Costner's "Horizon" - A New Era for the Civil War Western?

Spanning the years 1861-1865, Kevin Costner's two-part "Horizon" explores the lure of the Old West and how it was won-and lost. But will it be an accurate representation of this pivotal moment in American history? Tune in to hear history professor Jared Frederick's thoughts on how the movie might be able to capture the complexity of the Civil War era.
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Reel History delves into historical films to separate fact from fiction. These engaging episodes explore, contextualize, and clarify stories related to the most famous historical movies. In contrast to the more prevalent "reaction" videos, these installments seek not only to entertain but to educate and inform. For host Jared Frederick and producer Andrew Collins, these episodes are a labor of love and a means of expressing passion for the past as well as cinema. Courteous viewer feedback is always welcome. The views expressed are our own and do not necessarily represent our employers or organizations with which we are involved.
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[@stephendavis6267]

This feels very much like Costner trying to do "How the West Was Won," in regards to the sweeping and romantic scope of the era. Which I'm all for, and I trust that he'll try to give us a balanced perspective between the indigenous parties and the settlers, and show the capacity for compassion and brutality across the board.

[@Concetta20]

Yeah, I’m all for that, too.

[@davemac1197]

I got The Searchers (1956) reference when I saw Sienna Miller and the children being hidden in the cellar. It looks good and Kevin Costner certainly knows how to make good westerns. I was watching a modern day western episode last night in Longmire (2012-2017) in which they find a dead drug dealer shot with sixteen arrows. The Cheyenne Reservation Tribal Police officer Mathias quips "looks like he was killed by Comanches." Love it. Keep 'em coming!

[@modernjosephus356]

I saw that too. Lol

[@davidhomen6204]

From what I can gather from the trailer, it's post 1865 pre 1873. New Mexico / Arizona territory and the natives, implying Victoria. And my guess is Horizon would be a valley or even the name of the wagon party. The natives have spencer carbines. The settlers have 1860 Henry's. Costner's character has a conversion pistol. This may very well take place over a 10-year period. The soldiers are. 1865 - 1880 Just from the hats alone. The trailer really reminds me of Hondo and the searchers. With a bit of gone to Texas thrown in.

[@user-lg5kd7xs9r]

I love westerns. I love American sagas. I think that this is going to be awesome. Even teenagers are raving about it. You'd think they'd be talking about Fourth Wing. But they're not. They're talking about Horizon. A pleasant surprise. Rodney

[@gunsgalore7571]

I confirm that, as a teenager, I am talking about this movie, and have never even heard of the Fourth Wing. I love me some good old westerns! They are the heart of the American soul.

[@Concetta20]

What is this “Fourth Wing” of which you speak?

[@CASSIUSMALONE189]

lol. That’s not true at all

[@JimmyMcCullochFan]

Just saw part one today. Absolutely phenomenal! Can’t wait for part two.

[@jadapandy]

Fantastic film! Old-fashioned westerns are back! Cannot wait for part 2.

[@jimthorup9956]

Dances with Wolves is mentioned as Costner's previous western. What became of Wyatt Earp (1994), Open Range (2003) and Hatfields & McCoy (2012)?

[@brandonpeters1618]

Hatfields and McCoys was absolutely amazing

[@user-lg5kd7xs9r]

I love that music. This is great.

[@Mike23443]

Kevin Costner woke up one day, looked out upon the prairie, and he saw no westerns. Nobody was making any. Nobody wanted any. But he wanted a gosh darn western. So he decided to make them all, then he proceeded to make Yellowstone, the prequel to Yellowstone, the prequel to the prequel of Yellowstone, the sequel to the prequel of Yellowstone, and four full feature western films. The man really likes westerns....

[@ezziba8240]

Lol. I've never watched any of them, but I love me a good western.

[@troygreenwalt2985]

Yellowstone and it's sequel's are the work of Taylor Sheridan. Nothing against Costner.

