from the Western genre that Costner clearly loves.  Planned to be four films, the epic tale looks at the settlement of Horizon, a community founded in 1859 at the San Pedro Valley, with the idea being that over the four films we will follow the lives of multiple characters of the settlement throughout a 12 year period.  In addition the aim is to explore the impact these pioneers of the west had on the Native American communities as their land is taken from them.  Whether we get to see the whole ambitious project of four films play out is uncertain right now, with this first entry having made no impact on initial release, resulting in the second part being postponed and the future of the series being in doubt – and that’s a shame as this is a film that is flawed by not feeling like a complete film.

Opening with two pioneers marking out land either side of a river, Horizon then shifts sometime forward where a missionary named Desmaris finds the small settlements and its occupants massacred at the hands of an Apache war band, before burying their bodies and founding the town of Horizon.  From that point the film jumps ahead again to the slowly growing community, which is still being attacked by war parties trying to reclaim their land, with the community calling on a nearby Army encampment for aid.  At the same time, additional dramas play out throughout the town with a woman named Lucy, fleeing her Montana home, brings trouble in the guise of those chasing her down for the murder of James Sykes.  Costner’s Hayes Ellison also finds himself embroiled in the drama as he finds himself taking care of a prostitute named Marigold, and the child she cares for.  All through this tensions are mounting against the various Native American tribes, and the onset of Civil War threatens the safety of Horizon if the nearby fort is abandoned.

There’s a lot going on in Horizon, but none of it gets to play out in full.  Being the first chapter in the story, this feels like a pilot episode of a TV show, laying down the groundwork for the events yet to unfold, and whilst it does have some thrilling and shocking moments, the fact it isn’t complete makes the three hour journey almost pointless on its own merits.  But that’s not to say it isn’t good.  Indeed, this passion project shows clearly how much love Costner has for the genre, and the historical era that it is set.  The period detail is stunning, and you really do get a sense of the reason the west that the pioneers pushed into was given the description of ‘wild’.  This is an almost lawless society, where only perseverance and hope, and the general good nature of most folk, can get you through.  It is also a place where those with hate in their hearts can use and manipulate others without fear of repercussion.  Costner’s Hayes is a seemingly honorable figure, almost an observer at times, but appears to be carrying a weight of guilt for past indiscretions throughout, as though his actions here are some way of penance for his past crimes.  Throw in the mounting tensions against the Native tribes, highlighting that even though the different elders had different views on integration with the ‘white eyes’ they were all seen with equal animosity by the settlers, and the seeds are all sown for what hopefully will get a chance to play out over three more films.

All set up, delivered with depth of story and character, shot beautifully, and cast with a stunning array of names, Horizon as a film is as ambitious as the settlement it is based around, and I hope Costner wins his fight to get the whole saga made.  Maybe it was too ambitious for a movie series, and would have sat better, and been more warmly embraced by audiences as a multi-part TV series, but as it currently stands, Chapter One is an incomplete, but marvelously presented love letter to the Western genre.