MOVIE REVIEW – There’s nothing inherently wrong with a three-hour film. Some masterpieces exceed the 180-minute mark. However, it helps if the film is, well… a film. After watching Kevin Costner’s 181-minute “Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1,” it’s clear it qualifies as art, but will others see it that way? There are several reasons to doubt that.

The first chapter of Horizon begins in 1862, where a settler finds a picturesque piece of land by a serene river in the American West. He starts surveying plots, but is watched from afar. This is Apache territory, and the Native Americans are not fond of intruders. Within minutes, the man and his companions are dead. Eventually, a passing missionary buries them, warning other settlers. But it’s too late, Horizon has been founded. Word spreads east, promising a bright future despite the dangers, and more settlers arrive.

The Apaches Don’t Mess Around

Two years later, Horizon has grown into a bustling settlement with new residents and at least one permanent building, home to Frances Kittridge (Sienna Miller), Owen Kitteredge (Will Patton), and their family. One evening, they’re enjoying a party with neighbors in a makeshift dance hall. The celebration is short-lived. The Apaches’ patience has run out, and a band of warriors launches a furious attack on the settlement. The new residents believed they were well-prepared to defend their “home,” but they were wrong. Honestly, there aren’t many standout moments in Horizon (we’ll get to that), but this is certainly one of them. Costner, cinematographer J. Michael Muro, and editor Miklos Wright depict the attack on Horizon in epic fashion. This extended scene teases what the film could have been.

The next morning, the U.S. Cavalry arrives, and Lieutenant Trent Gephardt (Sam Worthington) and Sergeant Major Riordan (Michael Rooker) show limited sympathy. They encourage the few survivors to return to a nearby fortified camp, but most refuse. These people gave up everything for a new life on the American plains and aren’t giving up now. (The protected option still offers them land and new opportunities, but people can be stubborn, right?) Before leaving, Gephardt and Riordan rescue Frances and her daughter Elisabeth (Georgia MacPhail) from a makeshift tunnel where they hid during the Apache attack. Still in shock from losing her husband and teenage son, Frances decides to accept Gephardt’s offer.

The More You Watch, The Less You Understand

In Montana, Lucy (Jena Malone) lives with her husband, Walter Childs (Michael Angarano), and their two-year-old son. Unbeknownst to her husband, Lucy is on the run from a western crime syndicate. The couple rents a bed to Marigold (Abbey Lee), who should be watching their child but is busy working as a prostitute in the nearby village (at least, that’s the implication). Lucy, formerly known as Ellen in another life, is in trouble when the Sykes brothers, Caleb and Junior (Jamie Campbell Bower, Jon Beavers), finally track her down. Fortunately, the mysterious gunslinger Hayes Ellison (Costner) arrives in town before they do.

Meanwhile, on the Oregon Trail, Matthew Van Weyden (Luke Wilson) tries to keep his convoy safe and sane. His fellow travelers lose patience with an entitled couple, Juliette Chesney (Ella Hunt) and Hugh Proctor (Tom Payne), and two seemingly Eastern European immigrants who threaten to rob or kill someone (or everyone). Add to this broken-down wagons, the risk of heatstroke, and another group of Native Americans watching from a distance. It almost sounds like a few episodes worth of conflict that could stand alone, right? And that’s increasingly the problem.

As Horizon progresses, numerous new storylines emerge. Some are almost trivial, others cliché (even for the genre), and few add much to whatever Costner’s vision will eventually be. The stakes feel low across the board. And when you realize there isn’t even a minor conclusion to any of the narratives, with the movie ending in weak cliffhangers (if they can be called that), you wonder again, “Why is this a movie?” It feels like a long-form TV series propped up on the big screen. If that appeals to you, you’ll be thrilled to know Costner ends the three hours with an extended teaser for “Chapter 2” (thanks for the spoiler warning, Mr. Costner!).

The Only Good Indian is a Bad Indian

Still here? Let’s dive into the film’s problematic and illogical depiction of Native Americans. Initially, it’s refreshing to hear Gephardt question why settlers chose Horizon. Didn’t the three graves across the river suggest the area was off-limits? Gephardt and Riordan provide necessary exposition about the other Apache tribes and indigenous groups, who are relatively peaceful if left alone. Tribal councils show elders trying to convince the angry, impatient young generation that they’re safe in the hills without engaging settlers. The youngsters want none of it and demand their land back by any means necessary. Theoretically, this is a smart depiction of the era’s differing viewpoints. But Costner and composer John Debney score the Apache attacks (and other clashes) with sentimental, grandiose music that sympathizes solely with the settlers. This almost entirely undermines the positive portrayal before it.

Additionally, given the various cultural groups represented (Mexicans and non-Apache Native Americans in the cavalry, Chinese laborers in Montana), it’s strange that the American Civil War’s eastern front isn’t mentioned at all in three hours. Especially with an African-American couple settled in Horizon. Perhaps there’s time in the next chapter?

Seriously, Costner?

I had high hopes for this film, but the result is disappointing. Costner, the Oscar-winning director of “Dances with Wolves,” isn’t new to westerns. The underrated 2003 film “Open Range” and even “Wyatt Earp” proved that. He assembled an impressive cast who mostly give their all. But despite the shootouts, some epic wide shots (frankly, fewer than expected), and a few genuine moments of tension, it all feels flat. Maybe the next episodes (whenever they come, if at all) will improve it.

-Gergely Herpai  “BadSector”-