Directed by:
Scott CooperCinematography:
Masanobu TakayanagiComposer:
Max RichterCast:
Christian Bale, Rosamund Pike, Wes Studi, Ben Foster, Stephen Lang, Jesse Plemons, Adam Beach, Paul Anderson, Scott Shepherd, Bill Camp, Rory Cochrane (more)VOD (4)
Plots(1)
Written and directed by Scott Cooper, Hostiles takes place in 1892 and tells the story of an Army Captain (Christian Bale) who reluctantly agrees to escort a dying Cheyenne chief (Wes Studi) and his family back to tribal lands. On the journey, they meet a widow (Rosamund Pike) whose family was murdered on the plains and offer their help. As the former rivals make their way from an isolated Army outpost in New Mexico to the grasslands of Montana, their relationship moves from antagonism to compassion, demonstrating humans’ capacity for change. (Entertainment in Video)
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Reviews (11)
Hostiles is a harsh Western that relates the quest for mutual respect between two fighters on a politically oriented path (akin to Saving Private Ryan). Surprisingly, there are many parallels with another modern Western, 3:10 to Yuma, be it for the story structure, the similar atmosphere, or the starring of Christian Bale and Ben Foster. Otherwise, Hostiles follows its own slow-paced route and skilfully draws the audience in. Scott Cooper’s direction is flawless. The scene where Metz (Rory Cochrane) kneels in front of the chief’s tent would be incredibly clichéd if presented differently, but, thanks to the brilliant acting performance and the way Cooper directed, is, to my eyes, the highlight of the film. [KVIFF 2018]
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The first cinema experience of the year. Scott Cooper serves up a gritty adventure western with the Apache! Starring a solid Christian Bale, Rosamund Pike and Ben Foster. The film has a slower pace, but a very tense atmosphere, beautiful scenery, lots of disgusting maniacal Apaches who have no problem murdering an entire family and their children (the opening scene is very intense) and a great soundtrack. There are only four action scenes, but they are authentically filmed, with excellent sound design and very tense to the point of being breathless. This dead genre has been slowly reviving and gaining momentum for the last two years and that's only a good thing. 75%
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A wonderful story by the sensitive Scott Cooper. Minimalistically served, modestly presented but profound in its message. The moments of silence, thoughtfully spoken dialogue and knowing glances were more engaging for me than the scenes of horror and violence, which also have their place. I can see why this flopped in theaters, in this day and age of superhero Marvel and DC dreck, this old-school style of narrative is out of place with 99% of today's film output. And I understand why Christian Bale wants to make films like this, and I thank him for that and wish him well in his future film career.
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Apocalypse Now of the American West. A completely different western, and gorgeous. A structure based on Coppola's legend that takes you through a thematic landscape in search of epiphany and awareness, with great performances, a tender yet unsettling minimalist soundtrack and unprecedented spiritual depth, and an ending that will make you want to cry together with the protagonists. The filmmaking is deliberately austere, but Cooper scores again with a sensitive narrative that, while slow, can hardly be faulted in terms of the key emphasis on the interactions between the characters and the overall critical portrayal of America's ugly phase at the time. Perhaps there could have been fewer of those puzzling scenes by the fire and the development of the relationship between the captain and the chief is too fast, but this has no effect on the overall emotional and mental catharsis. How the hell didn't this have any Oscar nominations?!!
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Fortunately, Scott Cooper understood that Black Mass was a failed test of a new course for his directing career and that the ideal thing to do was to return to what he does best. Hostiles copies the signature of Out of the Furnace, it’s slow, full of violence and raw emotions. Instead of a purely masculine take, this time he incorporates a strong feminine element as well, and he has succeeded to perfection. It dilutes the macho western, giving it a dramatic dimension and a strong emotional arc, for it is the scenes with Rosamund Pike that are often chilling, sometimes at least very compelling and understandable to the viewer. Christian Bale plays a similar role to his present-day brother, a few years older, he doesn’t say much, but does a lot. On the one hand, this is a gritty, absolutely classically conveyed story (the clash of whites and native savages) of a typical western, and at the same time they subliminally play an interesting game of hatred and reconciliation, where the characters are neither clearly good nor clearly bad and it is often just a matter of point of view and understanding. The great cinematography and the unique scenery of Wyoming and Montana add to the wistful atmosphere, supported by Max Richter's soaring violin. A Western without unnecessary experiments, solid in the basics, a successful return to the roots.
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