HOSTILES Blu-ray Review
The Movie
Synopsis
In 1892, legendary Army Capt. Joseph Blocker reluctantly agrees to escort a dying Cheyenne war chief and his family back to their tribal land. Embarking on a harrowing and perilous journey from Fort Berringer, N.M., to the grasslands of Montana, they soon encounter a young widow whose family was killed on the plains. The travelers must now band together to survive a punishing landscape that’s crawling with hostile Comanches and vicious outliers.
Directed By: Scott Cooper
Written By: Scott Cooper & Donald E. Stewart
Starring: Scott Shepherd (Wesley Quaid), Rosamund Pike (Rosalie Quaid), Ava Cooper (Lucy Quaid), Stella Cooper (Sylvie Quaid), David Midthunder (Buffalo Man), Gray Wolf Herrera (Middle-Aged Apache Man), Christian Bale ( Capt. Joseph J. Blocker), Rory Cochrane (Master Sgt. Thomas Metz), Jonathan Majors (Corp. Henry Woodsen), John Benjamin Hickey (Capt. Royce Tolan), Stafford Douglas (Corp. Molinor), Stephen Lang (Col. Abraham Biggs), Bill Camp (Jeremiah Wilks), Wes Studi (Chief Yellow Hawk), Jesse Plemons (Lt. Rudy Kidder), and much more.
Genre: Adventure, Drama, & Adventure
Rating: R
Runtime: Approx. 134 minutes
Blu-ray Details
Audio
- English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
Video
- Codec: MPEG-4 AVC
- Resolution: 1080p
- Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
- Subtitles: English SDH & Spanish
Special Features
- A Journey of the Soul: The Making of Hostiles
My Thoughts
I give the Hostiles Blu-ray a B.
The first thing I noticed on the cover of this Blu-ray, is that it says: WE ARE ALL… Hostiles. It didn’t mean much prior to watching this film but now it makes perfect sense.
First off, I want to say the cinematography in this film is amazing! The film locations that they used were breathtaking! I found myself looking beyond the characters in the scene just to see the beautiful locations.
Christian Bale plays Capt. Joseph J. Blocker. He is given orders to escort Chief Yellow Hawk (played by Wes Studi) who is now dying of cancer to his homeland in Montana. He had put Chief Yellow Hawk away seven years earlier for the murder of his friend and I believe 2 other people. He tries to back out but its an order from the President and being so close to his retirement, he could lose his pension if he doesn’t do so.
I can’t even imagine having to protect a man who had killed my close friend and have no choice. He (Capt Joseph Blocker) treated him (Chief) badly at first but, through the course of their journey he gained an appreciation for the man and realized that even he had killed a man just the same. During the journey, they come across a woman, Rosalie Quaid (played by Rosamund Pike), She had lost her entire family to a raid by the Comanche Indians. I felt for her as she came to terms with her loss. Capt Blocker (Bale) is such a compassionate man that he had always tried to do his best to comfort Rosalie (Pike).
The one thing I loved about this film is the message as well as the respect that was gained for the Cheyenne Indians throughout the journey (it will make sense when you see the film).
Going back to WE ARE ALL…Hostiles. In the end, you may have a disliking for someone because of something they did only to find out that you have done something similar.
Catch Hostiles out on Digital April 10th & 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray, and DVD April 24th!