Kevin Costner und der Western

Dances with Wolves is considered Kevin Costner's masterpiece and revived a genre that had been thought dead in the early 1990s. While Westerns were considered outdated, Costner was convinced that they just needed to be told differently. He directed the film himself and focused on maximum authenticity—for the first time, indigenous roles were cast exclusively with Native Americans, and for the first time, indigenous characters spoke Lakota in a blockbuster movie. The film struck a chord with audiences, won seven Oscars, and permanently changed the perception of Westerns.

Costner grew up in a sheltered environment, discovered his love of cinema at an early age, and worked his way up from a supporting role in “Silverado” to global stardom in “The Bodyguard.” Flops such as “Waterworld” and “The Postman” cause his image to falter, but he remains loyal to the Western: he returns in 2003 with “Open Range” and redefines the genre in the streaming age with the series “Yellowstone.”

At the same time, the Western continues to evolve: “Brokeback Mountain” openly depicts the intimate relationship between two cowboys in 2005, ‘Westworld’ combines Western motifs with science fiction, and Quentin Tarantino relies on exaggerated violence and hip-hop sounds in “Django Unchained.”

But Costner remains true to his style to this day: his passion project “Horizon” is set to tell the story of the settlement of America from 2024 onwards – but devastating reviews and accusations against Costner are putting additional strain on the project. The Arte documentary asks: Why is his vision faltering? And how has Kevin Costner shaped the Western to this day?