[@Mike23443]

@@troygreenwalt2985 pretty sure Costner was a major investor/producer. I didn't mean he wrote them.

[@troygreenwalt2985]

@@Mike23443 He was an executive producer. I am not bad mouthing Costner he is in one of my favorite westerns Open Range and in Wyatt Earp with the best on screen Doc Holiday, Dennis Quaid (that comment makes a lot of dudes mad). I just think writers sometimes get pushed to the shadows because of the stars. Taylor Sheridan is why I was waiting for Yellowstone to come out. He made what I consider to be the best two modern day westerns Wind River and Hell Or High Water. And now he has made my favorite western TV series, 1883. I am a Costner fan. Been a fan since 1985, American Flyers, Fandango and Silverado.

[@Zippezip]

Great job of explaining the two-part movie Professor!

[@ncwoodworker]

Yes. I was thinking the same thing. “How The West Was One”. Costner and Jimmy Stewart.

[@dannysunay4386]

Could be the next western that sweeps the oscars!!!!❤❤❤ Thank you prof. Love your vids!😊

[@Sixfoot8m]

I saw preview of open range and went, DAMN This one looks amazing also.

[@dandelves]

Will be watching this week 1

[@fanaticduck9946]

Jared I’m going with you to see this!

[@MichaelKingVids]

It’s to be a 4 part project, each part 3 hours

[@jannarkiewicz633]

Heard from my from my Western movie buff buddy -- Costner is filming 3 and 4 right now...

[@Waterkiller_AK]

Good to know, I started with modern western movies. Like Hostiles or 3:10 to Yuma, now I need to watch the Clint Eastwoods classics

[@dandelves]

LOTR of the western genre

[@evancrum6811]

Was waiting for you to discuss this.

[@BarbaraFarmer-tu6bj]

I cant wait to watch this!!! If you dont like Costner or westerns then dont watch it😂😂😂

[@daveclark8337]

Costner built it... but they did not come. They took your advice instead.

[@DrTarrandProfessorFether]

You sure it is a Civil War Western? One scene (a Longer Trailer), he is emptying his six shooter with metal shells dropping out. Unless he had a Pin-Fire pistol, cased pistol ammo was not available for pistols until 1873 when full casing bullets are available, Central Fire 44/40 and Colt 45 Cal pistols. Many older "cap and ball" pistols were adapted to the new rounds in the early 1870's. The 1873 Winchester used the new 44/40... had more powder than the Rim Fire rounds. There were Henry Rifles (came our in 1861 but production did not really start becoming available 1863) and the 1866 "golden boy" updated Henry Rifle still used the 44 Rimfire.. a bit lighter rifle (I have one) and better than the 1860 Henry... sold 10x more than the Heavy 1860 Henry... especially popular was the carbine version. I have 6 Rim fire "Henry 44 Rim fire" rounds, 28 grains Black Powder... . long and short case... unfired... pretty weak rounds... available until 1930's. In 1864, they made the copper cartridges a bit longer and got 2 more grains in the casing (bullet sunken deeper) with same legnth. This increased the power a bit. The 1873 new Central Fire 44/40 (44 cal and "40 grains" of power.. my black power rounds (commercial) took apart and had 28 grains "cowboy" loads in them... same as the original 44 Rim fire rounds. .. and I reload my own 44/40 rounds and can only fit 30 grains max, 3F Swiss powder. Not sure where "40" came from. This movie looks like 1874 ish. Indian attacks did happen but in the TV series "1883" just bad men and bandits , snakes, bad food, accidents were more likely to kill you than hostile Indians. You should Review "1883" boy, so many deaths!!! Like the Movie 'A Million Ways to Die in the West (2014)' "Every thing in the West wants to kill you"

[@Patrick-xv6qv]

It looks like the movie is going to cover a span of many years like the great Western, How the West was Won, so the scen could be when cap and ball revolvers were becoming obsolete

[@Super_tramp142]

From what I know this takes place over 30 years with the civil war era in the middle. Would explain the non civil war cavalry uniforms. I would guess this takes place in New Mexico being that it looks like Geronimo will be featured.

