HORIZON. AN AMERICAN SAGA, CHAPTER 1

US, 2024, 181 minutes, Colour.

Kevin Costner, Sienna Miller, Sam Worthington, Jena Malone, Michael Rooker, Danny Huston, Owen Crew Shoe, tatanka Means, Ella Hunt, Tim Guinee, Giovanni Ribisi, Scott Haze, Tom Payne, Abby Lee, Will Patton, Jim Lau , Georgia McPhail, Luke Wilson, Angus McFadyen, Isabelle Fuhrman, Hayes Costner, Michael Angarano, Jeff Fahey, Dale Dickey, Jamie Campbell Bower, David O'Hara and James Russo.

Directed by Kevin Costner.

Kevin Costner has had a long screen career, over 40 years, winning an Oscar for Best Director in 1994 Dances with wolves. Apparel for at relations between Native Americans and those who have come from beyond America. He is a low-key film, Open Range, was praised for its picture of the American West.

For 20 years, Costa has been working on an ambitious project, Horizon, An American Saga, creating an epic story, collaborating with writers, discussions with studios, financing. Finally, the first two chapters have been made, Costner investing his money into his project. At the time of release of this chapter, the third chapter has begun filming for 2025 release.

As might be expected, the saga is vast in scope. It begins in 1859, a printed poster advertising Horizon, an entrepreneur encouraging the building of towns in the West. And this motif, as well as the printing of the poster, recurs during the film. There are many strands of narrative, and’s for a while and audiences wondering how the strands connect. But, as the narrative progresses, we discover the links and connections.

The principal focus is on a settlement in the San Pedro Valley, a father and son taking out acclaim but then killed by the local Apaches. Horizon offers a great deal of focus on the Native Americans, the traditions and beliefs, the invasion/intrusion by the settlers, the feeling of threat, the violent responses, indeed visualising here a massacre and conflagration of a settlement, and the various responses of the white community, the role of the military, independent scouts and trackers, those with a vengeance against the Indian attacks. There are scenes of Native American community life, and the clash between leaders who accept the inevitable incursions of the settlers and those who want to cut them off.

After the massacre and Fire, survivors moved to a fort, the film showing details of life fort, the commanders, working with the settlers, touches of ordinary life, within the outbreak of the Civil War and the young soldiers having to go off to fight.

Audiences may have forgotten about a Montana sequence so early in the film, a woman who shooting old man, her fleeing with a child, the family of a man who shot and who survives, rugged settlers, bound on vengeance, sending the two sons to search for the escape woman and bring back the child.

Enter Kevin Costner himself, riding into the fort, doing business, but encountering a young prostitute who is also a babysitter for a couple in the fort, eager to do business’s

1. An ambitious project? The work of Kevin Costner? 19^th century American history, the American West?
2. The scope of the project, this first chapter, three hours, the introduction to the themes, the range of stories and characters? 1859 into 1863?
3. The cinematography, the landscapes, the deserts, the mountains, the mesas, encampments, the towns, the seasons, the rail links, the Apache communities, dwellings? The epic musical score?
4. The introduction, the title, the advertising for Horizon, settlements in the West, the towns? The opening, father and son, taking the site, observed by the Indians? The arrival of the missionary, the derelict man the ruins, the discovery of the graves?
5. The transition to the settlement, the establishing of a town, perhaps, tense, the community hall, the dance, the characters, the Kittredge family, the return home? The attack by the Apaches, the fights, the deaths, the fire and the conflagration, surviving citizens, the African-American couple, the attack on the home, mother and daughter in the tunnel, the rifle barrel for breathing? Young boy, his behaviour at the dance, not dancing with his mother, staying with his father, sent away to scout, surviving?
6. The arrival of the military, Gephart has commander, age, personality, command? Riordan, his personality, work? The other troops? The burial of the survivors? The rescue of mother and daughter? Moving out to the fort? The establishing of life at the fort, protection,, the mother and daughter, the accommodation for them, the episode of Riordan organising the event for Elizabeth, the mother and her reactions? Signs of settlement?
7. The introduction of the episode in Montana, Lucy and her shooting Sykes, her escape, the family gathering, Mrs Sykes is tough, her sons, serious, yet Caleb and his talking, intervening, erratic? The setting out on a mission to find Lucy? Of the plot left in abeyance for quite some time? Resuming the theme, Lucy becoming the villain, her relationship with Will, Mary (Marigold) a local prostitute, living with them, babysitting? Will and his eagerness to promote Horizon towns, the plan to meet the visitors? Lucie/Ellen and her personality, tough, the encounter with the men, the realisation of the truth, the interactions, realising what was happening, his death? Caleb going into the town to get the baby?
8. The introduction to Hayes Ellison, Kevin Costner character? Riding, his work, into the fort, the encounter with Marigold, her place in the town, with a woman Will, the baby, her flirting, approaching Hayes, the glimpse of the other prostitutes in the town, the hard women of the town, accommodation? Hayes, the baths, following Mary’s invitation, the encounter with Caleb, the to-ing and fro-ing, Caleb and his taunts, the gun, the shootout? Hayes taking Marigold and the baby? Their travels together, the winter, camping, seeing the searches at the rail head, going into the town, possible settlement, Marigold and her note, on the Horizon paper, giving the child to the Chinese? Leaving the note for Hayes?
9. The portrait of native American life? The scouts, the leadership, observing the settlers? The screenplay explaining their stances, the long heritage, the bond with the land? The customs, beliefs? The attack on the camp, the destruction? Is conversation with the chief, differences of opinion, to repel the invaders, the chief realising that they would continue to come? The camps, the women, mothers and children? The group leaving?
10. The group searching for the child, going to the store, the Native American and the boy, Nathanial kept Rick and his presence, the group of trackers, the discussions about scalping Indians and payments? The confrontation in the store, wanting Nathanial to shoot, his refusing? Letting the man and the boy go? The range of personalities, the mediator, those knowing the Apache language? The continued trips, the pursuit of the Indians, the shootout, Nathanial as Lookout, his reactions, shooting in defence, the men and the scalping is, sitting together, the payments hoped-for?
11. At the fort, Riordan and the working in the fields with the others, Frances and the approach of Gephart, is statements, her response, romance? The Civil War, the young recruits, Elizabeth and her sadness of the going, giving them the material is keepsakes, Riordan and his explanation of their importance for the young men when they were being killed? The troops leaving?
12. Col Horton, in command, policies, the discussions with Giffard and Riordan? Staying behind the fort, the military command, watching the troops go to the Civil War?
13. The return to Montana, Caleb’s body, the reaction of the Sykes couple, hard? Still wanting vengeance?
14. The story of the wagons going through cancers, observed by the Indians? The leaders, the range of people, men and women, old and young, the hardships, the slow travel? The proctors, arrogant, his sketching, bespectacled, and her manner, the mug of water, their being rebuked by then we can, the episode with Juliet washing, the leering couple, the rebuke by van waiting, their arrogant response, the drenching rain, the continued travel? And the other members of the contract family in the wagon train?
15. The end of the first chapter, the collage of the various strands of the story, summing up, serving as a preview for the next chapter?