****
Tasked with escorting a Cheyenne chief and his relatives across the rugged and brutal terrain to their homeland, legendary Army captain Joe Blocker sets out with a small cohort. On their perilous journey, the uneasy party meets the recently bereft Rosalie Quaid and a rogue sergeant charged with the brutal murder of a Native family.
Described by some critics (and stated as such on the above poster!), Hostiles has been mis-categorised as a 'Western'. Yes, there are some elements of what you might expect to find in a classic Western herein, but Scott Cooper's latest is more existential journey than swaggering cowboys and extended shoot-outs. A meditation on the traumas of war and the brutalities of man, this deeply philosophical film ponders death, hatred, forgiveness and redemption, all set against the sweeping landscapes and dramatic skies of 1892 America. My point? If you're expecting lengthy action pieces and drawn out fight sequences, you may well be disappointed - this is a story about the battles of the mind and the soul.
At the centre of the story is Captain Joe Blocker, played with immense emotional integrity by Christian Bale. Grizzled, bitter and filled with hatred for the Native Americans, he is a man renowned for his acts of extreme violence. Unable to articulate his feelings, Bale presents Blocker as a harrowed character and, although his role is largely monosyllabic for sections of the film, each close-up reveals an aspect of his nature that cannot be spoken - it makes for an understated and yet highly emotive performance. Able to express her grief more openly is Rosamund Pike's Rosalie Quaid. The surviving member of her family after their brutal murder, you might have expected Pike's performance to tip over into caricature, but after a particularly powerful scene in which a distraught Rosalie performs a burial, Pike adopts an air of stoic strength. Together, both these nuanced depictions of humans traumatised by violence makes for a heart-wrenching study into mankind's rage and resilience.
For all the pain, suffering and stifling sense of dread, however, there are also moments of beauty and peace. From the expertly-shot landscape across which our central characters travel, to the blossoming relationship between White and Native (it could be argued that this part of the story is somewhat rushed or underdeveloped) and the haunting soundtrack, Hostiles blends man's madness with his capacity for understanding, respect and even love. Whilst most of these emotions are never spoken of, the considered direction and camera work allows us to witness these developments in subtle, underplayed style.
Opening with the horrific murder of an innocent family, Hostiles quickly establishes an oppressive tone which some viewers may struggle with. However, dominated by two exemplary performances and a pared-back script which allows for lingering close-ups, Scott Cooper's latest lets in the merest chinks of hope, in what is a journey of the spirit as much as the physical body. Difficult to watch at times, and yet wholly rewarding, it remains long in the mind after the credits have rolled.
Described by some critics (and stated as such on the above poster!), Hostiles has been mis-categorised as a 'Western'. Yes, there are some elements of what you might expect to find in a classic Western herein, but Scott Cooper's latest is more existential journey than swaggering cowboys and extended shoot-outs. A meditation on the traumas of war and the brutalities of man, this deeply philosophical film ponders death, hatred, forgiveness and redemption, all set against the sweeping landscapes and dramatic skies of 1892 America. My point? If you're expecting lengthy action pieces and drawn out fight sequences, you may well be disappointed - this is a story about the battles of the mind and the soul.
At the centre of the story is Captain Joe Blocker, played with immense emotional integrity by Christian Bale. Grizzled, bitter and filled with hatred for the Native Americans, he is a man renowned for his acts of extreme violence. Unable to articulate his feelings, Bale presents Blocker as a harrowed character and, although his role is largely monosyllabic for sections of the film, each close-up reveals an aspect of his nature that cannot be spoken - it makes for an understated and yet highly emotive performance. Able to express her grief more openly is Rosamund Pike's Rosalie Quaid. The surviving member of her family after their brutal murder, you might have expected Pike's performance to tip over into caricature, but after a particularly powerful scene in which a distraught Rosalie performs a burial, Pike adopts an air of stoic strength. Together, both these nuanced depictions of humans traumatised by violence makes for a heart-wrenching study into mankind's rage and resilience.
For all the pain, suffering and stifling sense of dread, however, there are also moments of beauty and peace. From the expertly-shot landscape across which our central characters travel, to the blossoming relationship between White and Native (it could be argued that this part of the story is somewhat rushed or underdeveloped) and the haunting soundtrack, Hostiles blends man's madness with his capacity for understanding, respect and even love. Whilst most of these emotions are never spoken of, the considered direction and camera work allows us to witness these developments in subtle, underplayed style.
Opening with the horrific murder of an innocent family, Hostiles quickly establishes an oppressive tone which some viewers may struggle with. However, dominated by two exemplary performances and a pared-back script which allows for lingering close-ups, Scott Cooper's latest lets in the merest chinks of hope, in what is a journey of the spirit as much as the physical body. Difficult to watch at times, and yet wholly rewarding, it remains long in the mind after the credits have rolled.
Comments
Post a Comment