Kevin Costner, or the magnificent obsession of the western. The seven Oscars won in 1991 by Dances with Wolves were not enough, it was not enough to have brought success to the Yellowstone series (broadcast in Italy by Sky between 2018 and 2023) which had just been abandoned for the new project: now the actor and director, 69 years old and with unshakable tenacity, he returns to his favorite theme with Horizon – An American Saga, a monumental project on the conquest of the West divided into four films of three hours each. After the triumphant preview in Cannes, the first will land in theaters on July 4th with Warner Bros, the second on August 15th while Kevin will be busy filming the third in the spectacular landscapes of Utah.
THE MORTGAGE
«I even mortgaged the ranch to find the 38 million dollars needed to make Horizon – An American Saga», reveals Costner, connecting from Los Angeles, «but for me it was vital to talk about the American Dream which has cast its ferocious shadow , bloody on the natives to appropriate their lands and eradicate their culture. The conquest of the West by the colonists was a tragic, embarrassing, shameful page in American history. And I wanted to restore dignity to the natives and women, who at the time counted for nothing but helped their men in a decisive way to take over the West.” Director and protagonist in the role of a settler “who like everyone else is looking for a better life”, Costner has surrounded himself with a cast that includes Sienna Miller, Sam Worthington and Danny Huston, among others, the fifteen-year-old Hayes Costner, sixth of his seven children.
THE FORMULA
And to tell the story of the conquest of the western lands during the Civil War (1861-65) with an epic pace, he chose the classic western formula: dozens of stagecoaches, thousands of extras and horses, hundreds of actors parade on the screen occupied by the majestic, uncontaminated scenarios of Utah and Colorado. Record: the first chapter was shot in just 52 days.
WOMEN
«I had this project in mind since 1998», reveals the director-actor, «but I never thought of rewriting American history. I was interested in telling it from another point of view, highlighting the clash of cultures between pioneers and natives. And of course the female characters. There is a lot of violence in the film, but at the time it served to survive in the midst of so many dangers.” All the performers speak of an “artistic and at the same time unforgettable emotional” journey. In particular, the Native American actors Tatanka Means, Owen Crwoshoe, Wasé Chief were enthusiastic.
STREAMING
«Having made this film is a source of pride», they explain, «our people have finally been represented in an authentic way». Costner smiles and reveals that not even when he was struggling to find funding did he think of turning to the platforms: «Horizon was born for the theater, the place where I discovered my first emotions and where our parents sent us children knowing we were safe. In the darkness of a cinema I learned everything, even how to kiss. For me the room is sacred.”
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