My Uncle Jack was a tall thin handsome man with an infectious smile. He called everyone “honey” in the true sense of affection for them. I loved being around him especially after my father died. He had a way of making me feel as though he would take care of our little family and that we need not worry about anything. Uncle Jack was addicted to watching westerns and along the way he made me a fan of stories about the folks who moved west from the crowded eastern cities in search of a better way of life.
The fact is that searching for a place to call home is at the foundation of the human experience. Ever since people decided to settle down rather than staying on the move there have been folks who sought the ownership of property. Unfortunately this very instinct for planting roots has also been the cause of conflict and even wars to this very day. In many ways the ideal of owning property is the theme of history. Some have use the earth’s land by freely moving with the flora, fauna and seasons. Others have erected fences and held deeds as proof of ownership. It would be difficult to decide who has the best claim original ownership because that concept has different meanings for different groups and cultures.
By the time of the Civil War in the United States much of the land in the east had already been claimed. Intrepid pioneers who struggled in the cities were lured by advertisements to head west into unknown and rugged territory. They heeded the call of the unknown with dreams of building new lives in the wide open spaces. The journey was treacherous and when the people arrived at their destinations there were few if any conveniences and many barriers to achieving the goals that they had. At the same time the land had already been the province of the native people who roamed and hunted freely with an extraordinary regard for the preservation of the natural world and their ways of life. Seeing foreigners building structures and putting up fences blocking the way to water and animals that served as a source of food for the native people was bound to create troubles, and indeed it did.
Kevin Costner has written, produced and directed an ambitious film project that attempts to address the complex saga of the westward movement. Horizon: An American Saga is planned to be a series of epic films telling the complicated and often controversial stories of individuals searching for the common hope of finding a home. It is an often brutal tale of hardship and death that takes no sides, but instead describes the differing beliefs and assumptions of all parties involved in the epic struggles. It has all the emotions of love, honor, jealousy and greed. In many ways it is an American Game of Thrones with countless characters, imperfect heroes and villains that are difficult to view as all bad.
It is a lush movie with incredible scenery and great acting set against a complicated tale that moves the story so quickly that time passes in the blink of an eye and leaves the viewer anxious to see more. In fact the next edition of the series of movies will be available in August and after that perhaps there will be two more. It is an ambitious project that Kevin Costner is determined to complete, often with his own money.
My husband and I went to see Horizon on July 4. There were only about eight other people in the huge theater which was disappointing because moviegoers were flocking to see rather inane fare that is little more than a rehash of previous films. I am actually quite stunned that this movie is not packing in audiences each day much like Oppenheimer and Barbie did last year. It is a wonderful film that has received standing ovations at different festivals were it competed for recognition. Somehow the grand old western does not seem to be as popular as it once was. Instead audiences want super heroes, cartoon characters and scary stories. While those things are fine, Horizon is a work of art, a film that will survive the passage of time unless it is totally shunned by viewers.
By the end of the film I wanted more and I’m happy to know that Part II will be coming along quickly before I need a review to remember all of the wonderful characters. I suppose that perhaps the world is in such a state of uncertainty these days that viewers don’t want reality or history. My guess is that total escape just feels better. At the same time I’d hate to think that a great movie like this one will go up in financial flames because we just don’t feel like being serious right now. I would encourage people to give the movie a try. I truly believe that most individuals will be pleasantly surprised at how good this film is.
It may be that this movie gave me the same warm feelings that I always had watching those old westerns with my Uncle Jack. Maybe I’m just feeling nostalgic about a time when I wasn’t as worried about what will happen in the real world from one day to the next. I got the good feels with this film. Whatever the reason I urge you to go see the movie before everyone gives up on it and deems it a dud. The loss for the public would be so regrettable. I truly believe that in the long arc of time Horizon: An American Saga will be discovered and revered as the great movie that it is destined to be.
All It Takes Is A Little Love 