This movie won't be for everyone. It's dark, fairly "slow" paced, and at times brutal. But at it's core, this movie is about forgiveness -- and for me, it rang true and was emotionally impactful. Christian Bale is in top form here, and his performance as well as the rest of the cast is great. It's beautifully shot and the score is haunting and harrowing. Well directed and worth watching -- just don't expect this to be a fast paced thrilling Western. It's not heavy on plot -- it's more thematic.
549 Reviews
About finding rays of hope in sickening darkness
kluseba31 January 2018
Hostiles is a quite interesting western that convinces with stunning landscapes, intriguing characters and strong acting performances. The movie has a quite slow pace, so don't expect a vivid American or Italian western from the fifties and sixties. This movie is a drama above all, situated in a historically intriguing period between the American Civil War and the emergency of the Industrial Revolution.
The story revolves around Captain Joseph Blocker, who has lost many friends and brothers in arms in battles against Apaches and who openly despises them. He tracks them down pitilessly and tells himself that he is doing his duty while people around him start becoming depressed and disillusioned. One day, a colonel gives him a final order before his retirement,direct from the President. Joseph Blocker must escort a dying Cheyenne Chief, his personal arch enemy, as well as his family back to their tribal lands as a sign of reconciliation with the First Nations. The captain, who has always obeyed orders, is about to refuse but is menaced and forced to cooperate. He gathers a few faithful brothers in arms and must also cooperate with some inexperienced rookies around him to go on this dangerous trip. On the way from New Mexico to Montana, the unusual group faces numerous challenges as they face difficult weather conditions, a hostile Comanche party and racist landowners among others. They are joined by numerous other intriguing characters such as a mentally unstable woman who has lost her entire family to the Apaches and a former brother in arms of the captain who is about to be hanged. However, their biggest challenge is to fight their inner demons and overcome their differences in order to survive in hostile territory.
The movie finds the right balance between violent sequences that focus on the witnesses' reactions rather than graphic elements and clever dialogues between the diversified cast of characters. The most fascinating character is Captain Joseph Blocker, who seems to be a pitiless racist at first sight but who turns out to be a man with a strong moral compass who goes through a coming-of-age on this fateful journey and ends up not only forgiving the Indians for killing his partners but even empathizing and sympathizing with them, ending up defending them beyond duty. His positive development exemplifies the difficult relationship between European settlers and America's First Nations and is ultimately a sign of forgiveness, hope and peace. This positive moral contrasts the quite sinsiter mood of the film with an elevated body count and sensitive topics such as depression, revenge and suicide as many characters shatter under the burden of the challenging order.
Hostiles is a film that needs some patience and time to unfold but ends up being particularly rewarding thanks to the strong moral behind the sinister mask. Christian Bale, one of the world's greatest actors, even delivers the best performance of his career as tough anti-hero with just as many flaws as strengths. Above all, Hostiles is a film that is profoundly human, in all its sickening darkness interrupted by some rays of light. The perfect ending exemplifies this mixture perfectly. Western and drama fans should experience this film at the cinema and fans of Christian Bale just can't get around this movie either. Hollywood should produce more westerns and less superhero movies.
The story revolves around Captain Joseph Blocker, who has lost many friends and brothers in arms in battles against Apaches and who openly despises them. He tracks them down pitilessly and tells himself that he is doing his duty while people around him start becoming depressed and disillusioned. One day, a colonel gives him a final order before his retirement,direct from the President. Joseph Blocker must escort a dying Cheyenne Chief, his personal arch enemy, as well as his family back to their tribal lands as a sign of reconciliation with the First Nations. The captain, who has always obeyed orders, is about to refuse but is menaced and forced to cooperate. He gathers a few faithful brothers in arms and must also cooperate with some inexperienced rookies around him to go on this dangerous trip. On the way from New Mexico to Montana, the unusual group faces numerous challenges as they face difficult weather conditions, a hostile Comanche party and racist landowners among others. They are joined by numerous other intriguing characters such as a mentally unstable woman who has lost her entire family to the Apaches and a former brother in arms of the captain who is about to be hanged. However, their biggest challenge is to fight their inner demons and overcome their differences in order to survive in hostile territory.
The movie finds the right balance between violent sequences that focus on the witnesses' reactions rather than graphic elements and clever dialogues between the diversified cast of characters. The most fascinating character is Captain Joseph Blocker, who seems to be a pitiless racist at first sight but who turns out to be a man with a strong moral compass who goes through a coming-of-age on this fateful journey and ends up not only forgiving the Indians for killing his partners but even empathizing and sympathizing with them, ending up defending them beyond duty. His positive development exemplifies the difficult relationship between European settlers and America's First Nations and is ultimately a sign of forgiveness, hope and peace. This positive moral contrasts the quite sinsiter mood of the film with an elevated body count and sensitive topics such as depression, revenge and suicide as many characters shatter under the burden of the challenging order.
Hostiles is a film that needs some patience and time to unfold but ends up being particularly rewarding thanks to the strong moral behind the sinister mask. Christian Bale, one of the world's greatest actors, even delivers the best performance of his career as tough anti-hero with just as many flaws as strengths. Above all, Hostiles is a film that is profoundly human, in all its sickening darkness interrupted by some rays of light. The perfect ending exemplifies this mixture perfectly. Western and drama fans should experience this film at the cinema and fans of Christian Bale just can't get around this movie either. Hollywood should produce more westerns and less superhero movies.
A riveting story
kenstallings-653463 July 2018
Many reviewing Hostiles have chosen to seize upon avenues to criticize the film. Most common is the unfortunate chronological error where the Presidential order directing the mission was signed by Benjamin Harrison. This places the story in the period of 1889 to 1893, years too late to make sense.
Such a mistake is lamentable. The time period of the story would have ideally taken place from 1879 to 1880, when Rutherford Hayes was President, and the United States had largely defeated hostile tribes in the southwest and northern plains, but would be before the establishment of the railroad lines in New Mexico. This would have necessitated the pack mule excursion to Montana. It also would have allowed sufficient time to pass, given the references to Wounded Knee (1873) and Little Big Horn (1876), for the bitter memories to start to recede and allow the reflections shown in the movie to take place.
However, a fair review of this movie must avoid getting bogged down in historical minutia and instead focus on the story, because it is very poignant.
In many ways, this movie is to be congratulated for avoiding the modern day political traps that permeate so much of entertainment today.
The opening scene is brutal and forms the core of the story. A band of renegades attack a settlement home and leave a gash of misery in their wake. But, that is the coda of what the protagonists deal with, past chapters of great violence in a collision of hostile cultures.
The isolated acts of violence that happen later are as much a cleaning up of past deeds and a completion of the catharsis of reconciliation.
This movie is an immersion into the psyche of those who carry out acts of wartime violence, in a fight for survival, and how they try to retain their sanity and civility. As the story shows, some handle it better than others. None escape without deep scars.
There is a second theme that runs throughout the movie, ignorant people at the beginning and the end, attempting to lodge their persuasion onto the protagonists. None of these men suffered the wartime violence, but instead try to insert an empty moralizing, or attempt to enact their selfish will despite the clear Presidential mandate to allow the mission to proceed.
The reporter at the start of the film is silenced through humiliation. The second group at the end of the film meets a more lasting end. And at the end, we are left with shared misery among the few survivors, who try to bravely go on with what is left good to cling to.
Christian Bale is masterful in this movie. It is sad that his performance was not properly recognized.
Ultimately, this is a story of redemption, and in that regard it mirrors what took place over generations in America. A clash of survival ending with one side defeated, while both sides had to reconcile the shared experience of brutality. It avoids political finger-pointing, and in that regard strikes the proper degree of respect for both sides in this American struggle. It is a welcome addition to Hollywood's collection of period movies.
Such a mistake is lamentable. The time period of the story would have ideally taken place from 1879 to 1880, when Rutherford Hayes was President, and the United States had largely defeated hostile tribes in the southwest and northern plains, but would be before the establishment of the railroad lines in New Mexico. This would have necessitated the pack mule excursion to Montana. It also would have allowed sufficient time to pass, given the references to Wounded Knee (1873) and Little Big Horn (1876), for the bitter memories to start to recede and allow the reflections shown in the movie to take place.
However, a fair review of this movie must avoid getting bogged down in historical minutia and instead focus on the story, because it is very poignant.
In many ways, this movie is to be congratulated for avoiding the modern day political traps that permeate so much of entertainment today.
The opening scene is brutal and forms the core of the story. A band of renegades attack a settlement home and leave a gash of misery in their wake. But, that is the coda of what the protagonists deal with, past chapters of great violence in a collision of hostile cultures.
The isolated acts of violence that happen later are as much a cleaning up of past deeds and a completion of the catharsis of reconciliation.
This movie is an immersion into the psyche of those who carry out acts of wartime violence, in a fight for survival, and how they try to retain their sanity and civility. As the story shows, some handle it better than others. None escape without deep scars.
