Hostiles [2017]

March 4, 2025

Every once in a while I like to shake things up and watch a good western. My definition of a good western is atmospheric, immersive, and brutally realistic. What can I say, I like my westerns nasty. Nasty and dark, to be more precise. I like that sense of overwhelming desperation and depression on one side, and conviction and fortitude countering them on the other. You might argue that almost all westerns are like this. However, I’m looking for that specific almost post-apocalyptic vibe to top everything off. I guess the more appropriate term would be pre-apocalyptic if you know what I mean but I digress.

Focusing more on its thought-provoking themes than its plot, Hostiles is a slow-burning and gritty western featuring an all-star cast and stunning cinematography. We will again be taking a perilous journey across this vast, dangerous, and beautiful land as we follow Captain Joseph J. Blocker and his party escorting an aging Cheyenne chief to his ancestral home. The story takes place in 1892, a time when the slaughter and forcible displacement of Indians was almost over. When it comes to the term Indians, I would refer back to Slavoj Zizek and his anecdote of why this might be the appropriate term. At this time, I think it’s fitting to quote the whole damned thing:

The only thing I know is that when I was in Missoula, Montana, I got engaged in a very friendly conversation with some Native Americans. They hate the term and they gave me a wonderful reason. They told me Native American and you are a cultural American so what, we are part of nature. They told me we much preferred to be called Indians. At least our name is a monument to white men’s stupidity who thought they are in India when they come here.

I could go on and put a delightful Zizek bow on this cake with another quote about how white people are trying to say that people in Africa are not doing well because of them, which is true to some extent. However, they’re also robbing the people of Africa of their authentic identity by not letting them be human. Or something like that, I just spent the past 30 minutes trying to find the quote but I can’t. Well, this was quite a detour but I feel it was a necessary one. Especially when you consider the themes Hostiles is exploring. We open with one hell of a scene and then settle into a pretty slow pacing.

Slow pacing interrupted by moments of sheer terror and brutal violence or stunning nature. Through this all we witness not just the physical but also the emotional and moral journey of this strange group of men and women. The question of what is right and what is wrong is a central one. Especially when you factor in the group-individual relationship. The entire cast was up to the task and all of them gave incredibly strong performances. Starting with Christian Bale who was simply stunning. Wes Studi, who plays Chief Yellow Hawk, was also phenomenal, giving a subdued but powerful performance worthy of an Oscar.

Moreover, that role was written specifically for him and if he didn’t agree to play it, the movie wouldn’t have been made. Rory Cochrane and Rosamund Pike, man, I could just list everyone including young Timothée Chalamet. However, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the legend that is Scott Wilson (Cyrus Lounde, the landowner) in his final movie role. With a career spanning more than fifty years, you might remember him from The Walking Dead but I suggest you check him out in In Cold Blood from 1967. It goes without saying that the costumes and make-up in Hostiles were spot on.

These people really looked like they were living in the 1890s complete with hairstyles, mustaches, and other little details. Little details that mean a lot. If you’ve watched the latest western mini-series Primeval, you’ll know what I mean. Ain’t no way people looked that clean and stylish back then. Among the many things that fascinate me about this time period, the lack of civilization is the one that gets me the most. If you’re not living in a town or a settlement, you’re out there, in the wild. There’s no law, neighbors, any sort of protection, or anything like that.

It’s just you, the wild, and whatever the fuck is in that wild. Robbers, murderers, sadists, or any number of bad guys live for that shit. And it’s safe to say that you’ll hardly stand a chance against them. And yet you still decide to live on a farm. Is that bravery, lack of awareness and reason, hope or something else, I do not know. But I find it terribly fascinating. Finally, if you’re looking for movies like Hostiles do check out The Proposition, The Nightingale, and The Ballad of Lefty Brown. Director Scott Cooper and Christian Bale reunited three years ago for The Pale Blue Eyes but I didn’t like that movie, maybe you will.