[@Bigrago1]

Saw the movie despite being 3 hrs I didn't feel it. As for my thoughts I enjoyed it, though if you go see it you should know the movie isn't your traditional 3 act structure but more a 3 hr introduction. I would recommend people see it in theaters especially for the visuals.

[@jannarkiewicz633]

My first Reel History in a month. Hurray!!!! Wow... It might be worth paying the $12 for the Manila Cinema (you get a seat/table/food)... In 1.5 years I am 60 and I will get Wednesday movies for free...

[@dennisyates1762]

Just watched a channel that was also reviewing this. Apparently it's a 4 part movie. Looks good to me.

[@gallantcavalier3306]

I actually think that the uniforms are pretty accurate. You have the troopers wearing the Mounted Service Jackets and civilian style campaign hats. I mean, these western units usually were knows as the “Buckskin Cavalry” for deviating from army regulations when going on campaign. But those were volunteer units like the 11th Ohio Volunteer Cavalry and the 11th Kansas Cavalry. But if these are Army Regulars, like the 2nd U.S Dragoons or the 1st U.S Cavalry, it is still very accurate. As the regular units would ditch their regulation forage caps and kepi’s for civilian hats in order to better protect them from the sun, rain, and other elements of nature. The only thing I really question is why the Sergeant-Major (Michael Rooker) is wearing shoulder scales. It makes me wonder if this is 1860 pre-civil war or what… but I love it so far!!

[@sorenpx]

The film is supposed to be four parts, not just two. But people are going to have to get out and support Parts I and II for III and IV to get made. I hope they do and I hope its great. We all need one more great western from Costner before he retires.

[@kelex12]

Costner has already started filming part 3. He’s not waiting to see how the first 2 parts do at the box office. Hopefully they do make money, but unfortunately, in 2024, a Kevin Costner lead Western is a tough sell. It’s even hard for him to get financing and he’s put up $38 million of his own money to make them.

[@sorenpx]

@@kelex12 He did START filming but he didn't complete filming because he's out of money. He needs outside funding. He'll only get that if what he's already completed makes money.

[@davidcbr0wn]

Sure reminds of 1883 with Tim McGraw and Sam Elliott.

[@DrTarrandProfessorFether]

yep, 1883 great movie.. so many DEATHS...

[@darksidemachining]

Superb Video. Noticed that Costner is rehiring actors he had in previous movies such as Giovanni Ribisi and Will Patton from The Postman, Jeff Fahey from Silverado. Also noticed that Tatanka Means the son of Indian activist Russel Means is in the film. That in and of itself is interesting because Costner wished to have Russel involved with Dances with Wolves to which he gave the offer a hard pass because the Indians had no depth and were “cardboard cut-outs” think Laurence of Arabia. He also noticed that some caucasian actors were being hired as stuntmen for the Indians and felt that Indian stuntmen could have been used. In the end RM grudgingly gave DWW a thumbs up because it put Indians in the spotlight for a while and helped draw attention to his cause.

[@hijinks21]

Always get homework watching this channel

[@CAARaeed]

For all the Westerns I've watched I still don't understand how people were wearing suits, overcoats and corset dresses with 20 layers in the middle of a desert.

[@patrickt6642]

They were tougher

[@White_Tiger2169]

I believe is 4 parts. 2 this year and 2 next I think

[@TheRealMediaMan]

First time I noticed the “2 part” release

[@randystolz]

Phil Sheridan saw action defending a blockhouse outside modern Portland, OR, prior to gaining fame as a key subordinate of Sherman and Grant... and there was a fair amount of action on the plateaus of eastern Washington and northeastern Oregon in the last years prior to the Civil War...

[@jamesmaclennan4525]

The Cavalry Uniforms look more like the post civil war style

[@jimplummer4879]

I like it !

[@andrewj.m.157]

Yes please!!

