Hostis

"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.

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.

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.

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

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.