On Hostiles

Much like his last film as a director, 2015’s Black Mass, Scott Cooper’s new film Hostiles is aware of its genre’s history and is careful to create an accurate and attractive mise-en-scene. Yet, also like Black Mass, it is a shallow film, replete with scenes that have been masterly shot, performances that are expertly delivered and grand, sweeping statements about life, destiny and our place in the world that more often than not fall flat as the groundwork into consistent character development hasn’t been achieved. Cooper’s characters are walking quotes, not real people.

The title, rather than referring to one specific enemy refers, it is assumed, to all men as well as the environment. Bale’s army captain, we are regularly reminded is equal to the most violent of Native Americans. Surely, there is a potent and relevant comment to be made here, yet Hostiles paints him as heroic while stressing his violent, immoral and illegal acts. Bale can carry great depth with the slightest of movements, but he can’t smooth over the glaring contradiction in his character.

Occupying the same territory as Cormac McCarthy’s brutal novel about the Indian Wars, Blood Meridian, Hostiles never delivers on its promise of threat. Instead, the death of almost all involved is delivered with more style than substance. From the shocking opening to the brutal, but off screen ending, Hostiles takes pleasure in showing the real violence of the time and the setting, but neglects to populate it with real people.

Despite these character inconsistencies, Hostiles is a film that moves comfortably at a slow pace and pays respect to its environment by framing it wonderfully. It is, at times, a gorgeous film. But, westerns need to say more on the important issues they explore rather than complete a tick box of genre conventions.