The weighty first instalment of Kevin Costner’s western mega-epic, this is unapologetically old-school in its approach. The colours, clay reds and the glistening gold of Sienna Miller’s suspiciously well-washed hair, practically sing from the frame. The score is stirring and self-important. The Native Americans are neatly divided into the ruthless killers intent on exterminating the settlers, and those who take what the film frames as the reasonable approach of appeasement and cooperation with the white folk. This is the kind of handsome, well-nourished film-making that looks an absolute treat up on the screen, but is about as authentically Old West as a set of dental veneers. Still, it’s not uninvolving. The picture takes its own sweet time getting going, but a satisfying momentum builds through the multiple, interlinked storylines.
In UK and Irish cinemas now
