Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1 (2024) - Costner's glorious cinematic passion project needs your theatrical support now

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Star-filmmaker Kevin Costner is the lone man in the wild west on this sparse poster for his Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1

Along a river in the open desert range landscape of Arizona, settlers attempt to start a new life with a town called Horizon, but the surrounding Apache natives don't welcome their advance. In Montana horse trader Hayes Ellison meets beautiful prostitute Marigold and soon have to flee the mining town with her following the murder of local hood Caleb Sykes.

Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1 is written by Jon Baird (National Parks (2022, executive producer)) and co-writer/co-producer/co-star/director Kevin Costner (Dances with Wolves (1990)), with Mark Kasdan (Silverado (1985)) contributing story elements. It is the first in an epic 4-part film series devised by Costner.

If Costner succeeds in making and releasing 4 epic Horizon westerns, it is quite a feat, especially since the first one has not landed to the audience reception one would have hoped for but rather to widespread indifference, regrettably. Costner is an incredible character in the film world with both towering highs (Field of Dreams (1989), Dances with Wolves (1990)) and stupefying lows (Waterworld (1995), The Postman (1997)) in his long career. This western mega-project will be one for the history books, IF he succeeds.

Horizon moves along with what may be termed a 'luxurious' pace, somewhat akin to a fine TV-series, because it means to tell its multi-character tale over the course of not 90 minutes but rather something like 720 minutes (4 x 180 minutes). For those willing and able to appreciate fully immersing in an epic narrative, it is a luxurious treat to get into a work such as this. Horizon is a gift for every western lover out there, and one that demands to be seen on the big screen. Fabulous American landscapes are captured magnificently (by cinematographer J. Michael Muro (Parker (2013))), and the score (by John Debney (Luck (2022))) thunders appropriately up and down as suspense wanes and accelerates. 

The impressive production has a fine cast behind Costner in the ten gallon hat: Sienna Miller (Live by Night (2016)), Sam Worthington (Lansky (2021)), Danny Huston (Succession (2019, TV-series)), Abbey Lee (Caprice (2018)), Michael Rooker (Fairfax (2022, TV-series)), Elizabeth Dennehy (Hancock (2008)), Jamie Campbell Bower (The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones (2013)) and Charles Halford (Joe Bell (2020)) all give full, engaged, commendable performances. A large Native American cast also lend authentic feeling and insight into the film's fabric.

There's plenty to admire and become taken in by in the first part of Costner's opus magnum, and I will surely be ready to enjoy Part II as it releases in a good month's time.

Related posts:

Kevin Costner: Molly's Game (2017) - Chastain is luminous in Sorkin's great true-crime debut (co-star)

Man of Steel (2013) or, Superman v Zod: Sunset of Destruction (co-star)

2003 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED II] 

Open Range (2003) - Costner impresses with fabulous classic western

Thirteen Days (2000) - Electrifying Cuban Missile Crisis thriller (actor/producer)  

The Postman (1997) - Costner's colossal apocalyptic turkey 

Dances with Wolves (1990) - Costner's triumphant, simpatico western

 

 

Watch a trailer for the film here

 

Cost: Reportedly 100 mil. $

Box office: 17.2 mil. $ and counting

= Too early to say

[Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1 premiered 19 May (Cannes Film Festival, out of competition) and runs 181 minutes. Development of Horizon reportedly began in 1988. Costner has allegedly injected 38 mil. $ of his own money into the making of the film and reportedly also pays for marketing on top of this, possibly, although the details are hazy. Shooting took place from August - November 2022 in Utah. The upcoming Part II has been shot, and shooting of Part III is seemingly taking place right now. Whether all three remaining parts will see their day of release is unknown. The film opened #3, behind holdover hit Inside Out 2 and fellow new release A Quiet Place: Day One, to an 11 mil. $ first weekend in North America. The film's foreign numbers look abysmal so far. The film has one market yet to release in: Germany on 22 August. Costner returns with Horizon: An American Saga - Chapter 2 (2024), also as an actor. Miller also returns in that film; Worthington returned first in The Exorcism (2024). Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1 is rotten at 46 % with a 5.60/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

 

What do you think of Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1?

The Passion of the Christ (2004) - Gibson's breathtaking, fierce religious masterpiece

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An intense, gory profile picture of Jesus Christ with the crown of thorns in earthy tones makes up this poster for Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ

Jesus' last 12 hours are presented with a relentless focus on his sufferings and the human crime in his torture and crucifixion, which He went through for our salvation.