There is a second theme that runs throughout the movie, ignorant people at the beginning and the end, attempting to lodge their persuasion onto the protagonists. None of these men suffered the wartime violence, but instead try to insert an empty moralizing, or attempt to enact their selfish will despite the clear Presidential mandate to allow the mission to proceed.
The reporter at the start of the film is silenced through humiliation. The second group at the end of the film meets a more lasting end. And at the end, we are left with shared misery among the few survivors, who try to bravely go on with what is left good to cling to.
Christian Bale is masterful in this movie. It is sad that his performance was not properly recognized.
Ultimately, this is a story of redemption, and in that regard it mirrors what took place over generations in America. A clash of survival ending with one side defeated, while both sides had to reconcile the shared experience of brutality. It avoids political finger-pointing, and in that regard strikes the proper degree of respect for both sides in this American struggle. It is a welcome addition to Hollywood's collection of period movies.
Great
0U23 February 2020
Christian Bale is absolutely tremendous, delivering a quietly intense performance in this brutal revisionist Western that carefully (yet incisively) examines the consequences of a merciless cycle of hatred that only dehumanizes people and turns them into beasts and monsters.
Slow burn western with a message
ferguson-63 January 2018
Greetings again from the darkness. When a filmmaker is influenced by one of the all-time classics, that filmmaker best deliver a movie that not only stands up to inevitable comparisons, but also one that has its own identity, playing as more than a copy. Writer/director Scott Cooper (from a manuscript by the late Oscar winner Donald E Stewart) succeeds on both counts even as he tips his Stetson to John Ford's western classic THE SEARCHERS.
If you are familiar with Mr. Cooper's CRAZY HEART and OUT OF THE FURNACE, then you know his style is never hurried, and to expect minimal dialogue. You might think of him as the anti-Aaron Sorkin. Cooper's characters tend to only say what must be said, and prefer to communicate through subtle gestures and actions that define their character. In this latest, he re-teams with Oscar winner Christian Bale, who plays the quietly simmering Captain Blocker. It's 1892, and the legendary Army officer/soldier/guide is ordered to escort a Cheyenne Chief and his family through dangerous and unchartered New Mexico territory, so that the Chief may die in peace in his native Valley of the Bears, Montana. During a career of brutal warfare against the Native Americans, Captain Blocker has developed a deep-seeded hatred, and only accepts the assignment after his pension is threatened.
The opening sequence immediately immerses us in the constant danger faced during this era. Rosamund Pike watches as her homesteading family is brutally slaughtered by Comanche warriors. She survives only by escaping into the woods, although it's a bit of stretch to believe that this homemaker marm could outwit the Comanches. Circumstances find Ms. Pike's traumatized character (the actress's go-to wide-eyed look) joining and complicating Captain Blocker's convoy.
Wes Studi plays Chief Yellow Hawk, and the film's only weakness is in his not having a more substantive role, as we are teased a couple of times with nuanced exchanges between he and Bales' Blocker. The stellar supporting cast includes Rory Cochrane, Jonathan Majors, John Benjamin Hickey, Stephen Lang, Bill Camp, Jesse Plemons, Timothy Chalamet, Adam Beach, Peter Mullan, and Scott Wilson. Ben Foster also appears as an Army soldier accused of murder ... another addition to the convoy, as he is to be escorted to prison.
The somber film follows this traveling party as they move slowly and methodically across the open plains and wilderness. There are no moments of levity, as death and danger are constantly hovering. No real reason for optimism exists, and surviving the day is the only goal. Despite the appearance of little happening, there is much going on here for the characters and in commentary on the times. At its core, the story is about Blocker's reclamation of his soul and humanity; although redemption may not be possible as he recalls Julius Caesar and getting used to killing, but not to losing men.
Political correctness is avoided in many scenes, though the message is clear that the hatred between the Native Americans and the mostly Anglo settlers and soldiers stems from the unethical seizure of land by violent force. Amends are not possible even with a change of heart. It's in these moments where we desire a more in-depth look at the various native factions.
Cinematographer Masanobu Takayanagi works with some amazing vistas, landscapes and rock formations. He deftly balances the breathtaking beauty of the land with the intimacy of the mission. There is a relentless undercurrent of simmering emotion throughout the film, much of which comes courtesy of Christian Bale. Sporting a mustache to rival Poirot, Bale is remarkably adept at silently expressing disgust, rage, resolve and resignation. His groans and grunts convey as much as soliloquies for many actors. While he feels remorse and seeks redemption, we are left with the not-especially-upbeat message that we are what we are.
If you are familiar with Mr. Cooper's CRAZY HEART and OUT OF THE FURNACE, then you know his style is never hurried, and to expect minimal dialogue. You might think of him as the anti-Aaron Sorkin. Cooper's characters tend to only say what must be said, and prefer to communicate through subtle gestures and actions that define their character. In this latest, he re-teams with Oscar winner Christian Bale, who plays the quietly simmering Captain Blocker. It's 1892, and the legendary Army officer/soldier/guide is ordered to escort a Cheyenne Chief and his family through dangerous and unchartered New Mexico territory, so that the Chief may die in peace in his native Valley of the Bears, Montana. During a career of brutal warfare against the Native Americans, Captain Blocker has developed a deep-seeded hatred, and only accepts the assignment after his pension is threatened.
The opening sequence immediately immerses us in the constant danger faced during this era. Rosamund Pike watches as her homesteading family is brutally slaughtered by Comanche warriors. She survives only by escaping into the woods, although it's a bit of stretch to believe that this homemaker marm could outwit the Comanches. Circumstances find Ms. Pike's traumatized character (the actress's go-to wide-eyed look) joining and complicating Captain Blocker's convoy.
Wes Studi plays Chief Yellow Hawk, and the film's only weakness is in his not having a more substantive role, as we are teased a couple of times with nuanced exchanges between he and Bales' Blocker. The stellar supporting cast includes Rory Cochrane, Jonathan Majors, John Benjamin Hickey, Stephen Lang, Bill Camp, Jesse Plemons, Timothy Chalamet, Adam Beach, Peter Mullan, and Scott Wilson. Ben Foster also appears as an Army soldier accused of murder ... another addition to the convoy, as he is to be escorted to prison.
The somber film follows this traveling party as they move slowly and methodically across the open plains and wilderness. There are no moments of levity, as death and danger are constantly hovering. No real reason for optimism exists, and surviving the day is the only goal. Despite the appearance of little happening, there is much going on here for the characters and in commentary on the times. At its core, the story is about Blocker's reclamation of his soul and humanity; although redemption may not be possible as he recalls Julius Caesar and getting used to killing, but not to losing men.
Political correctness is avoided in many scenes, though the message is clear that the hatred between the Native Americans and the mostly Anglo settlers and soldiers stems from the unethical seizure of land by violent force. Amends are not possible even with a change of heart. It's in these moments where we desire a more in-depth look at the various native factions.
Cinematographer Masanobu Takayanagi works with some amazing vistas, landscapes and rock formations. He deftly balances the breathtaking beauty of the land with the intimacy of the mission. There is a relentless undercurrent of simmering emotion throughout the film, much of which comes courtesy of Christian Bale. Sporting a mustache to rival Poirot, Bale is remarkably adept at silently expressing disgust, rage, resolve and resignation. His groans and grunts convey as much as soliloquies for many actors. While he feels remorse and seeks redemption, we are left with the not-especially-upbeat message that we are what we are.
An all-around outstanding film with heart and substance
Top_Dawg_Critic5 December 2018
I'm disappointed at the low score and wannabe critics tearing this film apart politically, morally and historically.
This is not your typical Hollywood production, but instead, a very touching and beautiful film.
This is Scott Cooper's 4th film he both directed and wrote, and he nailed it. I hope to see much more from him in this caliber, and he is the one to watch as his resume grows.
This film was near perfect in every category. If the pace was a little faster and/or perhaps the 134 min length a little shorter, it would have been a perfect 10/10 from me.
It's been a while since I've seen a film so perfectly cast - all cast, ever single one of them, and they all performed just as great, especially Christian Bale and Rosamund Pike, who both were exceptional in their roles.
If you're expecting a wild west action Western, this isn't it. But if you want to see a near perfect film the way they used to be made, this is a gem. Ignore the negative reviews and just watch it. Would I see it again? Yes. Would I recommend it? Absolutely.
A well deserved 9/10 from me and mad props to Scott Cooper for this beautiful gem of a film.
This is not your typical Hollywood production, but instead, a very touching and beautiful film.
This is Scott Cooper's 4th film he both directed and wrote, and he nailed it. I hope to see much more from him in this caliber, and he is the one to watch as his resume grows.
This film was near perfect in every category. If the pace was a little faster and/or perhaps the 134 min length a little shorter, it would have been a perfect 10/10 from me.
It's been a while since I've seen a film so perfectly cast - all cast, ever single one of them, and they all performed just as great, especially Christian Bale and Rosamund Pike, who both were exceptional in their roles.
If you're expecting a wild west action Western, this isn't it. But if you want to see a near perfect film the way they used to be made, this is a gem. Ignore the negative reviews and just watch it. Would I see it again? Yes. Would I recommend it? Absolutely.
