Hostiles

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] (08/07/2018)

Given how thoroughly this film analyzes the feelings of all of its characters, it quite underestimated the importance of the portrayal of Bale’s character and the chief becoming friends, which is a key element in the story exposition. That may be due to the final cut, which was supposed to make the film more accessible to a broader audience by shortening its runtime. I would stretch the first third into the first half and extend the runtime to 150 minutes. Hostiles is so captivating, emotional, and psychologically and intellectually engaging that it could have become the (anti-)western of the decade, depicting the fucked-up period of American history in question most aptly among all of its genre cousins. Each minute is an intense testament of loss, torment and sadness. (08/08/2018)

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. (11/06/2018)

The premise gave me a feeling that this would be one of the best Hollywood experiences. And it really was. It has exactly everything is should and nothing more, nothing less. Christian Bale and Wes Studi greatly portray the best warriors of their respective sides and as destiny has planned, at the end of their lives they meet again just so one of them can carry the other home. And it is done on the President’s order. Brutal bloody scenes, unbelievably strong emotions, characters you pity, the darkness in their minds you can’t understand and the scenes you won’t forget. Undoubtedly a great experience and the last scene is probably the most beautiful and poetic movie ending I have seen in years. (07/10/2020)

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% (16/01/2018)

Nontraditional western with almost philosophical contemplations about death. Mainly about the death of loved ones. In his role of a mumbling captain, Bale caught the right wave again, his torn soul shining in his eyes. In her supporting role, Rosamund Pike skillfully steals the strongest scenes for herself e.g. with the sleeping children and shooting the corpse. A story wrapped inside an almost ironical pilgrimage towards death also boasts amazing visuals. There could be more of Foster, he makes just a fleeting appearance. I was just doing my job. (20/07/2018)

130-minute heavy-duty ride through the wild west that, by some miracle, never bored me for a moment, and instead, I enjoyed every minute spent with Christian Bale (one of his best roles) and his gang, where nothing is certain. I was a bit saddened that such a brilliantly written film with well-developed characters is so unpredictable, even though I usually seek out that unpredictability, but here I truly cared about the characters, and as a result, it crushed me. An outstanding duo with the Netflix series Godless?.. yes, but Hostiles is a bigger blast. (23/04/2018)

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. (15/04/2018)

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?!! (01/10/2018)

A purebred, rough western with an engaging and well-written plot, fantastic directing and brilliant actors - rumors about Christian Bale's best performance of his life did not lie, although it is debatable whether it is in fact his best performance (but it is definitely in the top 3 and it is amazing to see how great Bale acts using his eyes, eyebrows, the wrinkles on his forehead and mustache). However, there is no doubt about this being the best performance of Rosamund Pike’s career. Her tragic character combines female fragility with strength and determination, while Bale's protagonist is no less of a tragic warrior, who gradually runs out of comrades-in-arms in the ruthless environment. This is a film brimming with strong and serious themes, from controversy about violence, human nature, and morality and the burden of conscience, to the differences between murder ordered by someone, and murder in general. A majestic atmosphere, emotions, brilliantly written characters and perfect work with motifs. The last four minutes may be too sweet, but they are actually logical. The Indians may not be what they seem. Amazing film. (02/07/2018)

Scott Cooper has gone beyond me so far, but this was exactly what one imagines quality filmmaking to be. Already the uncompromisingly raw and brutal opening, into which they throw us without warning, managed to set the whole direction of the film and indicated quite clearly that nobody was going to pull any punches. Violence is expressed explicitly and with no regard for children or women, but at the same time casually and skillfully enough not to make weaker viewers uncomfortable, as well as the excellent camera work and exposures of landscapes, the western touch that is felt from the first minutes, and the excellent musical score. The chemistry between Christian Bale and Wes Studi as the Indian chief is excellent, and the gradual development of their characters is straight out of a written drama. The action scenes are realistic, the Indians are brutal to the point of blood and whenever they appear on the scene, you know it's bad. Few films can be so engrossing every second and for someone who doesn’t like westerns, this one sucked me in brilliantly. Hostiles is simply a well-delivered drama portraying the strained relationship between two parties where you never know who will live to see tomorrow, and a quality western that is very confident in its action and combines both of the aforementioned aspects together in the finale – the final carnage and the palpable catharsis of the main characters. I have absolutely no reservations, this is a gem and I would watch it again in a heartbeat. (11/10/2021)

Christian Bale is a sure bet for me, which was confirmed to me yet again. I had trouble sympathizing with the rancher family from the opening scene. If a bunch of people settled on my land and declared it their property, I wouldn't be open to discussion either, but Bale's racist Captain Blocker was excellent. The whole trip to Montana would have been mind-numbingly boring, but fortunately for the viewer and, unfortunately for those involved, it was disrupted by occasional violent events. The atmosphere was properly dismal, and the guardians of world democracy once again showed themselves in their true light, so I was almost completely satisfied. The only thing that spoiled my overall impression a little was the ending. (13/09/2018)

I was expecting a gritty western packed with great action, but honestly, I got something even more. The film offers intense scenes, but a crucial aspect is the various psychological reflections complemented by excellent dialogues. Overall, the discussions between characters can be considered exceptionally well-thought-out. Bale hasn't been very active lately, but choosing this project was clearly a bullseye (I assume he carefully selects his roles, which I definitely respect). His somber expression throughout the film didn't bother me at all; you get used to it when you remember the harsh time period in which the film is set. I haven’t seen such a bleak and pessimistic film in a long time; the creators took it to a completely different level. The rawness and naturalism sometimes chill you to the bone, and my praise definitely goes to the cinematography. A few times, I wondered if this was a work by Malick, as the poetic imagery of the untouched and preserved landscape was stunning, and the characters were convincingly portrayed. Also, bonus points for the more vibrant sequences where the game of kill or be killed was played out. The final brutal shootout, where not many people walked away (so no happy ending), only confirmed that the film definitely deserves a strong four stars. I'm now puzzled about where the Oscar nomination for Bale went; can someone explain it to me? I give it 87%. (07/05/2018)

While this damn honest and extremely well-scripted Scott Cooper masterpiece has very modest production design, it is spectacular in the truest sense of the word. Christian Bale is perhaps the greatest actor of his generation, and he delivers an utterly crushing yet endearing performance here. The fact that much of the story is largely shaped by the post-traumatic stress of the character played by Rosamund Pike is used to absolutely bravura effect, and even though Rosamund Pike barely speaks here, most of her scenes are powerful as hell, thanks to a terrific and extremely sensitive script. It's incredible how much Scott Cooper manages to "cover" in those 134 minutes of screenwriting, but not a single second here feels superfluous. It's the kind of small big film that can't, by definition, succeed in the mainstream, but which is a huge treat for the properly attuned viewer. [90%] (09/02/2022)

Western film at a level that would be hard for anyone to criticize. The cast is stellar, the screenplay clearly portrays the issues of 19th century America, the runtime is longer but beautifully flows. Thanks to a very surprising and brutal opening, Hostiles really intrigued me, and for the rest of the time, I was basically not bored. While there's not much action, when it does appear, it's worth it. For some reason, this movie evoked films like Bone Tomahawk or The Revenant in me. Personally, I'm not a big fan of westerns, but Cooper managed to evoke some emotions in me here, and I left the theaters full of impressions. KVIFF 2018 (13/08/2018)