 

The Passion of the Christ is written by Benedict Fitzgerald (Zelda (1993, TV movie)) and New-Yorker master filmmaker, co-writer/co-producer/director Mel Gibson (The Man Without a Face (1993)), whose 3rd film it is.

For the first time ever here is a feature film that gives the opportunity of following the painful and cleansing last hours of the Christ on Earth, with auspicious flashbacks to to His teachings. 

In extraordinary images (cinematography by Caleb Deschanel (Killer Joe (2012))) and with a grand score (by John Debney (I Still Believe (2020))), this is an uncompromising and incredible accomplishment. Gibson establishes himself as a master behind the camera here. Jim Caviezel (Transit (2012)) is outstanding as Jesus. The film is a triumph.

 

Related posts:

 

Mel Gibson: 2016 in films - according to Film Excess [UPDATED II]

2016 in films - according to Film Excess [UPDATED I]

2016 in films - according to Film Excess

Hacksaw Ridge (2016) - Gibson's intense, humbling WWII epic 

The Expendables 3 (2014) - Unique, bizarre, largely entertaining third action fireball (co-star)

Get the Gringo/How I Spent My Summer Vacation (2012) - Mexico is just a little merrier with Mel Gibson (co-producer/co-writer/star)

The Beaver (2011) - Odd depression-dramedy with great stars - for the open-minded (co-star) 

2006 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED II] 

2006 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED I] 

2006 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess 

Top 10: The best action movies and TV-series reviewed by Film Excess to date

Top 10: The best big hit movies reviewed by Film Excess to date 

Apocalypto (2006) - or, Journey to an Extinct World  

Lethal Weapon 4 (1998) - Pretty good last show for Donner's buddy-cop franchise (co-star) 

Hamlet (1990) - Stars shine in Zeffirelli's compelling adaptation (co-star)

 

 

Watch a trailer for the film here

 

Cost: 30 mil. 

Box office: 612 mil. $

= Mega-hit (returned 20.4 times its cost)

[The Passion of the Christ was released 25 February (North America, New Zealand, Australia) and runs 127 minutes. The script is based on the Old and the New Testament, with inspiration from Anne Catherine Emmerich's The Dolorous Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ (1833), which recounts Emmerich's mystical visions of the Passion of Christ. Gibson did not find support for the film at the big Hollywood studios and consequently decided to self-finance it. Shooting took place from November 2002 - January 2003 in Italy, including in Rome. Caviezel suffered a shoulder separation during filming (in a shot which is reportedly in the film) and was struck by lightning at another point; assistant director Jan Michelini was allegedly struck twice by lightning during shooting. The film is considered to be highly faithful to the facts as laid out in the New Testament. With the film finished, Gibson could also not entice traditional big studios to distribute it, as they feared backlash over its alleged antisemitism. Gibson reportedly spent another 15 mil. $ to market and release it himself, screening it for many Christian groups and leaders who embraced it. The film then opened #1 to an 83.8 mil. $ first weekend in North America, where it spent another 3 weekends at #1 (one a few weeks later at Easter), and another 3 in the top 5 (#2-#3-#5), grossing 370.2 mil. $ (60.5 % of the total gross), selling an estimated 59.6 mil. tickets in the US alone. It is the highest-grossing R-rated, Christian and independent film to date, and the 5th highest-grossing film of the year worldwide. Its 2nd and 3rd biggest markets were Italy with 23.9 mil. $ (3.9 %) and the UK with 20.4 mil. $ (3.3 %). The film was nominated for 3 Oscars, winning none: It lost Best Cinematography to Robert Richardson for The Aviator, Score to Jan A.P. Kaczmarek for Finding Neverland and Makeup to A Series of Unfortunate Events. It won a National Board of Review award, among other honors. Roger Ebert gave it a 4/4 star review, equal in rating to this one. The film was banned in some countries and heavily plagued by accusations of antisemitism, which became worse when Gibson in a 2006 DUI incident was videotaped saying to the responding California officer: "Fucking Jews... the Jews are responsible for all the wars in the world. Are you a Jew?". The film was never shown in Israel. Gibson and Caviezel are nearing production on a sequel centered on the resurrection of Christ with shooting reportedly set to begin in Autumn 2023. Gibson returned with Complete Savages (2004, TV-series) and theatrically with Apocalypto (2006). Caviezel returned in Bobby Jones: Stroke of Genius (2004). The Passion of the Christ is rotten at 49 % with a 6/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

What do you think of The Passion of the Christ?