A well deserved 9/10 from me and mad props to Scott Cooper for this beautiful gem of a film.
Hostiles Come From Anywhere
Blue-Grotto30 September 2017
Deep and long simmering hatred is stirred up when Captain Blocker, an experienced and capable yet bitter western war veteran, is ordered to lead the transfer of a small band of Cheyenne from New Mexico to Montana. Blocker is enraged because the band includes Yellow Hawk, the killer of his friends. Forced to go, Blocker puts Yellow Hawk in chains for the long ride. The unlikely travel companions meet up with a grief-stricken woman in the burnt remains of her home. She cradles a dead baby in her arms and hovers on the brink of insanity. Worse, the unstable and dangerous men who massacred the woman's family are now on their trail. Sympathy for the woman as well as the desire for self-preservation begins to unite the Cheyenne and the soldiers.
There are wonderful film themes to digest including the understanding that hostility can come from anywhere or anyone. We are all potential hostiles. It is a sight for sore eyes to watch the characters travel through beautiful prairies and wildlands. Actors including Chistian Bale, Wes Studi and Rosamund Pike, perform impressively. While the actor chemistry is a bit off and much time is wasted in useless blubbering, there is an uncommon, important and intriguing American history lesson here. Seen at the Toronto International Film Festival.
There are wonderful film themes to digest including the understanding that hostility can come from anywhere or anyone. We are all potential hostiles. It is a sight for sore eyes to watch the characters travel through beautiful prairies and wildlands. Actors including Chistian Bale, Wes Studi and Rosamund Pike, perform impressively. While the actor chemistry is a bit off and much time is wasted in useless blubbering, there is an uncommon, important and intriguing American history lesson here. Seen at the Toronto International Film Festival.
A Poetic Film With A Knockout Christian Bale Performance!
namashi_115 July 2018
Scott Cooper's 'Hostiles' is a poetic film, that explores life & death with gut-wrenching violence & a hard-hitting narrative. This isn't an easy watch & nor does it want to be. Its a film about hate, divide & circumstances, & Cooper along-with leading-man Christian Bale, deliver a deeply affecting & meditative experience.
'Hostiles' follows a U.S. Cavalry officer (Bale) who must escort a Cheyenne war chief (A Fantastic Wes Studi) and his family back to their home in Montana in 1892.
'Hostiles' is about people haunted by their past & their actions towards one-another. Every character here, be it the protagonist, or the characters around him, are unsettled & victims of hate & hatred. This is a story about people who want to question their hate for one-another, but are unable to, due to their given circumstances. This is a human story & the sheer brutality here depicts a side of humanity we all are aware off. Its told with honesty, albeit, with gut-wrenching aggression.
Scott Cooper is in top-form this time around. 'Hostiles' is a slow-moving, poetic piece, that sees the filmmaker in strong command. Cooper captures the bleakness & conflict, with remarkable understanding. Cooper's Vision is astonishingly captured by Cinematographer Masanobu Takayanagi, who paints 'Hostiles' into a visual marvel. Takayanagi's Camerawork is meditative & skillful to the point of perfection. Editing by Tom Cross adapts perfectly to the film's pace & offers sharpness overall. Art & Costume Design are pitch-perfect. Max Richter's Score is beautiful.
Performance-Wise: Christian Bale delivers a knockout performance. As the conflicted & haunted Cavalry officer, Bale portrays the part with rare conviction. Its no new fact that Bale is among our greats, but 'Hostiles' shows us a side of his that may have just put him up there, right next to the all-time screen giants. What a wonderfully nuanced performance by Bale. Of the rest of the cast, Wes Studi portrays his complex part fantastically. Rosamund Pike is restrained. She's controlled & believable all through. Jesse Plemons is solid, as always. Ben Foster plays a yet another unlikable character, with the perfect blend of menace & insanity. Rory Cochrane is first-rate. Timothée Chalamet makes a very brief appearance, yet he does his bit nicely. Stephen Lang, again in a cameo, is outstanding! Others lend good support.
On the whole, 'Hostiles' demands a viewing on the strength of its sheer merits. Don't Miss This One!
'Hostiles' follows a U.S. Cavalry officer (Bale) who must escort a Cheyenne war chief (A Fantastic Wes Studi) and his family back to their home in Montana in 1892.
'Hostiles' is about people haunted by their past & their actions towards one-another. Every character here, be it the protagonist, or the characters around him, are unsettled & victims of hate & hatred. This is a story about people who want to question their hate for one-another, but are unable to, due to their given circumstances. This is a human story & the sheer brutality here depicts a side of humanity we all are aware off. Its told with honesty, albeit, with gut-wrenching aggression.
Scott Cooper is in top-form this time around. 'Hostiles' is a slow-moving, poetic piece, that sees the filmmaker in strong command. Cooper captures the bleakness & conflict, with remarkable understanding. Cooper's Vision is astonishingly captured by Cinematographer Masanobu Takayanagi, who paints 'Hostiles' into a visual marvel. Takayanagi's Camerawork is meditative & skillful to the point of perfection. Editing by Tom Cross adapts perfectly to the film's pace & offers sharpness overall. Art & Costume Design are pitch-perfect. Max Richter's Score is beautiful.
Performance-Wise: Christian Bale delivers a knockout performance. As the conflicted & haunted Cavalry officer, Bale portrays the part with rare conviction. Its no new fact that Bale is among our greats, but 'Hostiles' shows us a side of his that may have just put him up there, right next to the all-time screen giants. What a wonderfully nuanced performance by Bale. Of the rest of the cast, Wes Studi portrays his complex part fantastically. Rosamund Pike is restrained. She's controlled & believable all through. Jesse Plemons is solid, as always. Ben Foster plays a yet another unlikable character, with the perfect blend of menace & insanity. Rory Cochrane is first-rate. Timothée Chalamet makes a very brief appearance, yet he does his bit nicely. Stephen Lang, again in a cameo, is outstanding! Others lend good support.
On the whole, 'Hostiles' demands a viewing on the strength of its sheer merits. Don't Miss This One!
Not really hostile more modern values lecture
comps-784-3826530 May 2023
What I liked
Bale, Pike and Studi put in very solid and believeable performances in this grittly realistic western. It started out very well with an intriguing story and I had high hopes it would build into a good story.
What I liked less
About half way through the story rather fizzles out into a damp squib. You have, strong characters (Bale/Pike/Studi) that become lost in search of a credible storyline for them. E.g bad indians/native americans who are out to murder all. They are first a threat, then found dead with no real explanation.
Other white guys come up to similarly to murder based on racism and throw in a military prisoner due for execution just for a bit of random WTF! .
This is where the film goes wrong (in my not humble opinion) in stead of telling a western story, it starts to go off on to some lecture on racism/equality and diversity and mental health - or something, or perhaps it just rambles on !
It's watchable but spoils itself . 6.5/10
Would I watch it again ? No Worth the price of a cinema ticket ? No.
Bale, Pike and Studi put in very solid and believeable performances in this grittly realistic western. It started out very well with an intriguing story and I had high hopes it would build into a good story.
What I liked less
About half way through the story rather fizzles out into a damp squib. You have, strong characters (Bale/Pike/Studi) that become lost in search of a credible storyline for them. E.g bad indians/native americans who are out to murder all. They are first a threat, then found dead with no real explanation.
Other white guys come up to similarly to murder based on racism and throw in a military prisoner due for execution just for a bit of random WTF! .
This is where the film goes wrong (in my not humble opinion) in stead of telling a western story, it starts to go off on to some lecture on racism/equality and diversity and mental health - or something, or perhaps it just rambles on !
It's watchable but spoils itself . 6.5/10
Would I watch it again ? No Worth the price of a cinema ticket ? No.
Harrowing
bencaandrew9 January 2018
Forget the talk of the film being slow, this isn't an action film or an old school shoot 'em up western, anyone looking for that should search elsewhere. Whilst there some great action scenes, where hostiles excels is in setting the tone for an early American world where law and order rest of gun power.
The cinematography is exceptional, meanwhile Christian Bale is superb playing a army captain who is seemingly tough and unflinching but shows an undertone of melancholy, Rosamunde Pike pulls of a great performance as a woman thrust into the ugly world of war and anarchy by a brutal attack on her family home, a scene is exceptional and unapologetically shocking.
Overall the film is about the futility of trying to civilise a wild land built on violence, and about the tragedy and the sheer pointlessness of conflict against fellow man.
One last assignment
bkoganbing20 August 2018
If the film Hostiles demonstrates anything, it demonstrates how truly brutal the
Indian wars in America were. Set after the Wounded Knee massacre which occured in 1890 that is generally by historians considered to mark the end of
said wars apparently there were still hostile Indians to deal with.
In 1892 as a gesture of humanity none other than Benjamin Harrison prsident of the United States of America orders that the terminally ill chief of the Cheyennes who was captured and in prison be returned home to die. Wes Studi is accompanied by his family and accompanying them is an army detail commanded by Captain Christian Bale on the eve of his retirement.
