Yellowstone - TV Series Review

Yellowstone is about the Dutton family with the head of the family John Dutton who is struggling to protect his family and the Yellowstone Dutton Ranch which is the biggest ranch in the United States. While resisting land developers, a native American reservation and the state’s first National Park, the Duttons dive even deeper into power, corruption and struggle for existence.

Here in Yellowstone, the concerns that can be considered to be most predominant include land, legacy, and family. The mood is therefore considerably somber, dramatic and realistic to depict the vastness of the Western frontier as well as the violence. Explicating this contemporary western experience, the director performs a gravitational dance through the steep slopes of conflicting hegemonies of land ownership and family responsibilities.

Kevin Costner takes up the mantle of John Dutton, making the head of the family seem rather heroic. Kelly Reilly and Wes Bentley do admirably well, managing to inject some depth into their roles. The large cast is energized for its performances; or the rough and diverse characters that populate this Western drama.

The ‘vison’ of the show which is in its formative stages of development is however quite simply – brilliant courtesy Stephen Kay and Taylor Sheridan to be precise. Sheridan is a professor of Western content, and this shows through the gumbo of the show’s cast, and their relationship to the place it sets.

The tone of the series includes its captivating musical, which enforces drama of the series’ narrative and an emotion impact. The music helps the viewers to follow the emotions that encompass the storyline.

The cinematography in Yellowstone is outstanding. Montana’s wide expanses are impressively depicted through visuals where the gallery handles the grandeur frontier feel well.

The exterior and interior set design makes the world of Yellowstone feel very real and well thought out. From the Dutton ranch, the audience is given the accurate demonstrative of realistic, each area comes across as though it is real and occupied.

‘Special effects, although not employed very frequently, do their job best in intensifying dramatic sequences and adding a realistic aura to the locations, thus catering the audience best with what it expects to see in a typical western.

‘The editing helps to tell the story and sustain tense atmosphere, but at the same time it does not rush the story telling throughout the film.’

The series progresses steadily and every detail carefully, mirroring the relentless march of Western advancement necessary for the storyline, as well as the character traits of the protagonists, and the continuous growth of tension.

‘It’s tense and harmonic at the same time,’ I think that dialog is so good as it combines the laconic informality of the majority of westerns movies and the passion of the most affected family dramas. It gives a clear understanding of the issues at stakes and challenges that are characteristic of the characters.

Altogether the number of story arcs reaches staggering levels, and it is sometimes difficult to remember all of them; perhaps, some character growth could have used more attention, as well. But, on this factor, I think it is good enough in giving interest for the viewers in spite of some problems encountered.

Yellowstone gives viewers a strong story and half-broken characters you cannot help but feel for and provides an exhilarating experience. It redefines western culture in order to present a familiar but new story that can really be communicated with.