Kevin Costner's period film Horizon: An American Saga resonates in today's turbulent times
Kevin Costner’s Horizon: An American Saga pays homage to classic Western films, a genre that has become increasingly rare in today’s cinema.
The film delves into the allure of the Old West, depicting its conquest and ensuing challenges through the hardships endured by those who lived during the era. Spanning the four tumultuous years of the Civil War, from 1861 to 1865, it explores this pivotal era in American history.
Photo/s: Parallax Studios
Describing this as an ambitious project for Kevin would be an understatement.
At 69 years old, the actor not only takes on the lead role of Hayes Ellison but also assumes the roles of co-writer, director, and producer of the film.
Reports have it that the actor invested a huge chunk of his own money – $38 million to be exact, according to Kevin himself – to bring the project to fruition.
Joining Kevin in the movie are Sienna Miller, Sam Worthington, Giovanni Ribisi, Abbey Lee, Will Patton, and Jena Malone, among others.
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PEP.ph (Philippine Entertainment Portal) recently participated in a virtual press conference attended by Horizon’s stars to learn more about the epic Western film currently showing in Philippine cinemas.
KEVIN COSTNER’S PASSION PROJECT
The idea to create Horizon — originally called Sidewinder as a working title — dates back to 1988.
Since then, Kevin has been searching for producers willing to take on the project without cutting corners on the budget or compromising the story, as envisioned by the Hollywood actor.
Any agreement to give the project a go fizzled out despite initial discussions with potential studios.
Meanwhile, Kevin’s resumé as an actor continued to grow as he appeared in a string of movies including Dances With Wolves, JFK, Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, The Bodyguard, and Field of Dreams.
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But the prospect of making Horizon never left Kevin’s mind and has been a constant presence in the actor’s mind for years.
"I'm so happy this happened. It's been a long journey for me and I'm grateful that it's happened and it's not our movie anymore, it's your movie," Kevin shared, reflecting on Horizon’s challenging path to production.
Photo/s: Parallax Studios
He continued, "The greatest thing about movies is you get to revisit them, and the movies that move us the most, every time we do, we see something different. And you'll see that because the work was so specific."
HORIZON: AN AMERICAN SAGA IS A SERIES
Horizon is a four-part series, with the second installment slated immediately to come out in August.
Kevin, who has always been intrigued and fascinated by America’s history in the Old West, wanted to dish out a story that accurately portrays the time of the Native Americans, the arrival of immigrant settlers, and the resulting American Civil War that shaped the United States of America.
Photo/s: Parallax Studios
"We displaced people," Kevin said frankly about the roots of modern America.
"And so, I really wanted to start at the beginning, and I took the characters in that original story and simply were able to re-engineer eight or nine of them, so there's a fifth story, don't get me going.
"There's a fifth story that, maybe someday, I'll make. But it led me to a greater story. It led me to a better adventure. I feel like everything they're talking about is real. The West is not a land in Disneyland, [it] was real."
Photo/s: Parallax Studios
It’s a topic Kevin is so passionate about and he hopes viewers young and old will get a deeper sense and understanding of this conflicted history after seeing the movie.
"I can't emphasize this enough. Even though as we tell this story we don't get as far into the Native American stories as I would like to get.
"I don't pretend that I'm Native American. But never forget that the Native Americans became inconveniences.
"How did that happen in their own country? They had to run for their lives. They had to protect their way of life, their religion, and their children, and it can't ever be minimized. Our fingerprints are all over this."
Should Americans feel ashamed about this fact?
"We don't have to be embarrassed," Kevin said, but acknowledging those atrocities wouldn’t hurt either.
"But we have to recognize the beauty of that culture, of people who were living in a level of equilibrium and harmony before we came. Before we put that first stake in the ground. That will always be our story."
A RELATABLE STORY THAT CONTINUES TO OCCUR
It’s fascinating to think that the incidents that gave birth to the USA that we know today continue to happen across the globe.
Photo/s: Parallax Studios
Consider Ukraine's ongoing battle against Russia, or the decades-long and escalating conflict between Israelis and Palestinians over land.
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Here at home, China continues to encroach on territories beyond its geographical jurisdiction.
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Kevin was never asked about his opinions on these current events and their resemblances to Horizon’s story. That is for the audience to decipher and correlate.
For Kevin, the satisfaction of making the movie accessible to audiences worldwide is deeply fulfilling.
"We're never gonna meet the audience that pays to go sit in that dark [theater]. This is an experience we all have in common around the world," Kevin remarked.
Photo/s: Parallax Studios
"But what you're gonna see when you do it, is I hope magic. It was magic for me. It's a movie I wish somebody made for me. But now it exists and I’m grateful."
Horizon: An American Saga is now showing in cinemas nationwide.