Saddle up and hogtie a pig. The remote flatlands of Montana are practically lawless with many people fighting over who gets to own the land. From sabotage to murder, it seems that there will be no easy resolution between the two main factions that have been fighting for decades. The stakes are high for the fruitful land, it is pride vs pride. The pride of keeping what you have worked for all your life and the pride of getting back what was taken from you. Does this show revive the cowboy genre or does it blow in the wind like a tumbleweed?
The largest ranch in America in the state of Montana owned by the Dutton family. This family has been running the ranch for many generations. Competition is always looking for ways to get this land by any means necessary. Two of the groups who want this land are the Native Americans and the people who want to make it into the country club. Each party does despicable things to one another to get what they want. It does not matter if it is blackmail or murder, as long as the job is done.
John Dutton (Kevin Costner) is a widowed man diagnosed with cancer. He is trying all that he can to keep the ranch that has been in his family for generations. He has four children. Beth (Kelly Reilly) is a businesswoman who loves her family as much as she likes whiskey. She will do whatever she needs to get the job done. From sleeping with the competition to blackmail, she is the Dutton’s most effective family member. Jamie (Wes Bentley) is a lawyer who helps his father get out of legal trouble that comes with such a big piece of land. Lee (Dave Annable) is trying to inherit the ranch from his father but John does not see him worthy of that honor. Kayce (Luke Grimes) an ex-marine who is trying to provide for his family without the help of his father. He married Monica (Kelsey Chow), a Native American woman, and they live on a reservation with their child. The reservation they live on is owned by Thomas Rainwater (Gil Birmingham) who is trying to take back the land that John’s Family stole from his people. This causes tension between Kayce and him and makes him choose the side he will fight on.
Yellowstone seems more like an extended movie on the way the cinematography is. If you are not interested in westerns, then watching it for the scenery alone is well worth it. A modern-day western that seems to blend the old with the new perfectly. The tensions between Americans and Native Americans are juicy to watch and historical. To be shown the point of view from both parties, Yellowstone shows the determination of how much they want it. Both feel that they are entitled to that land and neither one is backing down. The constant feuding is extremely enjoyable, especially with Kayce who is married a Native American. He has a side to pick between the two factions that he loves.
Yellowstone is a character-driven drama with plenty of action and gore to go around. The show is surprising when first watching it. It makes the viewer forget that they are watching cable tv. The show constantly drops f-bombs and is not scared to show nudity. The HBO style of the content may not be for everyone, especially people who didn’t know the show would be like this. The cowboy western genre has died out over the recent years, but it blends modern and old beautifully. Possibly lighting the fire for revamping the western genre in cinema.
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