American Primeval is an excellent western, although it doesn't really bring anything new in terms of story. This is mainly because the violence is depicted so directly. Without it becoming disturbing. The violence is not condemned or glorified. It is 'only' part of the time in which the story takes place. The fact is that this of course fits with the spirit of the times. The discovery of the western United States did not go without a hitch. Certainly not during the Utah War (1857-1858), the period in which this story takes place.
Furthermore, the story is actually quite standard if you compare it to other westerns. Settlers on their way to settle in the Wild West are harassed by bandits and native Americans. Among the settlers a woman (Sara) and a son who do everything they can to get to the boy's father. As the story progresses, there appears to be another reason behind this. Sara is being chased by bounty hunters.
The beautiful cinematography and the dark colors that match all that violence give this miniseries extra character.
When Sara and her son arrive at the agreed location, their guide has already flown. That means they go with someone who says they can help them. When the three arrive at a fortress, Sara must look for a new guide. Murder and retaliation are not far away. The woman tries it with the eccentric Isaac. Even though he refuses, you know immediately that he is going to accept the invitation anyway.
In American Primeval, the Wild West is shaped by a strictly religious but also violent sect. This murderous clan stands up for their interests using brute force. The law may be represented by the American army, but their numbers are so small that they are also vulnerable.
The Native Americans are on the one hand violent, but just as helpful. They partly fight with the bandits and the army. The Shosone who are still free are depicted truthfully. Their dilemma is to fight and die or willingly allow themselves to be carried away by the overwhelming white dominance that is beginning to emerge. They don't yet know that there is a good chance that you will die anyway.
Creator Mark L. Smith is best known for his work on The Revenant. That is clearly reflected in this series. The beautiful cinematography and the dark colors that match all that violence give this miniseries extra character. All the attention to detail and the historical context in which American Primeval is set pays off. The result is a raw western that makes a name for itself precisely because of this setting.
All the attention to detail and the historical context in which American Primeval is set pays off.
In addition to the central story of Isaac, Sara and her son, more stories receive ample attention. It is precisely in those small stories that the success of this miniseries is hidden. The story of the kidnapped woman. The search of her increasingly desperate husband. The owner of the fortress. The great helmsman of the faithful band and the leader of the army. They all make a special contribution to the interesting story. This, just like the insight into the dilemmas of the Soshone, means that American Primeval scores higher than the average western. The beautifully shot images and their rawness provide the icing on the cake.
About the writer, Karzal
Mike (1995) has been a member of MySeries since 2016 and is mainly active on the English version of the site. Since 2018, he has been actively translating news articles, columns, reviews and basically everything that ends up on the Dutch site. The original articles, columns and reviews were actually written by others. During the week Mike can be found at IKEA, where he is a national systems specialist and occasionally also in the classroom to teach an English lesson. In addition, Mike logically enjoys watching series and has actually been spoon-fed this from an early age. The genre doesn't matter, there is a place for everything in the otherwise busy life.