[@ricardoaguirre6126]

Have you read any of Leon Metz's books? He mostly focused on the southwest.

[@dio52]

Tentatively hopeful that the story is more nuanced than the trailer suggests. The overt tone suggests a cowboys and indians story more suited to the past, but something gives me the sense that the editor for the trailer might have taken some liberties with the source material to present a more simplistic story.

[@triplec3217]

It’s extremely nuanced after having seen it.

[@ARCtrooperblueleader]

From what I see, Horizon > Yellowstone. Different genres, but still. I loved 1883 for it’s more tame nature. The low point for the Red Dead Redemption games is that it is either when the West was dying or dead. I love true Westerns like Horizon seems to be representing.

[@xXFaNaTikKXx]

wasnt Open Range a western that came out in 2003?

[@ReelHistory]

Yep.

[@curtisanderson1830]

My Wife and I just came back from a river boat trip of the lower Mississippi and Civil War history of Louisiana and Mississippi. had a real good Historuan sorry I don't remember his name

[@Concetta20]

I have to see this at the Alamo Theatre …

[@Bigrago1]

You don't see films being made back to back these days, especially four films and period pieces at that.

[@ryankeyes3101]

Have you ever thought of doing a reaction video to the new Midway movie that came out a few years ago?

[@ReelHistory]

It will happen this spring!

[@1rwjwith]

Have you read and reviewed the book “Empire of the Summer Moon”? It is non-fiction it covers the clash with the COMANCHE tribes mostly in West and North Texas between 1836-1870 . It is non-fiction.They were actually the dominant tribe in that region and tried to wipe out both the Apache tribe and White settlers. I am thinking part of this could intersect with that era but who knows.

[@joemanz4292]

Hi...maybe I missed it ,but , I don't remember you doing a review of the complete Napoleon movie

[@OldMusicFan83]

If you can’t say anything nice, don’t say anything.

[@johnresto1603]

What was said that wasn't nice?​@@OldMusicFan83

[@ReelHistory]

It comes out in March on Apple TV. Rest assured we will tackle it after "Masters of the Air."

[@modernjosephus356]

It could be something like "Centennial" on a smaller scale

[@fred5399]

Damn it does look like How the West was Won

[@larson0014]

Glad they aren't sacrificing the story for length

[@Concetta20]

Yeah, our soiled dove there looks like how they would’ve tried to costume an actress for a ‘90’s pop Western.

[@meltz911]

While it looks great visually, it just seems like the same character we've seen him play five or six times already.

[@dennisyates1762]

Sorry the channel is called " Just Westerns"

[@OldStreetDoc]

Being a Kevin Costner film, it’s going to be panoramic & beautifully shot. I can’t help but think that if this is essentially what he left ‘Yellowstone’ for, if for that reason alone I hope it’s a true success. My hope is that today’s audience can somehow see this film through not the lens of today, but rather the lens of the time it’s set in - an an actual historical lens as well. That seems to be happening less & less today. Edit/Additional: From what I understand much of this was shot on & around the ranch in New Mexico that is largely seen now as the ‘Rust Ranch’ where that tragic shooting (Alec Baldwin) occurred.

[@pmullins1495]

I don't need more Violence, Hatred, Prejudices, triggering PTSD & Generalized Anxiety Trauma. We are immersed in over-abundance of that 24/7/365 by our "Controllers".

[@bgroovin1343]

A bunch of very clean looking people for frontier living and traveling.

[@jimmywrangles]

It's just another Western movie about stuff that never happened, Dancing with Wolves again but without the wolves or the awesome Indians. It's a tired old genre about an era that never really occurred.

[@susanvowell5339]

It has an R rating, so that's promising. It was an R rated world in the old west.

[@knownpleasures]

Why is he doing this when he’s nearly 70 years old especially when he’s paying for the movie as the producer

[@EGSBiographies-om1wb]

89th

[@irelanda8440]

I'm a big costner fan but I thought this was nothing special kinda disappointing.

