Chronicles a multi-faceted, 15-year span of pre-and post-Civil War expansion and settlement of the American west.
Chuck says:
If nothing else, you have to admire the big swing Kevin Costner is taking with “Horizon,” a four-film passion project the actor/director has been contemplating for decades. Having personally invested up to $40 million into this endeavor, he’s taking no small steps in realizing his dream, the first and second movies already completed and set for release, on June 28th and August 16th respectively.
Of course, the big question is, will audiences show up for four, three-hour movies, in an era in which the common complaint from filmgoers is that movies are too long. This is a big ask on Costner’s part and what with a massive press tour in which he’s premiered “Horizon – Chapter 1” at the Cannes Film Festival, crisscrossed the country for interviews by the dozens, and appeared in various print media outlets and social media platforms, he’s making sure everyone is aware of the project. In the end, he’s counting on his “Yellowstone” fan-base to ride to his rescue.
Their patience with likely be tested by “Chapter 1,” an ambitious, flawed, intriguing piece of work that attempts to be the one western for all people. The result is a mixed bag, an at times infuriating movie that can’t seem to find the proper rhythm to keep us hooked, but at others delivering pitch-perfect genre notes that prove inspiring and thrilling.
It becomes obvious early on that had Costner and his co-writer Jon Baird been a little less ambitious, this first part would have been far more engaging. As it is, it moves in fits and starts, five different storylines at play, some given far more screen time than others, some seemingly approached and abandoned. Things get off to a rocky start as we see the first stake of a settlement driven into an open plain, bordered by the junction of two rivers. This will be a short-lived venture for the family intending to start a new life on this spot as they are quickly wiped out by the area’s natives. However, the presence of the crosses on their graves doesn’t serve as a deterrent for those that come after them and eventually a town of sorts takes shape, ambitiously called “Horizon.”
As things unfold, it becomes obvious this settlement and all it represents will be the terminus for the wide variety of characters Costner introduces us to. Perhaps the strongest are Francis and Elizabeth Kittredge (Sienna Miller and Georgia MacPhail), a mother and daughter who survive a raid on Horizon, the result of an overly long first segment that initially proves thrilling but soon grows tedious. They are taken to the nearest fort where Captain Trent Gephart (Sam Worthington) takes an interest in them.
Eventually we become privy to the concerns of the natives who recognize the danger of the encroaching settlers, a father and son (Bodhi Okuma Linton and Tatanka Means) of the local tribe, parting over their conflicting approaches to this problem. Meanwhile, Ellen Harvey (Jena Malone) finds herself on the run and eventually kidnapped by the spawn of the evil Sykes family, a wagon train led by Matthew Van Weyden (Luke Wilson) is entering dangerous territory while dealing with descension within and Hayes Ellison (Costner) and prostitute Marigold (Abbey Lee) find themselves caring for a child that is not their own, while trying to stay one step ahead of the law.
In the interest of brevity, there are many other characters I haven’t mentioned, as well as other tangential plots that spring from the five main storylines. At times, “sprawling” seems an understatement in trying to describe all that’s going on, yet the problem doesn’t lie in the number of characters and stories but in the way they are presented. Some of the plotlines are dwelled upon, others touched on sporadically, giving the film a disjointed feel it never shakes. Equally frustrating are the moments in which we are cast adrift, being dropped into sequences midstream, the sense being that something vital has been trimmed that would clarify a character’s intent or how certain events fit into the overall timeline.
Costner’s character does not appear until after an hour of screen time has gone by, which proves a major misstep. As with any film constructed like this, some of the stories are more compelling than others, the one focused on his character arguably the most engaging. As a result, whenever the action shifts away from him or the wagon train storyline, which is also riveting, the film can’t help but lag.
All that being said, when “Horizon” works, it goes like gangbusters and evokes memories of the finest entries in the genre. Filming entirely in Utah, there’s a natural grandeur to the movie that no amount of computer-generated effects can match. Again, credit must be given where it is due – this is filmmaking on a grand scale, the kind that’s rarely attempted any more, Costner fully aware of and meeting his responsibility to create an entertainment worthy of the big screen treatment.
The final five minutes plays as an extended preview of the second part. Containing arresting action sequences as well as hints of various emotional and dramatic payoffs, it’s obvious Costner is priming the pump, hoping he’s shown enough of his hand to entice viewers back for the second part. To be sure, “Horizon” is a flawed work, but much like its titular community, “Chapter 1” shows enough promise to warrant a return visit.
2 1/2 Stars
