Kevin Costner defended his depiction of the previous West in his newest movie, notably the portrayal of Native American, Black and Asian characters, saying he “is completely aware of what’s at stake” in terms of illustration.
Talking on the Cannes movie competition after Sunday evening’s world premiere of Horizon: An American Saga – Half 1, the primary of a deliberate four-part Western epic, Costner mentioned he aimed to indicate Native and minority characters within the movie as “well-rounded folks” a lot in the identical method as he did with Dances With Wolves greater than three many years in the past.
“I can’t fill each field each time I attempt to make a film. However I’m completely aware of what’s at stake,” mentioned Costner. “The Chinese language [for example] are a vital half [of American frontier history], as have been African Individuals clearly, who additionally started to populate the West. So that they’re essential to me.”
Horizon, which stars Costner alongside Sienna Miller, Sam Worthington, Jena Malone and Luke Wilson, follows white settlers as they head west, taking land, because the director put it, “from people who had been there for 15,000 years. [In] the constant march throughout America. we destroyed over 500 cultures.”
Some critics, together with at The Hollywood Reporter, have taken challenge with Costner’s depiction of Indigenous characters within the movie, who’re initially portrayed from the settlers’ perspective as harmful and threatening. Solely properly into the film does Costner broaden the angle to indicate how Native assaults on settler homesteads are a direct response to the occupation of their ancestral lands.
Costner admitted that he’ll “in all probability fail and succeed at each flip” in his efforts to depict Native characters in his movies, however argued that “my purpose is true.”
The director, nevertheless, didn’t lay declare to be telling a Native story with Horizon. As with Dances With Wolves, Costner’s new movie is clearly advised from the angle of its white protagonists.
“Lots of people talked about Dances with Wolves as being a Native American story and I mentioned no, it’s not. It was a narrative about me,” he mentioned, “a narrative a few calvary man who went out to the West. The distinction was the [Native] people who he ran up towards I attempted to make appear to be folks [not stereotypes]. I couldn’t be the individual that ‘units the report straight’ for Native Individuals or for African Individuals or for anyone. I simply tried to make it as actual as I [could]…I made it from [my] viewpoint.”
Costner has already completed manufacturing on his second Horizon film, with Warner Bros. set to launch the primary movie within the saga within the U.S. on June 28, following up with Chapter Two on August 16. Costner mentioned he had began manufacturing on Chapter Three earlier than shutting down the shoot after three days to return to Cannes for the primary movie’s premiere. “Which is extraordinary, however coming right here was so essential for me, to return to a spot the place films are considered in a really open method was essential to me.”
Costner additionally used the Cannes journey to move that hat, saying he “knocked on each boat in Cannes” to try to get the floating 1 % to get their checkbooks out and bankroll the ultimate two Horizon movies. He joked that the assembled press ought to be part of him exterior on the harbor and stand in entrance of 1 boat “don’t let these wealthy folks off” till the comply with bankroll his films.
Costner is on monitor to speculate round $100 million of his personal cash into his Horizon saga. On the press convention, he famous that he wished to depart the 4 properties he owns to his kids however will “danger these houses to make my films… my kids must stay their very own lives.”
After he returns from Cannes, Costner mentioned he’ll return to capturing Horizon Chapter 3 and proceed “to go so far as my cash takes me.”