This Western was written and acted in a way that appeals to an old fashioned sense of "right and wrong."
You did what was right, and you stood up for that regardless of the popularity of it and what people thought.
Similarly, you called out what was wrong and showed no fear standing up to it; even at your own peril.
The moral code is simple.
The acting according to that moral code is amazing.
The final showdown is just a beauty to watch.
Superior numbers dwindle in the face of fearless actions.
This one is worth your time.

Two disc Open Range: full film commentary Kevin Costner is Directing 101 to understand the personal aspects of art making.

Broken Trail Robert Duvall is a second in the Western trilogy based on true stories woven into mythic and historically informative art.

Open Range is similar to Foyle's War 8 Seasons, another cinematherapy contribution based on Imperial War Museum, Mass Observation diaries collected since 1937, newspaper magazine radio archives of the Homefront during WWII: rationing which became worse AFTER WWII was complete, ongoing interpersonal conflicts, greed, vanity, profit making from war. Absorbing and understanding history through due diligence: research, interviews with curator of Imperial War Museum, collected writings of individuals in real time as the events of WWII were unfolding.

Parenthood Steve Martin Mary Steenburgen Rick Moranis Tom Hulce Keanu Reeves Dianne Wiest Jason Robards comedy Featurette with Ron Howard and writers contributes the perspective of men who become fathers at mid life and their experiences captured on film.

Documentary Halftime: Five Yale Men at Mid-life. Interviews at 25th reunion: aspirations, hopes, disappointments, cobbling together one's life after re-imagining what can still be.

Michael Jeter 50 years old (Percy) died after completion of Open Range and Polar Express.
Herb Kohler was in a difficult time in his life, and Costner offered him a role honoring his immigrant ancestors to the US, who created the Kohler plumbing company, gave living wage jobs to other immigrants which respectfully allowed other refugees to save and achieve the American dream, home ownership.
Costner honors them in his commentary.

Entire film commentary by Costner reiterates the personal nature of Memory Palaces from the Greek word mnemon meaning “to remember” Greek mythology, Mnemosyne goddess of memory. Open Range, the people, objects, relationships create time-place memories for the director. A single object, the chloroform bottle elicits the months spent cobbling together funding, writing, choosing and building locations, actors, costume, storyboarding, dressing the set for historical accuracy. Open Range is not a documentary but a collection of memory and archive from the writers, of a circle of caring, a collaboration which creates art.

The quiet and encompassing J Michael Muro cinematography allows one to glide into the comfort of a slow and unfettered lifestyle: camping, rescuing a Mexican orphan, a sheepdog puppy, and running cattle from the Mexican to the Canadian border, rain wind human greed vanity and desire for control. The storyline segues into PTSD after effects, blowback from memory of one's own actions of harm visited on others.

But the worst things, I did those to myself. Marianne Sense and Sensibility 2008.

The second disc of the Special Edition offers Making Of, deleted scenes with commentary by Costner, documentary of the actual Old West with Teddy Roosevelt, music video. Informative and add the the appreciation of the film, though the director's commentary is the most highly educational.

Gorgeous cinema, a personal tribute to a memory of collaborative art making and the value of journals, film, sculpture, photos as Memory Palaces. 5*

Kevin Costner directed this movie, and co-starred in it with Robert Duvall and Annette Benning. The movie is one of my husband's and my two favorite Westerns. The other is Silverado. Kevin Costner played another type of cowboy in Silverado -- young, feisty and so full of high spirits that he gets into trouble. "All I did was kiss a girl!"
In Open Range, Costner plays another Western character: the former gunslinger who just wants to help his boss get the herd across open range to market. On the way, they have to fight some truly evil characters, while the townsfolk mostly leave town or hide. We've seen this story before, but never in a more believable and heartfelt performance -- especially the depiction of what three basically good persons might do or say when it looks like time is running out for them.

I had some anxiety purchasing a French release of this great film. The specs stated "All Regions", but the editorial review recommended a Multi region PAL/NTSC player. My player is not - certainly it cannot play PAL format discs. But the disc plays without a problem. The only issue is changing the default French language to English:

In the Main Menu select Les Versions (setup)
Select DTS Master Audio VO (English)
Select Sous-Titres Francais: Sans (French subtitles: None)
Select Le Film (play film)

Great movie! But for virtually every blue ray player we need to wait and hope for a copy that can be played in the US. Don't buy the copy that shows the small green sticker on the left hand side, unless you want to go to Germany, or some European country to watch it. Maybe they should enclose free airline tickets.
I don't understand why such an amazing American movie doesn't have a copy for the USA. I hope that it comes out in Criterion, or better still in 4k for the beautiful cinematography.
Anyway I have to return mine.

Let me keep this simple: A damned fine Western with quality actors, a decent story line, and thoughtfully composed. I will remember many of the scenes, but the distance shot of the 'towns people' chasing and shooting at one of the 'bad fellows' is a classic in my view.

No spoilers included-
If you like shoot 'em-up westerns, I think you will really enjoy Open Range. As movies have modernized, so has the content of language; this movie has a good handle on the language used, as would have been used by people of the period, and of lower education in the old west - like cattlemen and rough-riders, like the characters Costner and Duval play. But, it is the lack of guttural profanity that is a breath of fresh air! Many people say that using strong profanity in movies adds realism - this movie says otherwise! This production has a great balance of realistic violence/gunfights, contrasted by realistic emotion and believable feelings of men, who have led long and really rough and tough lives. Gunfights, horses, and love... what better subject matter is there for a true western? The audio is fantastic - the guns actually sound real and not some made-up, old western ricochet-sounding garbage - I was really impressed at the sound of the gunfights, almost like being there. The score is fitting and not distracting. The dialog is clear and understandable without the need for captions. Of course, with the likes of Duval and Costner, the acting is beyond superb and the rest of the cast follows suit playing believable characters. I never once had the impression that any of the acting was sub-par. Kevin Costner knows how to do a western - whether directing, acting or, both! And you can't go wrong with Robert Duvall, his character is truly golden and his performance memorable! A fantastic production. Open Range has just become not only an addition to, but high up on my top-10 westerns list! Definitely an addition to my library!

I rank this as one of my few all time favorite westerns. The fight scene at the end is amazing and mostly realistic. Okay a shotgun blast through 1/2" wood and into a man isn't going to lift that man off the ground an send him backwards 8 feet. That is about the only stupid thing the Dopewood people did in this movie and I'm not sure why they would have done such a stupid thing.

The only way to make this movie better would be to fire some Amazon employee's who think we still live in the 1980's and like our movie previews at the beginning of VHS tapes. It would be nice if the Amazon video app on Roku wasn't garbage. Fast forward and reverse are almost useless. Videos don't remove off of the Watch Next list. Forcing children to see women cutting drugs and in their underwear before a family show. Targeting adult oriented shows with nudity toward children. It is amazing how out of touch with viewers as the Amazon Video employees are. You guys should be embarrassed of yourselves.