As a given it is established that both these men did some pretty brutal things in the war that could be called atrocities. Studi however with his meeting with his Maker just on the horizon is more mellow. When things start Bale is a hostile as ever.
Along the way the patrol also picks up Rosamund Pike whose family was recently massacred by some final Comanche holdouts. Having recently had to bury four of her family, she's got fresh reasons for her hostility.
It's quite an odyssey that Bale, Studi, and Pike and the rest go on. In fact that choice of words isn't just by chance this is a journey where people's character is tested and not everyone makes it. If you're expecting a treatment of the US Cavalry like a John Ford film, Hostiles is definitely not it.
The pace is slow, almost agonzingly at times and for some reason the director had people mumbling their dialog and it was hard to here. But Hostiles is beautifully photographed and words alone don't tell this story.
Quite the epic western, Hostiles.
In 1892 as a gesture of humanity none other than Benjamin Harrison prsident of the United States of America orders that the terminally ill chief of the Cheyennes who was captured and in prison be returned home to die. Wes Studi is accompanied by his family and accompanying them is an army detail commanded by Captain Christian Bale on the eve of his retirement.
As a given it is established that both these men did some pretty brutal things in the war that could be called atrocities. Studi however with his meeting with his Maker just on the horizon is more mellow. When things start Bale is a hostile as ever.
Along the way the patrol also picks up Rosamund Pike whose family was recently massacred by some final Comanche holdouts. Having recently had to bury four of her family, she's got fresh reasons for her hostility.
It's quite an odyssey that Bale, Studi, and Pike and the rest go on. In fact that choice of words isn't just by chance this is a journey where people's character is tested and not everyone makes it. If you're expecting a treatment of the US Cavalry like a John Ford film, Hostiles is definitely not it.
The pace is slow, almost agonzingly at times and for some reason the director had people mumbling their dialog and it was hard to here. But Hostiles is beautifully photographed and words alone don't tell this story.
Quite the epic western, Hostiles.
The Effects of Death Exlpored
KingKongKyle8 February 2018
Warning: Spoilers
*Review: Hostiles*
Opening your film with what will be the most intense or disturbing scene in the movie is risky. It can affect the intensity of your climax later and it puts the audience at unrest right from the get go. But that is exactly writer/director Scott Cooper's intention. Hostiles opens with one of the most violent scenes I can recall outside of the war and horror genres. It will make you uneasy and have you wondering, "what exactly have I signed up for?" This story takes place in a violent world; a world where even the best of men are dangerous men with blood on their hands. Cooper wants you to understand that, and to feel that from the start. And he accomplishes this with great precision.
Hostiles follows renowned Army Captain Joseph Baker (Christian Bale) who is assigned the task of transporting a dying Native American Chief (Yellow Hawk played by Wes Studi) to his homeland in Montana where he can die in peace. This detail also includes transporting the Chief's family which includes his son (Adam Beach), daughter, daughter-in-law and grandson. Baker does not want this assignment. Yellow Hawk has been a war prisoner for some time, captured no doubt by Baker himself. The two men have seen each other commit violent acts against each other's soldiers and friends. There is understandable animosity between them and despite Baker's insistence that he does not want this mission, he has little choice in the matter if he wants to retire from the Army with his record unscathed and his pension intact. As his commanding officer, Colonel Briggs (Stephen Lang) tells him, "This will be done. And it will be done by you."
Not long after the Captain, his small team of soldiers and Yellow Hawk's family start their journey, they find Rosalie Quaid (Rosamund Pike), a woman in dire straits after just witnessing the murder of her entire family and the burning of her home at the hands of another Native American tribe. Baker and his men know they must take this woman with them, not just to protect her from further attack and the elements, but to protect her from herself. All of this takes place in the first fifteen minutes of the film. The rest I will leave you to discover on your own.
For a movie that runs nearly a quarter past two hours, it is a wonder how it never drags. Had the film been released more in line with the awards season time frame, editor Tom Cross may well have seen his way to a few ceremonies. As would cinematographer Masanobu Takayanagi, who has made a film so gorgeous that even the close-up shots look amazing. When it comes to the beautiful landscape, this is probably the best-looking Western since Open Range. The score by Max Richter is very subtle, it fits the tone of the film perfectly, never feeling intrusive, but not unnoticed.
Every actor in this film is giving one of their finest performances. I'd go as far as to say this is Christian Bale's best performance since The Machinist, which is saying a lot since he's given so many great performances in between. Rosamund Pike's portrayal of a tortured soul feels authentic and heartbreaking. Wes Studi, Adam Beach, Rory Cochrane, Jonathan Majors, Stephen Lang, Jesse Plemons and Ben Foster all have opportunities to shine in smaller roles. Cochrane in particular shines as a soldier whose life of killing has finally taken its toll mentally and physically.
Hostiles may just come across as depressing to some viewers. It is dark and violent and there is little levity to speak of. There is so much death on screen that at times the movie seems like it is a story about death. And in a way it is. The acts of violence in the film happen quickly, but the repercussions of those acts are dwelt upon. We bear witness to the effects of death in its various forms. As such the film becomes more than just a story about death, but one about our reconciliation with mortality; our understanding of an outcome that is inevitable for us all one way or another.
Scott Cooper has created one of the best films of 2017. A haunting, emotional Western that you will not soon forget. A film that looks this good and that is this emotionally engrossing deserves to be seen on the big screen. And a film this well-made deserves an audience. So get to it. 9/10
Opening your film with what will be the most intense or disturbing scene in the movie is risky. It can affect the intensity of your climax later and it puts the audience at unrest right from the get go. But that is exactly writer/director Scott Cooper's intention. Hostiles opens with one of the most violent scenes I can recall outside of the war and horror genres. It will make you uneasy and have you wondering, "what exactly have I signed up for?" This story takes place in a violent world; a world where even the best of men are dangerous men with blood on their hands. Cooper wants you to understand that, and to feel that from the start. And he accomplishes this with great precision.
Hostiles follows renowned Army Captain Joseph Baker (Christian Bale) who is assigned the task of transporting a dying Native American Chief (Yellow Hawk played by Wes Studi) to his homeland in Montana where he can die in peace. This detail also includes transporting the Chief's family which includes his son (Adam Beach), daughter, daughter-in-law and grandson. Baker does not want this assignment. Yellow Hawk has been a war prisoner for some time, captured no doubt by Baker himself. The two men have seen each other commit violent acts against each other's soldiers and friends. There is understandable animosity between them and despite Baker's insistence that he does not want this mission, he has little choice in the matter if he wants to retire from the Army with his record unscathed and his pension intact. As his commanding officer, Colonel Briggs (Stephen Lang) tells him, "This will be done. And it will be done by you."
Not long after the Captain, his small team of soldiers and Yellow Hawk's family start their journey, they find Rosalie Quaid (Rosamund Pike), a woman in dire straits after just witnessing the murder of her entire family and the burning of her home at the hands of another Native American tribe. Baker and his men know they must take this woman with them, not just to protect her from further attack and the elements, but to protect her from herself. All of this takes place in the first fifteen minutes of the film. The rest I will leave you to discover on your own.
For a movie that runs nearly a quarter past two hours, it is a wonder how it never drags. Had the film been released more in line with the awards season time frame, editor Tom Cross may well have seen his way to a few ceremonies. As would cinematographer Masanobu Takayanagi, who has made a film so gorgeous that even the close-up shots look amazing. When it comes to the beautiful landscape, this is probably the best-looking Western since Open Range. The score by Max Richter is very subtle, it fits the tone of the film perfectly, never feeling intrusive, but not unnoticed.
Every actor in this film is giving one of their finest performances. I'd go as far as to say this is Christian Bale's best performance since The Machinist, which is saying a lot since he's given so many great performances in between. Rosamund Pike's portrayal of a tortured soul feels authentic and heartbreaking. Wes Studi, Adam Beach, Rory Cochrane, Jonathan Majors, Stephen Lang, Jesse Plemons and Ben Foster all have opportunities to shine in smaller roles. Cochrane in particular shines as a soldier whose life of killing has finally taken its toll mentally and physically.
Hostiles may just come across as depressing to some viewers. It is dark and violent and there is little levity to speak of. There is so much death on screen that at times the movie seems like it is a story about death. And in a way it is. The acts of violence in the film happen quickly, but the repercussions of those acts are dwelt upon. We bear witness to the effects of death in its various forms. As such the film becomes more than just a story about death, but one about our reconciliation with mortality; our understanding of an outcome that is inevitable for us all one way or another.
Scott Cooper has created one of the best films of 2017. A haunting, emotional Western that you will not soon forget. A film that looks this good and that is this emotionally engrossing deserves to be seen on the big screen. And a film this well-made deserves an audience. So get to it. 9/10
Dark and interesting.
draciron8 September 2018
This is a dark moody movie that does an excellent job of capturing a tired soldiers last foray into soldiering. More plot detail is not really necessary and would be a spoiler. Just let this movie unfold and enjoy.
