The Lone Cowboy Hero: A Film Review of Self-Reliance and Individualism in Hidalgo (2004) by Kevin Costner
The film Hidalgo (2004) by Joe Johnston will be reviewed to identify the theme of self-reliance and individualism in the contemporary western genre. The main character, Frank Hopkins (Viggo Mortensen), is a professional rider in the Buffalo Bill Wild West show that relies on his equestrian skills to make money as a long distance rider. Hopkins’ horse, Hidalgo, is a “low-breed’ mustang that provides an unorthodox and individualistic view of horse racing in comparison to the master breed of Arabic horses in the “Ocean of Fire” race across the Najd desert. Hopkins self-reliance is part of the singularity of the “western hero” hat is expanded …show more content…
In the first part of this film, Frank Hopkins had been a courier rider for the U.S. 7th Cavalry Regiment, which made him the messenger for authorizing the Wounded Knee Massacre of the Sioux Indians. However, Hopkins witnesses the genocide of the Sioux, which forces him to follow his conscience and leave military service to join Buffalo Bill’s Wild West show. Satirically, Hopkins chose to perform as an entertainer, rather continue to live the immoral and unethical lifestyle of a government servant. This form of individualism provides an ethical characterization of Hopkins’ heroism, which refuses to participate in the horrors of American expansionist policies in the west. More so, Hopkins has decided to leave the United States to enter the Ocean of Fire horse race in Saudi Arabia as a type of “ambassador” for horse riding in the heroic American cowboy tradition. After entering the race, Hopkins meets Jazira (Zuleikha Robinson), the daughter of Sheik Riyadh (Omar Sharif) \, and the discuss the genocidal effects of white hegemonic racism in this compassionate view of the Sioux: “Jazira: The Indians of the West. You have seen their vanishing kind?/ Frank T. Hopkins: I am their kind” (Johnson). In this manner, Hopkins is an individualistic personality that relies on his horse and is how self-reliance …show more content…
Hidalgo, therefore, becomes the main character in the film due to Hopkins’ relationship with the animal as a sentient being. More so, Johnston directs the film as a divergent perspective on abuse of horses in the western genre, especially in the way that Hopkins defends his horse as part of his ethical individualism: “Most westerns serve up lone heroes who embody our desire for absolute autonomy and fortify the ambivalent relationship we have with horses by celebrating their violent subjugation” (McMahon & Csaki, 2010, p.342). This is part of the blended tradition of Hopkins’ individualism, yet not without the ethical and moral aspects of respecting the horse as a the main heroism in the contemporary western genre. In some ways, I really enjoyed the premise of Hopkins and Hidalgo being a team, yet this characterization is blended with the heroism of the self-reliant cowboy making many of the decisions for the horse in the Ocean of Fire race. More so, Hopkins guides Hidalgo to win the race because of the unique survival skills he had learned in the American west. These aspects of self-reliance seek to blend a mutual heroism with Hidalgo and Hopkins, but it is obviously Hopkins that makes the crucial choices to win the race and overcome the better-suited Arabic horses that
The film Hidalgo (2004) by Joe Johnston will be reviewed to identify the theme of self-reliance and individualism in the contemporary western genre. The main character, Frank Hopkins (Viggo Mortensen), is a professional rider in the Buffalo Bill Wild West show that relies on his equestrian skills to make money as a long distance rider. Hopkins’ horse, Hidalgo, is a “low-breed’ mustang that provides an unorthodox and individualistic view of horse racing in comparison to the master breed of Arabic horses in the “Ocean of Fire” race across the Najd desert. Hopkins self-reliance is part of the singularity of the “western hero” hat is expanded …show more content…
In the first part of this film, Frank Hopkins had been a courier rider for the U.S. 7th Cavalry Regiment, which made him the messenger for authorizing the Wounded Knee Massacre of the Sioux Indians. However, Hopkins witnesses the genocide of the Sioux, which forces him to follow his conscience and leave military service to join Buffalo Bill’s Wild West show. Satirically, Hopkins chose to perform as an entertainer, rather continue to live the immoral and unethical lifestyle of a government servant. This form of individualism provides an ethical characterization of Hopkins’ heroism, which refuses to participate in the horrors of American expansionist policies in the west. More so, Hopkins has decided to leave the United States to enter the Ocean of Fire horse race in Saudi Arabia as a type of “ambassador” for horse riding in the heroic American cowboy tradition. After entering the race, Hopkins meets Jazira (Zuleikha Robinson), the daughter of Sheik Riyadh (Omar Sharif) \, and the discuss the genocidal effects of white hegemonic racism in this compassionate view of the Sioux: “Jazira: The Indians of the West. You have seen their vanishing kind?/ Frank T. Hopkins: I am their kind” (Johnson). In this manner, Hopkins is an individualistic personality that relies on his horse and is how self-reliance …show more content…
Hidalgo, therefore, becomes the main character in the film due to Hopkins’ relationship with the animal as a sentient being. More so, Johnston directs the film as a divergent perspective on abuse of horses in the western genre, especially in the way that Hopkins defends his horse as part of his ethical individualism: “Most westerns serve up lone heroes who embody our desire for absolute autonomy and fortify the ambivalent relationship we have with horses by celebrating their violent subjugation” (McMahon & Csaki, 2010, p.342). This is part of the blended tradition of Hopkins’ individualism, yet not without the ethical and moral aspects of respecting the horse as a the main heroism in the contemporary western genre. In some ways, I really enjoyed the premise of Hopkins and Hidalgo being a team, yet this characterization is blended with the heroism of the self-reliant cowboy making many of the decisions for the horse in the Ocean of Fire race. More so, Hopkins guides Hidalgo to win the race because of the unique survival skills he had learned in the American west. These aspects of self-reliance seek to blend a mutual heroism with Hidalgo and Hopkins, but it is obviously Hopkins that makes the crucial choices to win the race and overcome the better-suited Arabic horses that