Hostiles (2017 Movie)

[KAMALARAMBO: BOOMSHAKALAKA!!!]

Anyone see this?

Th acting isn’t too bad, but some of the plot points don’t make a whole hell of a lot of sense. Like a woman is brought to safe town after her whole family gets massacred and she is mentally unstable. Of course she only stays there one night then immediately heads back into dangerous territory where she is likely to be part of another massacre. All because she wants to be with Christian Balewho she has known for about a day.

Also, the soldiers and especially Christian Bale are too God damn weepy. Like every other seen Bale is crying his eyes out. 19th Century American soldiers in the Wild West didn’t cry. I wouldn’t mind a scene or two to break stereotypes and go against the traditional image of a Wild West tough guy, but it is way, way too much. Heck at one point Bale is all alone then just looks up at the sky and cries. It’s like a soap opera.

Also, speaking of Bale’s character his changes in motivations to help the Native Americans don’t seem very convincing. I get that they didn’t want to make the protagonist a flat out racist, but there should have been more struggle and reasons for him to be so respectful to the Native Americans by later on in the film. One scene essentially plays out like this:

Native Chief: We could help you against attacks if you unshackle us.
Bale: No.
Native Chief: Come on.
Bale: No.
Native Chief: Come on!
Bale: No.
Native Chief: COME ON!
Bale: Well, okay.

[mcmahonfan85]

she wanted to be with Christian Bale because she knew he was kind and respectful of her, and brought her back to reality. when they first met she was in a state of denial and said her children were sleeping, but as soon as she saw the shovels she was brought back and acknowledged they were dead. and when she freaked out at the sight of the shovels, did he try to debate with her or reason with her or argue with her about how they have to bury her family? no, he yelled at his men to drop the shovels. later when she breaks down trying to dig a grave by hand, as soon as she's ready for help he's got his men in there. he gave her his tent while he slept outside in the dirt. he ran interference for her between her and Yellow Hawk's family due to her visible distrust as a result of the death of her family. he showed her his character in the several days (not one) it took for them to reach the town, so when left with a choice of staying with people she's come to somewhat know or strangers, she picks the people she knows.

and the reason they're all so weepy compared to past depictions of cowboys and 19th century soldiers is because they're suffering from something that wasn't discussed much in the era of John Ford and Howard Hawks: PTSD. Bale is a weary soldier who's committed numerous atrocities in a long war who's not only being put out to pasture (and being mocked for it by the Harper's Fairy d-bag), but is ordered with freeing and escorting the person responsible for brutally killing several of his friends. we're in an era of film making where John Wayne riding around angry looking for the Comanche who killed his brother's family and kidnapped his niece isn't that compelling and we need more emotional depth.

and your scene recap is an amalgamation of few scenes. they ask to be unchained to help fight, he says no. later when they get attacked, Yellow Hawk and Black Hawk come to their aid, with Black Hawk strangling a guy to death with his chain. afterwards they asked to be freed again, and Bale finally agrees. he's begrudging forgiveness of Yellow Hawk comes from A) their fighting together against a common enemy, B) Thomas and his ever growing remorse at the things they've done, C) the loss of his people (his fellow soldiers) similar to Yellow Hawk losing his, and D) seeing himself reflected in Ben Foster's character