The movie does a great job of portraying both sides of the conflict and making everyone human. If not for a few moments where the characters go off preaching PC politics I'd rated this an 8 or 9. Those moments took me completely out of the movie and it took some time to get back into the story. If I wanted to get preached at I'd turn on CNN or a televangelist.
Outside of that the story unfolds in a captivating way. The characters seem real and are people you generally like or at least can understand. This is a rare hollywood movie where the action is actually exciting instead the so over the top as to be comedic efforts that Hollywood tends to produce over the last decade.
The movie does a great job of portraying both sides of the conflict and making everyone human. If not for a few moments where the characters go off preaching PC politics I'd rated this an 8 or 9. Those moments took me completely out of the movie and it took some time to get back into the story. If I wanted to get preached at I'd turn on CNN or a televangelist.
Outside of that the story unfolds in a captivating way. The characters seem real and are people you generally like or at least can understand. This is a rare hollywood movie where the action is actually exciting instead the so over the top as to be comedic efforts that Hollywood tends to produce over the last decade.
Brutal, languid and dark
ggallegosgroupuk22 December 2017
Warning: Spoilers
Christian Bale's character is the Army captain who hates Native Americans. He's the one who is put in charge of escorting a Cheyenne chief, played by West Study to their reservation in Montana. Well I bet you already know how is going to end, don't you? Beautiful landscapes when we can see them. The night scenes are irritatingly dark and they are many. The plight of Rosamund Pike's character - who loses her entire family in a harrowing opening scene - kept me going. She is strong and powerful but Christian Bale gives a performance that is just that, a performance. I like him as an actor when he's good. Brilliant in The Fighter, terrific in American Psycho but embarrassing in Exodus: Gods And King as Moses. Here I needed to believe in those flashes of empathy he seems to insinuate but I didn't. I was too aware of him, the actor. I don't know if I can I explain it but if you look at him walk away at the end of the movie, you'll know exactly what I mean. As far as I'm concerned not an ounce of real emotion. Naturally, I would recommend for you to check it out yourself, I'm often quite alone in my opinions.
A revisionist western in the mighty tradition of Dances with Wolves.
JohnDeSando24 December 2017
"Sometimes I envy the finality of death. The certainty. And I have to drive those thoughts away when I wake." Rosalie Quaid (Rosamund Pike)
Although Quaid's words might well be the anthem of this brutal, quiet, moving 1892 western, they harbinger the death of the Wild West and the birth of justice and equality as whites and Native Americans abandon slowly the death that brought little peace to either side. Appropriately the tone in unremittingly grave, and rightly so, for the film illustrates the wages of racism as well as any contemporary screed could try to do.
Writer/director Scott Cooper, who knows a thing or two about the passing of time and custom with his poignant Crazy Heart, drives home the loss of the Indian's world, the cost to the US troops, and the bereft families on each side. Captain Joe Blocker (Christian Bale), a legendary anti-Native American fighter, is charged with escorting Cheyenne war chief Yellow Hawk (Wes Studi), also a killer, and his family from New Mexico to his home in Montana, where the government determined he should be allowed to die.
Cooper is at his best filming landscapes occasionally punctuated with John-Ford-like door framed shots and themes of abduction and reconciliation. The threats along the way are external and internal, often soldiers just as culpable as the "savages" they hunt. Joe is a man on a mission to bring justice against the Indians, but like the times he's in, it is time to change to benevolence as the end of the century approaches and a kinder world of connection and cooperation begins, slowly and surely, like the film. The appreciation for a person regardless of race, is Cooper's ultimate aim. In ways, this Western is reminiscent of the revisionist Dances with Wolves, both of whose slow pace, almost at time painful, is reflective change's pace.
Cooper's shots are generous to the beautiful faces, from Mrs. Quaid's lovely and the stoically-contemplative Joe's to the chief's landscaped leather. The ensemble is first rate, especially the feisty Ben Foster as Sgt. Charles Wills. The landscapes? well, look at Ford's and feel his tradition.
Although Quaid's words might well be the anthem of this brutal, quiet, moving 1892 western, they harbinger the death of the Wild West and the birth of justice and equality as whites and Native Americans abandon slowly the death that brought little peace to either side. Appropriately the tone in unremittingly grave, and rightly so, for the film illustrates the wages of racism as well as any contemporary screed could try to do.
Writer/director Scott Cooper, who knows a thing or two about the passing of time and custom with his poignant Crazy Heart, drives home the loss of the Indian's world, the cost to the US troops, and the bereft families on each side. Captain Joe Blocker (Christian Bale), a legendary anti-Native American fighter, is charged with escorting Cheyenne war chief Yellow Hawk (Wes Studi), also a killer, and his family from New Mexico to his home in Montana, where the government determined he should be allowed to die.
Cooper is at his best filming landscapes occasionally punctuated with John-Ford-like door framed shots and themes of abduction and reconciliation. The threats along the way are external and internal, often soldiers just as culpable as the "savages" they hunt. Joe is a man on a mission to bring justice against the Indians, but like the times he's in, it is time to change to benevolence as the end of the century approaches and a kinder world of connection and cooperation begins, slowly and surely, like the film. The appreciation for a person regardless of race, is Cooper's ultimate aim. In ways, this Western is reminiscent of the revisionist Dances with Wolves, both of whose slow pace, almost at time painful, is reflective change's pace.
Cooper's shots are generous to the beautiful faces, from Mrs. Quaid's lovely and the stoically-contemplative Joe's to the chief's landscaped leather. The ensemble is first rate, especially the feisty Ben Foster as Sgt. Charles Wills. The landscapes? well, look at Ford's and feel his tradition.
Acting = 10 Casting = 9 Realism = 8 Pace = 2
chi_town_fed10 August 2018
This film is well written, exceptionally acted, yet somewhat boring. It is also a little gory BUT the gore is rooted in historical accuracy. It wasn't gore just for the sake of gore. It was gore for the sake of portraying true history versus glorifying it or glossing over it.
I support Hollywood's attempts to portray natives of this land in a respectful and authentic manner, but I try not to allow that to influence my rating of the film itself. Additionally, I have never been a big fan of the female lead in this film as she always seems wooden and expressionless to me. She did better in this film than others but her facial expression still looks a bit frozen to me. This may sound like a joke but could it be Botox?
The pace of this film is painfully and unnecessarily slow. I understand the concept of the painfully slow pace is to allow the scene you just witnessed or are witnessing to penetrate. It gets to the point where I grew impatient for the scene to finally end so I started fast-forwarding through some parts. This cadence replays itself through most of the film.
Some reviewers attempt to compare Hostiles to Dances With Wolves for some strange reason. Other than having a Union Soldier and Native Americans share the same screen, these movies have absolutely nothing in common save the following: Dances With Wolves is 3 hours long. Hostiles feels 3 hours long, but it is actually 2 hours and 14 minutes.
Hostiles is a fairly solid film mainly due to the actors. However it missed the mark. I think it is worth watching when you want to fill a gap in your schedule. Just be prepared to wait for some scenes to go by in what feels like slow motion. They also went over board with the guilt a particular soldier displays over the things he has done. Moreover, his apology scene seemed pretentious and inauthentic (not the acting, the scene). It was actually Hollywood trying to inject a 2017 apology to Native Americans to make some people feel better about themselves and their pretentious sense of guilt. Yet these same people with their pretentious sense of guilt don't lift a finger to actually help the people they pretend to feel so guilty about (Oops. Was that my loud type?).
As I stated in another review, if you choose to watch this film fast forward is your friend.
I support Hollywood's attempts to portray natives of this land in a respectful and authentic manner, but I try not to allow that to influence my rating of the film itself. Additionally, I have never been a big fan of the female lead in this film as she always seems wooden and expressionless to me. She did better in this film than others but her facial expression still looks a bit frozen to me. This may sound like a joke but could it be Botox?
The pace of this film is painfully and unnecessarily slow. I understand the concept of the painfully slow pace is to allow the scene you just witnessed or are witnessing to penetrate. It gets to the point where I grew impatient for the scene to finally end so I started fast-forwarding through some parts. This cadence replays itself through most of the film.
Some reviewers attempt to compare Hostiles to Dances With Wolves for some strange reason. Other than having a Union Soldier and Native Americans share the same screen, these movies have absolutely nothing in common save the following: Dances With Wolves is 3 hours long. Hostiles feels 3 hours long, but it is actually 2 hours and 14 minutes.
Hostiles is a fairly solid film mainly due to the actors. However it missed the mark. I think it is worth watching when you want to fill a gap in your schedule. Just be prepared to wait for some scenes to go by in what feels like slow motion. They also went over board with the guilt a particular soldier displays over the things he has done. Moreover, his apology scene seemed pretentious and inauthentic (not the acting, the scene). It was actually Hollywood trying to inject a 2017 apology to Native Americans to make some people feel better about themselves and their pretentious sense of guilt. Yet these same people with their pretentious sense of guilt don't lift a finger to actually help the people they pretend to feel so guilty about (Oops. Was that my loud type?).
As I stated in another review, if you choose to watch this film fast forward is your friend.
