No other genre better illuminates the myth surrounding the
‘Great American Hero’ like Western genre. The original image of the Wild West
with its romanticized creation of cowboys represented the ideal of American
white man’s individualist freedom. Before the dominance of American superheroes
in mainstream entertainment, it was the image of strong, silent frontiersmen
& cowboys which gained serious international popularity. Buried beneath this
alleged hero’s charming surface lay the monstrous notions: the denial of Native
American mass killings, justifications cooked-up to encroach their lands, etc.
In a way, the old Western heroes remain unruffled or overtly support
segregation, racism, and social ostracism. Of course, this fascinating genre
kept reinventing itself like its nation. The old masters of cinema John Ford,
Howard Hawks, Anthony Mann, etc made magnificent Western cinema, although it was
accused of lacking ambiguity and moral complexity. That changed with the entry
of fiercely independent film-makers like Sam Peckinpah, Sergio Leone, Samuel
Fuller, Robert Altman, and Arthur Penn. The genre continued to ruminate on the
characteristics of ‘Great American hero’ in which his ‘greatness’ was
scrutinized and ridiculed endlessly. After the 1990s, directors Clint Eastwood,
the Coen brothers, Quentin Tarantino, and many other independent film-makers
kept on redefining the heroes, villains, and their brutish life in Wild West
(Movies like ‘Assassination of Jesse James’, and ‘Meek’s Cutoff ' were the kind
of eerie, existential Westerns that reminds us of the works of Monte Hellman
and Budd Boetticher). Scott Cooper’s Hostiles (2017) might well be a fresh,
interesting addition to this ever-changing, glorious genre. It mostly avoids
the age-old tropes of barbaric Natives and noble white saviors and rather
focuses on the endless brutalities carried out to carve out the American
frontier.
‘Hostiles’ is Scott Cooper’s fourth feature film and so far
his best. Here he comes a lot closer to achieve the excellence, which he failed
to do so with his watchable slow-burn dramas: Crazy Heart, Out of the Furnace,
and Black Mass. Hostiles does contain the dull character dynamics and feels
drawn out like Cooper’s other movies. Yet it’s take on the themes of racism,
hatred, and violence from a morally interesting position strongly resonates
with truth. Writer/director Cooper sets the bleak tone by opening the film with
D.H. Lawrence’s quote: “The essential American soul is hard,
isolate, stoic, and a killer. It has never yet melted.” The film is set in the
year 1892, in American Southwest. The peace enjoyed by the frontier family of
five (mom, dad, two little daughters, and an infant boy) is invaded by the
arrival of Commanche raiding party. The tribesmen have come for the horses, but
without any remorse they shoot-down the husband and the three children. The
shell-shocked wife named Rosalie Quaid (Rosamund Pike) barely survives from the
riders.
The derogatory term ‘hostiles’ was used to
dehumanize the independent Natives. And, this opening scene involving renegade
group of Commanche seems to very well justify the use of the term. But very soon,
we see the ‘hostiles’ at the other end. A group of US cavalry soldiers, led by
sullen-faced Capt. Joseph Blocker (Christian Bale), taunts and belittles
a captured Native American family, which has tried to escape from the harsh
reservation premise. Captain Joe Blocker is revealed to be a hardened military
veteran, who has spent his long career massacring and fighting Native
Americans. He has dispassionately learned all the things he wanted to know
about his enemy. He oversees the Natives’ torture and believes it’s the only
way to treat them. The next day the Captain’s superior (Stephen Lang) calls him
and commands to lead a convoy from Arizona to Montana to safely escort Cheyenne
Chief Yellow Hawk (Wes Studi) and his family. The cancer-ridden Chief was confined
to a little cell for years, and now wishes to peacefully die back in his
family’s sacred lands in Montana.
Not surprisingly, Joe Blocker resists the assignment and even
vehemently questions his superior’s decision to set the Chief free. It is revealed
that Chief Yellow Hawk is responsible for the deaths of several of Joe’s
friends and a sworn enemy at the war. The superior threatens to hold over Joe’s
pension. Eventually the Captain puts together a convoy, consisting of his
traumatized second-in-command, Metz (Rory Cochrane), and three inexperienced
soldiers: Kidder (Jesse Plemons), Woodsen (Jonathan Majors), and Private
DeJardin (Timothée Chalamet). Accompanying the Chief are: son Black Hawk (Adam Beach), daughter, Black Hawk’s wife (Q’orianka Kilcher), and their child. As
one could expect, the convoy come across Rosalie Quaid and her slaughtered
family. She’s initially revolted by the sight of Chief and his family. But
after contemplating suicide, she eventually joins the troupe and becomes a force
of humanity. Most importantly, Joe Blocker’s journey with Yellow Hawk
encourages him to see past all the historical brutalities and recognize the need for
common ground. Joe’s transformation isn’t spelled out in sentimental, clear-cut
terms, but the slow passage of space and time brings about calmness within him.
Of course, we know where the narrative is going and at times we perfectly
foresee its dark turns. However, a handful of touching scenes, nuanced
performances, and gorgeous visuals keep us emotionally invested in this
protracted narrative.
Scott Cooper’s screenplay was based on an original
manuscript by late screenwriter Donald E. Stewart. He has penned the Oscar
winning script for Costa-Garvas’ Missing (1982), and adapted three Tom Clancy
novels. The basic idea for the film was found in Mr. Stewart’s unfinished
manuscript. It’s a very sentimental idea, which Cooper tries to transcend
through his morally ambiguous characters. Although it’s a film that calls for
empathy and peace among different races, it also vividly focuses on the
dehumanizing nature of violence. The violent acts are sudden, shocking, and
denies cathartic emotions (may be except for the final shoot-out). Director
Cooper nearly succeeds in the way he weaves path of redemption or enlightenment
for Joe Blocker without overtly offending our sensibilities. Nevertheless, the
narrative would have felt well-rounded if due focus was given to the
development of its Native characters. Wes Studi, with his piercing eyes
expressing buried anguish, ably carries his underwritten character, but the
other Native characters have far less headroom to develop their roles. Due
consideration was given to showcase the indomitable spirit and humanity of
Rosamund Pike’s character (Mrs. Quaid). The Cheyenne family could also have
used that kind of portrayal. In the end, the Native characters are pushed to
the periphery and the trauma of white male occupies the center. It’s somewhat
disappointing and undercuts its impact, considering how long stretches of the
movie lingered on the two racially divided groups’ shared humanity.
Christian Bale is perfectly cast as the grizzled Captain. He
plays the character with quiet intensity and uses minimal gestures to channel
through the man’s deep prejudice. Ben Foster is an effective addition to the
mix, who plays a former compatriot of the Captain. Foster character’s
deep-rooted bigotry is used to gracefully exhibit the humanity still prevailing
within Captain Joe. The astounding location cinematography by Masanobu Takayanagi beautifully sweeps across the arid and lush
landscapes, injecting solace and tranquility to the otherwise brutal episodes.
Hostiles (133 minutes) is definitely a well-intentioned,
politically conscious Western narrative blessed with soul-stirring performances.
Film-maker Scott Cooper’s attempt to discharge the Western genre’s atrocious
generalizations and falsely idealized past is highly commendable, even though
its final portions are slightly unsatisfying and troubling.
Trailer
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