Hostiles

Dir: Scott Cooper

2018

*****

The western genre has enjoyed a rich come-back in the last few decades, there aren’t as many made as there were in the genre’s hayday but what is released continues to be of an extremely high quality. Every year seems to have its stand out western and each one ends up being one of the best films (in my opinon) of the year (see Slow West and Bone Tomahawk for an example). Scott Cooper’s film have a distinctly gritty but distinguished feel to them and Hostiles, based on an unmade manuscript by the late Donald E. Stewart, feels as if it could have been squandered, had anyone else developed it. Indeed, Stewart’s widow came across the script years after her husband’s death and imeditely thought of Cooper as the best director to adapt it and it was only offered to him. Cooper’s films explore a side to America that is incomparable and profound, with a distinct air of authenticity about them. Hostiles boasts one of the most shocking and brutal introductions I’ve seen for some time, setting the tone of the film brilliantly but also showing just how tough and lawless life could be in the old west. We see the Quaid family set upon by a bloodthirsty Comanche war group in their remote country home which only the mother, Rosalee, survives. The story then turns to Fort Berringer, New Mexico. It is 1892 and attitudes are starting to turn regarding the native Americans. Captain Joseph J. Blocker (Christian Bale in his second ever western), a veteran of the Indian Wars, has a reputation of being a ruthless killer. Approaching the end of his career, Blocker is order to escort a dying Cheyenne war chief Yellow Hawk, along with his family, back to their tribal lands in Montana. The order comes from the President himself but is against everything Captain Blocker believes in, especially as Yellow Hawk is responsible for the deaths of many of his friends. The threat of a court-martial and the loss of his pension forces Blocker to accept, something that weighs heavy on his integrity, causing grief, guilt and quite anger. Blocker chooses the detail that will accompany him, including his trusty old friend Sergeant Thomas Metz (Rory Cochrane), long-time aide Corporal Woodson (Jonathan Majors), and promising newcomer Lieutenant Kidder (Jesse Plemons) and they set off. As soon as they are out of sight of the fort, Blocker orders a stop and has the two native men put in chains and has to resist the urge to kill them there and then. It is soon after that they comes across Rosalee Quaid and what is left of her family and home. The group is later set upon by the same Comanche party that set upon the Quaids and after the death of one of their party, Yellow Hawk convinces Blocker that it is in everyone's best interest to unchain him and his family so that they can fight off future attacks together. At this point it feels as if the film is going to be a simple tale of revenge and redemption but it isn’t. The story takes the group further along a path of comradery which includes pain, suffering, violence and unbearable sadness. Each character is forced to address their ghosts but their development is subtle. The film was shot in chronological order, which I think is probably the key to its success – especially given Bale’s reputation as a method actor. At first I questioned his performance, even commenting to my wife that he needs to realise that there is more to acting than simply loosing weight and mumbling but I spoke way too soon as his character metamorphosizes in superb fashion. The redemption message is there as it is in just about every western ever made but its not contrived in any way. The conclusion builds slowly and convincingly, and the story is seen from both sides of the equation. I’ve never been much of a Rosamund Pike fan but her performance is as equally impressive, although her character is almost a parallel opposite of Bale’s, even though they’re quite similar. Nothing is cliché about it and although it was everything I had hoped, it was far from predictable. The intro is as brutal as you could imagine but the end scene is about as touching as it gets. The subtle and somewhat ambiguous conclusion is a hopeful one, that acts as a stark contrast to the sheer sadness of everything that had come before. It shows a difficult period in history for what it was and the beginning of a change that would slowly sweep through society. However, it is far from being a preachy film but much like a good war film (where the only good war film is an anti-war film) Hostiles is a good western because its an anti-western, in many respects. It’s a phenomenal film that exhausted pretty much all of my emotions, needless to say, I absolutely loved it. I think Cooper’s only mistake in Black Mass (that wasn’t that popular) was in the casting. Hostiles joins both Crazy Heart and Into the Furnace in being yet another contemporary classic for the director.