Among the best Modern Westerns
eccl27 January 2018
Excellent acting (of course by Bale and Pike and their chemistry; but also by the entire crew), beautiful variety of scenery and smart music score. After reading other reviews, i thought it would not meet expectations; however, Hostiles did not disappoint. It was a well paced journey (left my wife and i wanting more), with authentic fight scenes and sounds; as well as interesting relationships and lessons in duty, sacrifice and care. Suspenseful, adventurous, romantic, emotional and dramatic; better than nearly all of the old 1940s and 1950s westerns; and more classy than the most of the post-Wayne, Stewart, and Scott ones. Unlike many that story line is primarily about revenge or some criminal motive; Hostiles is about a mission and survival.
The Western Revenant
nikhilrampal7 January 2018
Now whether you enjoy 'award bait' films like no country for old men or The revenant will impact what you make of this movie. But 2 things are objective facts. The acting is phenomenal and the use of sound and cinematography are exceptional.
Despite the slow 2nd and 3rd act, the film is likely to win most viewers over with the final showdown and closing scenes which lead the viewer too look at the film from a more symbolic perspective.
This is not an action film, nor is it a revenge film. It is a film about the pointlessness of racial tension, grieving and PTSD. But boy is it well done.
Despite the slow 2nd and 3rd act, the film is likely to win most viewers over with the final showdown and closing scenes which lead the viewer too look at the film from a more symbolic perspective.
This is not an action film, nor is it a revenge film. It is a film about the pointlessness of racial tension, grieving and PTSD. But boy is it well done.
Let hate die
jon.h.ochiai3 January 2018
"Hostiles" is sublime. Hatred dies in mortality and forgiveness in Writer and Director Scott Cooper's "Hostiles". Christian Bale is powerful in his humanity. Rosamund Pike is poignant resilience and loss. Cooper's images and narrative will move and touch your soul.
Rosamund Pike as young mother Mrs. Quaid cries in anguish as she digs with her bare hands the graves for her three children murdered by Apache Indians. While silent compassionate Christian Bale as Captain Joe Blocker watches with his men ready to aid the distraught widow. Mrs. Quaid is a woman of God, of faith. Without her faith what does she have? The scene broke my heart in tears. Bad things can occur under God's watch. Writers Cooper and Donald E. Steward don't shy away for the world's seeming unkindness and unfairness.
Cooper balances the ugliness and the beauty of courage and redemption in "Hostiles". Cinematographer Masanobu Takayanagi elegantly captures the lightness and darkness. Darkness is in Blocker's merciless vengeance upon those who harmed the people he cares for on the stormy night. Lightness radiates as his party emerges on horseback riding through the sunlit forest. Poetry is in the balance.
As the singular Western, "Hostiles" is one of best ever, even compared to Clint Eastwood's iconic "Unforgiven". I think more so. Whereas, "Unforgiven" surrenders to the hollow emptiness, "Hostiles" asks to release hatred. Bale's Blocker is a killer of Indians, a racist, and prejudiced. What if all prejudice can be justified? Blocker realizes that his mortal enemy Cheyenne Chief Yellow Hawk, played by noble Wes Studi, would have slaughtered as he did, all for the sake of being right. You can take being right to the grave. In the end, being right makes absolutely no difference. That is the eloquence of "Hostiles". "Hostiles" invites to think from your soul.
Sitting on the grassy plains Mrs. Quaid asks, "You believe in the Lord, Joseph?" Blocker replies, "Yes. I do. But he's been blind to what 's been going on here for a long time." "Hostiles" inspires having faith knowing that the world is gray and cruel at times.
Set in New Mexico in 1892 retiring US Calvary Captain Joe Blocker, played by Bale, is commanded by his Colonel to escort Cheyenne Chief Yellow Hawk, played by Studi, and his family to his homeland in Montana. Yellow Hawk is now an old man dying of cancer. Blocker is transparent, "I hate him."
Blocker's unique gift is killing tribal Indian warriors. He's taken more scalps than Sitting Bull. In their younger days Yellow Hawk and his men heinously murdered Blocker's dearest soldier friends. In kind Blocker brutally killed the Cheyenne. Each believing that he was in the right. For unmarried Joseph doing "his job" is his only purpose. Mortal enemies Blocker and the Chief define each other. Their telling exchanges in Cheyenne have the gravitas of honor and mortality.
On the journey, Blocker and his men rescue broken Mrs. Quaid, played by Pike, in the aftermath of the murder of her entire family. Blocker reveals his gentleness as he reaches out his hand, "I'm not going to hurt you." Their journey is treacherous and costly. Alliances alter and reinvent. Find courage and faith in the hopeless. Discover one's redemption and forgiveness.
Christian Bale is at his best. He fearlessly explores what it is to be human. Whether he exacts violent revenge upon the villain or cries "You never let me down." to his dear friend Henry, played by Jonathan Majors, he surrenders to humanity in all its shades. He provides beautiful partnership with Rosamund Pike's Mrs. Quaid in her touching sadness and possibility of renewed life. Pike is vulnerable and powerful.
Western "Hostiles" has a lot to say for us today. There will always be hatred and prejudice. They are about being right and making others wrong. What Bale's Joseph discovers when he looks for balance: Righteousness and hatred only causes suffering. Maybe we can't love everyone. Maybe one thing we can do is let go of hate. Let hate die. "Hostiles" is my favorite movie of the year.
Rosamund Pike as young mother Mrs. Quaid cries in anguish as she digs with her bare hands the graves for her three children murdered by Apache Indians. While silent compassionate Christian Bale as Captain Joe Blocker watches with his men ready to aid the distraught widow. Mrs. Quaid is a woman of God, of faith. Without her faith what does she have? The scene broke my heart in tears. Bad things can occur under God's watch. Writers Cooper and Donald E. Steward don't shy away for the world's seeming unkindness and unfairness.
Cooper balances the ugliness and the beauty of courage and redemption in "Hostiles". Cinematographer Masanobu Takayanagi elegantly captures the lightness and darkness. Darkness is in Blocker's merciless vengeance upon those who harmed the people he cares for on the stormy night. Lightness radiates as his party emerges on horseback riding through the sunlit forest. Poetry is in the balance.
As the singular Western, "Hostiles" is one of best ever, even compared to Clint Eastwood's iconic "Unforgiven". I think more so. Whereas, "Unforgiven" surrenders to the hollow emptiness, "Hostiles" asks to release hatred. Bale's Blocker is a killer of Indians, a racist, and prejudiced. What if all prejudice can be justified? Blocker realizes that his mortal enemy Cheyenne Chief Yellow Hawk, played by noble Wes Studi, would have slaughtered as he did, all for the sake of being right. You can take being right to the grave. In the end, being right makes absolutely no difference. That is the eloquence of "Hostiles". "Hostiles" invites to think from your soul.
Sitting on the grassy plains Mrs. Quaid asks, "You believe in the Lord, Joseph?" Blocker replies, "Yes. I do. But he's been blind to what 's been going on here for a long time." "Hostiles" inspires having faith knowing that the world is gray and cruel at times.
Set in New Mexico in 1892 retiring US Calvary Captain Joe Blocker, played by Bale, is commanded by his Colonel to escort Cheyenne Chief Yellow Hawk, played by Studi, and his family to his homeland in Montana. Yellow Hawk is now an old man dying of cancer. Blocker is transparent, "I hate him."
Blocker's unique gift is killing tribal Indian warriors. He's taken more scalps than Sitting Bull. In their younger days Yellow Hawk and his men heinously murdered Blocker's dearest soldier friends. In kind Blocker brutally killed the Cheyenne. Each believing that he was in the right. For unmarried Joseph doing "his job" is his only purpose. Mortal enemies Blocker and the Chief define each other. Their telling exchanges in Cheyenne have the gravitas of honor and mortality.
On the journey, Blocker and his men rescue broken Mrs. Quaid, played by Pike, in the aftermath of the murder of her entire family. Blocker reveals his gentleness as he reaches out his hand, "I'm not going to hurt you." Their journey is treacherous and costly. Alliances alter and reinvent. Find courage and faith in the hopeless. Discover one's redemption and forgiveness.
Christian Bale is at his best. He fearlessly explores what it is to be human. Whether he exacts violent revenge upon the villain or cries "You never let me down." to his dear friend Henry, played by Jonathan Majors, he surrenders to humanity in all its shades. He provides beautiful partnership with Rosamund Pike's Mrs. Quaid in her touching sadness and possibility of renewed life. Pike is vulnerable and powerful.
Western "Hostiles" has a lot to say for us today. There will always be hatred and prejudice. They are about being right and making others wrong. What Bale's Joseph discovers when he looks for balance: Righteousness and hatred only causes suffering. Maybe we can't love everyone. Maybe one thing we can do is let go of hate. Let hate die. "Hostiles" is my favorite movie of the year.
A character driven story that is mostly effective.
eparazak5 February 2018
Warning: Spoilers
Hostiles is about the journey of an American military captain and some of his crew, a woman who lost her entire family and some captive Native Americans. These people are on an escort mission to the Native American homes in Montana to safely bring back said band of Native Americans. Throughout their journey, they would have to brave through tough conditions as well as "savage" Indians that are on their tail.
