Set in the year 1892, “Hostiles” follows the dramatic and treacherous journey taken by a dying Cheyenne war chief’s family and an American Army captain back to the chief’s home in Montana.
“Hostiles” offered an incredibly intense and heart-wrenching story that revolved around hate, race, family, time and Earth’s cruelty.
The movie also centered around the developing relationship between Army captain Joseph J. Blocker and Cheyenne Chief Yellow Hawk who are brought together from groups with a history of hate for each other and must learn to work together.
Released to theaters on Jan. 26, the film was both written and directed by Scott Cooper and stars Christian Bale and Wes Studi, as well as Rosamund Pike.
Beginning their journey in Fort Berringer, New Mexico — two decades before the state gained its statehood — President Benjamin Harrison directed Captain Blocker to escort Yellow Hawk and his family back home.
With an R rating, this was an extremely difficult film for me to watch in theaters and is definitely not a film for the faint of heart.
While the Western did feature intense violence and examined suicide, the film also did an amazing job of exposing true human dignity with sincerity.
Bale did more than surprise me with his superb acting, transforming completely into an 1890s Army captain, a role I have never seen Bale come close to before.
As for my theater experience, there were many tears, to say the least.
Growing up watching Westerns, “Hostiles” offers a fresh and modern try, but falls short when it comes to a surprising and mind-blowing plot.
This movie is like many other Westerns in the plot, but differs in its depth, as it digs much deeper than I have ever seen another Western do before.
Because of modernity, the film also featured incredible cinematography and showcases the Earth in a way that older Westerns could not, with breathtaking landscapes that make the film much more relatable and believable.
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The cinematography adds greatly to the movie, showcasing both the beauty and the cruelty of the land in the 1890s and helping add to the movie’s strength.
For those who like (and can handle) Westerns, this film will offer a fresh take on antiquity and is definitely worth the watch.
For those who don’t like Westerns, this film is still worth the watch, as it offers a look at pride, honor, love and race in ways not usually displayed in theaters.
Timber Mabes is a culture reporter at the Daily Lobo. She can be contacted at culture@dailylobo.com or on Twitter @timbermabes.