[@johnbonbright4169]

Professor Frederick, let’s start a show where we smoke copious amounts of marijuana cigarettes and watch war movies. We will call it reefer history

[@Super_tramp142]

This is my life 😂

[@hawkeyegeorge]

I'm in!

[@andrewc6602]

Maybe the History Channel would pick this up!

[@gingernightmare9152]

Me too!!@@hawkeyegeorge

[@Macintoshllc]

My pet peeve is the hair, especially on the actresses. You can guess the era a Western was made just from the hair styles, cut n colour… it always looks modern for the year filmed. Ex: 1990:Dances With Wolves- Stands With Fists has the classic late 1980s layered n messy curled, beachie blowout. Every Western is guilty especially tv series as Gun Smoke. All the Eastwood Spaghetti Westerns… etc. Now 2024 peroxide blonde highlights w hot-iron curled hair w trundle bangs n dark roots? It boggles the mind how so much detail is afforded to costumes, time period props, guns etc.. but go totally off on hair n makeup. Another irritation is dialogue. Accents n words out of place n time.. but that’s another story. Ok.. done ranting. Peace.

[@jeffsmith2022]

OK Mr. Professor, so you do not know anything about the content or what it really will be about, but you are compelled to blow it up anyway, GIMME a break...

[@ReelHistory]

What do you mean "blow it up?"

[@kinnertubbyson]

Hoast.

[@petermillist3779]

Don’t see anything civil war here

[@harr77]

I'm torn at supporting a colonial project but dammit Costner is so good.

[@TheVid54]

Well, after watching HORIZON 1 with some western fanboy friends, Kevin Costner probably would have been better off just re-imagining BIRTH OF A NATION, a saga in parts, but with color and sound for new theatrical thrills! It only made about a 10th of what KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON was able to earn, and for good reason(s).

[@porcine83]

I have high hopes for Horizon. I do NOT want it check lots of boxes of diversity or representation, however. It's not a political treatise, it's entertainment. I want a good, relatively realistic story. Costner's best western is 'Open Range' IMO.

[@jeffsquires6620]

He's ripping off John Ford and JOHN WAYNE.

[@ReelHistory]

Homage or ripping off?

[@jeffsquires6620]

@@ReelHistory Kevin Costner. Not a mistake it's at Monument Valley.

[@dandelves]

In what way do reach that conclusion?

[@jeffsquires6620]

@@dandelves he's using the filming location's that Wayne and Ford made famous. Very recognizable from the calvary movies. I pray there isn't black gay transgendered in it.

[@guillermomenehanez2476]

I do value your programs and the wealth of knowledge of history that you share with us..but I do question why The screen is about 80% your face and office and the film you review are only about 20% of the screen. I guess you are a handsome man, but I would rather see the film clips. My vision is not that of a 20-year-old anymore, and when they are so small, it makes it difficult to view. I wish you would reconsider the foremat you use.

[@ReelHistory]

One word....copyright. we have had to re-render dozens of videos over the years because the video gets blocked. Blocked videos don't make for a good viewing experience.

[@cdybft9050]

I’m sure this version will be woke crap..

[@ReelHistory]

How so?

[@josephinekush5056]

More American "Manifest Destiny" crap. Sad to see this sort of clap-trap being produced in today's day & age. Certainly not as inspiring as the settlement of the Canadian frontier; with the North-West Mounted Police establishing of law, order & peace for all, no matter the race, creed or culture. But of course, that took real people, with real grit & real courage. As the Fort Benton (Montana) Record reported in 1878, "Those Mountie's Don't Scare an Inch."

[@ReelHistory]

We'll see.

[@pattycerqua5679]

Saw the movie, don't waste 3 hours of your life...boring and confusing

[@triplec3217]

Boeing and confusing are mutually exclusive, and this was neither Boeing more confusion.

[@1foxyone]

I just saw it . Very disappointed. Make me feel like a Netflix mini series. Cheap one at that