This was a movie I would either like or really hate due to its themes, and rather than looking at the Native Americans in a bad light, the characters slowly open up to them. This is mostly a character driven western rather than an action filled one. Christian Bale plays an army captain who is notorious for killing several Indians as a soldier and is reluctant about the ones he's escorting. Rosamund Pike is the lone survivor of a family of five in an attack from an Indian army and has grown fearful of them as a result. The movie's main leads are both understandable and realistic characters who are being tested by the sight of them and that's the movie's biggest strong point.
This movie is mostly slow paced, which works mostly to help the audience sink in the dialogue. Christian Bale is really good in here. His character takes risks while his state of mind gets put to the test. Rosamund Pike may be even better as a broken soul. The opening scene where her home and loved ones get taken away from her is heartbreaking and helps to set up her character.
Despite the strong themes about prejudice and well-realized characters, the way the movie tells its story feels uneven and repetitive. The action scenes feel like they come and go within one to two minutes. While those scenes do get us somewhere new, I wanted to see some longer fights between the Indians and the travelers. The repetition comes with a repeated cycle of travelling during the daytime and camping during the night. I don't have a problem with that cycle, but it just repeats too often throughout the film and its hard not to notice it.
Either way you look at it, Hostiles is still an effective character driven experience that tests a group's ways of thinking.
7/10
This was a movie I would either like or really hate due to its themes, and rather than looking at the Native Americans in a bad light, the characters slowly open up to them. This is mostly a character driven western rather than an action filled one. Christian Bale plays an army captain who is notorious for killing several Indians as a soldier and is reluctant about the ones he's escorting. Rosamund Pike is the lone survivor of a family of five in an attack from an Indian army and has grown fearful of them as a result. The movie's main leads are both understandable and realistic characters who are being tested by the sight of them and that's the movie's biggest strong point.
This movie is mostly slow paced, which works mostly to help the audience sink in the dialogue. Christian Bale is really good in here. His character takes risks while his state of mind gets put to the test. Rosamund Pike may be even better as a broken soul. The opening scene where her home and loved ones get taken away from her is heartbreaking and helps to set up her character.
Despite the strong themes about prejudice and well-realized characters, the way the movie tells its story feels uneven and repetitive. The action scenes feel like they come and go within one to two minutes. While those scenes do get us somewhere new, I wanted to see some longer fights between the Indians and the travelers. The repetition comes with a repeated cycle of travelling during the daytime and camping during the night. I don't have a problem with that cycle, but it just repeats too often throughout the film and its hard not to notice it.
Either way you look at it, Hostiles is still an effective character driven experience that tests a group's ways of thinking.
7/10
Not a film to be hostile towards
TheLittleSongbird5 January 2018
With a high appreciation of the Western genre, the involvement of a talented cast, the generally positive (so far) critical reception and one of 2017's best trailers (to me at least), 'Hostiles' had me completely sold from the get go.
Getting back from seeing 'Hostiles' a couple of hours ago (although a 2017 film it was only released in my country today), it on the most part did not disappoint at all. Some may be turned off by the slow pace and the brutality of some scenes. Neither bothered me actually, having gone in to the cinema knowing exactly what to expect from watching the trailer and reading a few reviews that made it clear from the outset that 'Hostiles' was a deliberate and uncompromising sort of film.
Yes 'Hostiles' is a slow burner, but deliberately so for atmosphere and mood reasons most likely. That being said, it reminded me very much of the elegiac quality of the classic Westerns that 'Hostiles' actually made me feel nostalgic for while watching it. 'Hostiles' is indeed uncompromising, with the violence being the kind that takes no prisoners and isn't afraid to hold back, while not going over-the-top that it feels gratuitous.
This can be seen in as early on as the opening scene that is as powerfully gut-wrenching an opening scene of any film from 2017 Just as disturbing are the second appearance of the Comanche and the powerful climax. 'Hostiles' is not non-stop brutality though. There is real sincerity and poetry too.
What could have been a major distraction from the main mission, which in itself is very heartfelt and is never lost even with everything else potentially threatening to, is actually what provides the film's heart and vulnerability. Rosalie's plight and back story really resonated with and moved me, as did the very heartfelt coda and a persuasive message, delivered just about right, that has as much relevance now as it did then.
'Hostiles' looks stunning visually. The scenery is majestic in the most spectacular of ways, ranging between stark and lush. The period detail is evocative, with the right amount of grit and understated sumptuousness. The cinematography sweeps just as much in a way that is beautiful in a non-flashy but very natural and richly atmospheric fashion.
Similarly the music has atmosphere and grace without being intrusive. Sometimes 'Hostiles' has scenes with just dialogue and shots of actor's expressions which speaks volumes with no music or sound featured and all the better for it. It's beautifully directed by Cooper too and much of the dialogue is thoughtful and sincere and the action thrillingly authentic without being over-the-top.
Christian Bale gives a performance that is among his all-time best, and he always has been a commanding and powerful screen presence. He has a smouldering, intense authority throughout in a stoic, subtle sense, whether in his stubbornness, his compassion or in action, commanding the screen effortlessly and often in a nuanced way, a knockout in the final 30 minutes. And don't worry, his character-of-its-own moustache is nowhere near as distracting or unintentionally funny as one would think.
Making even more of an impression is Rosamund Pike in perhaps her second best performance to date after her exceptional once-in-a-lifetime performance in 'Gone Girl'. She has never been more heart-wrenching or poignant in especially in the first half, when we see how such an every-family-member's-worst-nightmare tragedy has affected and broken Rosalie, something that Pike demonstrates with expressive nuance, pathos and a far wider emotional and expressive range than she has been given credit for in the past. Despite always liking her, it is performances like this, 'Gone Girl' and 'A United Kingdom' that have particularly stretched Pike and played to her strengths and it is this direction that she could keep pursuing.
Sadly, it is perhaps too late for either Bale or Pike to be considered for awards attention, if the film had been released earlier either or preferably both could and should have been in serious contention for all the major ones. This may seem like extreme hyperbole, but this is my genuine stance on this. They are very well served by the supporting cast, with especially dignified turns from Q'orianka Kilcher and Wes Studi (who could have been had more screen time but dominates every time he appears, often without saying a huge amount). Ben Foster is also strong. Nobody is bad here.
Not that 'Hostiles' is perfect. The villain roles here are rather sketchy, they could have had more to them than one-dimensional (though the Comanche are quite chilling still) ciphers there mainly to provide the conflict, only for them to be dispatched pretty quickly (especially the trio of abductors).
Although sincere and thought-provoking on the whole the dialogue rambles at times, meaning a few scenes are bogged down by too much talk that slows things down a little. The middle act is particularly true to this, when the pace doesn't feel as tight and the storytelling not quite as focused (though still gripping).
For my liking too many of the secondary cast members have very little to do other than 10 minutes tops of screen time and some lines admittedly delivered well. Perhaps the film is slightly too long as well, but that wasn't as big an issue for me.
Overall, a very good film and almost great, with a lot of outstanding elements (especially the visuals, the two leads, the atmosphere and emotional power). Not a film to be hostile towards. 8/10 Bethany Cox
Getting back from seeing 'Hostiles' a couple of hours ago (although a 2017 film it was only released in my country today), it on the most part did not disappoint at all. Some may be turned off by the slow pace and the brutality of some scenes. Neither bothered me actually, having gone in to the cinema knowing exactly what to expect from watching the trailer and reading a few reviews that made it clear from the outset that 'Hostiles' was a deliberate and uncompromising sort of film.
Yes 'Hostiles' is a slow burner, but deliberately so for atmosphere and mood reasons most likely. That being said, it reminded me very much of the elegiac quality of the classic Westerns that 'Hostiles' actually made me feel nostalgic for while watching it. 'Hostiles' is indeed uncompromising, with the violence being the kind that takes no prisoners and isn't afraid to hold back, while not going over-the-top that it feels gratuitous.
This can be seen in as early on as the opening scene that is as powerfully gut-wrenching an opening scene of any film from 2017 Just as disturbing are the second appearance of the Comanche and the powerful climax. 'Hostiles' is not non-stop brutality though. There is real sincerity and poetry too.
What could have been a major distraction from the main mission, which in itself is very heartfelt and is never lost even with everything else potentially threatening to, is actually what provides the film's heart and vulnerability. Rosalie's plight and back story really resonated with and moved me, as did the very heartfelt coda and a persuasive message, delivered just about right, that has as much relevance now as it did then.
'Hostiles' looks stunning visually. The scenery is majestic in the most spectacular of ways, ranging between stark and lush. The period detail is evocative, with the right amount of grit and understated sumptuousness. The cinematography sweeps just as much in a way that is beautiful in a non-flashy but very natural and richly atmospheric fashion.
