Paramount Pictures
As 1987 dawned, Kevin Costner was primarily recognized as the brash gunslinger Jake in the Western comedy “Silverado,” directed by Lawrence Kasdan. This part was a form of compensation from Kasdan, who had previously removed Costner from “The Big Chill” due to audience reactions to his performance as the late Alex. The ensemble cast of “The Big Chill” had inflated Alex’s importance to such an extent that Costner, then a newcomer, couldn’t sustain the character’s legend. Though Kasdan’s gesture was appreciated, “Silverado” failed to ignite the box office in the summer of 1985.
Therefore, when Costner secured the coveted role of Eliot Ness in Brian De Palma’s 1987 gangster epic “The Untouchables,” Paramount Pictures launched an aggressive marketing campaign to promote the charming 32-year-old actor as a newly minted superstar. Adorned in exquisite Giorgio Armani attire and equipped with David Mamet’s crisp dialogue, Costner was essentially warming up with a loaded bat. With De Palma directing and Sean Connery and Robert De Niro as his adversaries, his rise to full-fledged stardom seemed inevitable.
Many believe Costner lived up to expectations, but he himself feels he could’ve performed better. His reasoning? His co-stars had an abundance of something he lacked: experience.
Kevin Costner felt outgunned on the set of The Untouchables
Paramount Pictures
In a 2024 GQ interview, coinciding with the release of his unfinished Western magnum opus “Horizon: An American Saga,” Costner reflected on his experience filming “The Untouchables.” The film, an undisputed classic that raked in $76 million in the U.S. (placing it sixth in the 1987 box office), left Costner feeling as though he had brought a knife to a gunfight.
“‘The Untouchables’ had an excellent script,” Costner recalled. “David Mamet penned a flawless script, and I was eager to participate. Brian de Palma was the director, with Sean Connery and Robert De Niro in the cast. It was a great opportunity for me at the time.” However, Costner felt the timing wasn’t right for him. “I didn’t think Sean would take a liking to me for some reason,” he admitted. “But he did. He was kind to me, and I learned a lot because I was observant. Looking back, I wish I’d been a more seasoned actor when filming ‘The Untouchables’.”
Costner faced some harsh criticism in 1987. Roger Ebert commented, “The script doesn’t provide, and [Costner] doesn’t deliver, any character nuances that might have made Ness more unique.” I beg to differ. Regardless of what we know about Ness’s post-prohibition life (like his descent into alcoholism), it has no bearing on De Palma’s film. In general, history is irrelevant. Was Ness leading a liquor raid at the Canadian border with the Mounties? Pure fabrication. De Palma and Mamet’s Ness is a virtuous character because the gangster film formula demands it. Costner performed as cast and directed. Had he been more assertive, he might have challenged De Palma, which could have ended badly. De Palma and Costner’s timing was perfect, with Costner playing the ideal innocent. As Sean Connery’s character Malone would say, “Here endeth the lesson.”
Credit: www.slashfilm.com