Similarly the music has atmosphere and grace without being intrusive. Sometimes 'Hostiles' has scenes with just dialogue and shots of actor's expressions which speaks volumes with no music or sound featured and all the better for it. It's beautifully directed by Cooper too and much of the dialogue is thoughtful and sincere and the action thrillingly authentic without being over-the-top.
Christian Bale gives a performance that is among his all-time best, and he always has been a commanding and powerful screen presence. He has a smouldering, intense authority throughout in a stoic, subtle sense, whether in his stubbornness, his compassion or in action, commanding the screen effortlessly and often in a nuanced way, a knockout in the final 30 minutes. And don't worry, his character-of-its-own moustache is nowhere near as distracting or unintentionally funny as one would think.
Making even more of an impression is Rosamund Pike in perhaps her second best performance to date after her exceptional once-in-a-lifetime performance in 'Gone Girl'. She has never been more heart-wrenching or poignant in especially in the first half, when we see how such an every-family-member's-worst-nightmare tragedy has affected and broken Rosalie, something that Pike demonstrates with expressive nuance, pathos and a far wider emotional and expressive range than she has been given credit for in the past. Despite always liking her, it is performances like this, 'Gone Girl' and 'A United Kingdom' that have particularly stretched Pike and played to her strengths and it is this direction that she could keep pursuing.
Sadly, it is perhaps too late for either Bale or Pike to be considered for awards attention, if the film had been released earlier either or preferably both could and should have been in serious contention for all the major ones. This may seem like extreme hyperbole, but this is my genuine stance on this. They are very well served by the supporting cast, with especially dignified turns from Q'orianka Kilcher and Wes Studi (who could have been had more screen time but dominates every time he appears, often without saying a huge amount). Ben Foster is also strong. Nobody is bad here.
Not that 'Hostiles' is perfect. The villain roles here are rather sketchy, they could have had more to them than one-dimensional (though the Comanche are quite chilling still) ciphers there mainly to provide the conflict, only for them to be dispatched pretty quickly (especially the trio of abductors).
Although sincere and thought-provoking on the whole the dialogue rambles at times, meaning a few scenes are bogged down by too much talk that slows things down a little. The middle act is particularly true to this, when the pace doesn't feel as tight and the storytelling not quite as focused (though still gripping).
For my liking too many of the secondary cast members have very little to do other than 10 minutes tops of screen time and some lines admittedly delivered well. Perhaps the film is slightly too long as well, but that wasn't as big an issue for me.
Overall, a very good film and almost great, with a lot of outstanding elements (especially the visuals, the two leads, the atmosphere and emotional power). Not a film to be hostile towards. 8/10 Bethany Cox
Slow burning
bgcetiner20 December 2020
Hostiles review
elliot-360-93680722 October 2017
Post civil war frontier America and Christian Bale aka Captain Joseph Blockeris is ordered by the Army to escort a Cheyenne Chief, who has been granted safe passage back to his homeland in Montana, by the President of the United States, due to his terminal illness. Along the way the party encounter wild and dangerous Comanche "Indians". The movie is intense and I surmise Bale will be nominated for an Academy Award for this turn. Wes Studi, as always, as the ailing Chief, is marvelous, understated and ever so powerful. Rosamund Pike is superb as a deranged widow who is collected up by Bale's party. Her presence in the story seems like a distraction from the original mission or orders, but it's a movie and we have to have some man/woman tension and whatever then derives from that, of course. The movie sometimes slows down a bit, and lingers, but it always recovers, and overall - see this movie. And the music score is perfect.
Brutal yet beautiful
tommdennehy15 January 2023
This is a brutal but beautiful story of redemption set against the harrowing backdrop of the wars between Native Americans and the settlers. It's both sad, moving and touching with a clear and important message about the need for tolerance. It was relevant then and it's relevant today, sadly.
Christian Bale is excellent as the reluctant leader of a posse of men tasked to take an old Cheyenne chief back to his homeland before he dies. Picking up Rosamund Pike on the way, who is part of a shocking opening scene, they embark on a journey of immense proportions. Echoes of past battles continue to haunt the soldiers as they are pitted against new enemies along the way
It is beautifully shot and captures the untouched beauty of the US perfectly.
There are few things that let it down though. Dialogue is frequently hard to understand. Some characters aren't made the made the most and come and go too quickly. For instance, Ben Foster is great, and he could have been more integral. It feels like there was maybe more to draw from the consternation that these US soldiers had in protecting their 'enemy'.
And whilst the main theme is redemption, it does seem that the main character was too quick to change this outlook considering his initial refusal when asked to undertake this voyage.
Either way, this is a good film worth watching.
Christian Bale is excellent as the reluctant leader of a posse of men tasked to take an old Cheyenne chief back to his homeland before he dies. Picking up Rosamund Pike on the way, who is part of a shocking opening scene, they embark on a journey of immense proportions. Echoes of past battles continue to haunt the soldiers as they are pitted against new enemies along the way
It is beautifully shot and captures the untouched beauty of the US perfectly.
There are few things that let it down though. Dialogue is frequently hard to understand. Some characters aren't made the made the most and come and go too quickly. For instance, Ben Foster is great, and he could have been more integral. It feels like there was maybe more to draw from the consternation that these US soldiers had in protecting their 'enemy'.
And whilst the main theme is redemption, it does seem that the main character was too quick to change this outlook considering his initial refusal when asked to undertake this voyage.
Either way, this is a good film worth watching.
Just the Facts
GThorn7522 January 2018
Warning: Spoilers
From a cultural perspective, this film has well documented issues, so I'm sticking to the facts:
The premise of this movie is absurd. In 1892, train service from New Mexico to Montana was available via multiple routs. DILEMMA SOLVED with a handful of train tickets. All aboard to the movie playing in the theater next door!
Also by 1892, the Indian wars were over. The Indian threat in the West was virtually nil. Comanche raids were unheard-of in the 1880's, let alone in 1892! It takes 30 seconds to Google that stuff before writing.
If, for some non-existent reason, a small Army detail escorting prisoners was authorized to hoof it from NM to Montana in 1892, they would take well-worn trails and roads, resupplying at about 20 spots along the way. A 1000 mile, off-road odyssey would take 4 month. Two mules packed with supplies?? That gets you about 100 miles out.
Off-trail blazing through steep mountain timber? The rout depicted is fantastical and absurd. I'm surprised their horses weren't tight-rope walking the Continental Divide for the entire trip. That would make for some nice cinematography, also!
Why the heck did the lady remain with the Army escort for the entire flippn' trip to Montana? Army won't allow that, no matter how bajiggity she is. They would have dumped her in the first of a dozen towns along the way. Besides, didn't she want to notify someone that HER ENTIRE FAMILY HAD BEEN MURDERED!? HEY, West Point barista! Next time yell for help when a crazy dude attacks you in the rain? Didn't they teach you this advanced technique at West Point? 5-minute fight scene in front of tent city and all you had to do was yell "Yo, this shackled, pneumatic, hypothermic psycho is somehow kickn' my arse!"
Why did sage-betty continue to sleep in tough guy's tent after hipster-beard died? That leaves one tent up for grabs! Ah man, I'm getting all worked up now! I can't comment on the rest of this movie because I walked out.
Bale and Pike are super talented and do their best (giving each a star for performance alone), but this film takes itself so seriously that it was impossible for me to get past the bologna. I couldn't even make it to the ending.
The premise of this movie is absurd. In 1892, train service from New Mexico to Montana was available via multiple routs. DILEMMA SOLVED with a handful of train tickets. All aboard to the movie playing in the theater next door!
Also by 1892, the Indian wars were over. The Indian threat in the West was virtually nil. Comanche raids were unheard-of in the 1880's, let alone in 1892! It takes 30 seconds to Google that stuff before writing.
If, for some non-existent reason, a small Army detail escorting prisoners was authorized to hoof it from NM to Montana in 1892, they would take well-worn trails and roads, resupplying at about 20 spots along the way. A 1000 mile, off-road odyssey would take 4 month. Two mules packed with supplies?? That gets you about 100 miles out.
Off-trail blazing through steep mountain timber? The rout depicted is fantastical and absurd. I'm surprised their horses weren't tight-rope walking the Continental Divide for the entire trip. That would make for some nice cinematography, also!
Why the heck did the lady remain with the Army escort for the entire flippn' trip to Montana? Army won't allow that, no matter how bajiggity she is. They would have dumped her in the first of a dozen towns along the way. Besides, didn't she want to notify someone that HER ENTIRE FAMILY HAD BEEN MURDERED!? HEY, West Point barista! Next time yell for help when a crazy dude attacks you in the rain? Didn't they teach you this advanced technique at West Point? 5-minute fight scene in front of tent city and all you had to do was yell "Yo, this shackled, pneumatic, hypothermic psycho is somehow kickn' my arse!"
Why did sage-betty continue to sleep in tough guy's tent after hipster-beard died? That leaves one tent up for grabs! Ah man, I'm getting all worked up now! I can't comment on the rest of this movie because I walked out.
Bale and Pike are super talented and do their best (giving each a star for performance alone), but this film takes itself so seriously that it was impossible for me to get past the bologna. I couldn't even make it to the ending.
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