Hidalgo Review
by Laura Clifford (laura AT reelingreviews DOT com)March 5th, 2004
HIDALGO
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After unwittingly delivering the orders which resulted in the massacre of Wounded Knee Creek, Frank T. Hopkins (Viggo Mortensen, "The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King") becomes the drunken star performer of Buffalo Bill Cody's (J. K. Simmons, "Spider-Man") Wild West Show. Bill's claims that Frank's painted mustang is the greatest endurance racer in the world angers Sheikh Riyadh (Omar Sharif, "Monsieur Ibrahim"), who invites Frank to be the first Westerner to complete in the Ocean of Fire, a 3,000 mile race across the Sahara populated with the finest Arabian thoroughbreds. The $100,000 purse tempts Frank who sets sail with his little horse "Hidalgo."
'Based on the life of Frank T. Hopkins' is the ambiguous title chosen for the opening scene of Disney's controversial new film, the verity of which has been seriously debated (although screenwriter John Fusco won a Western Heritage Award from the National Cowboy Museum for his research). But even looking at the film as a complete work of fiction, "Hidalgo" is a solid adventure yarn with "Lawrence of Arabia" locations, "The Mummy's" sandstorm, a rescue a la "Raiders of the Lost Ark," and a scrappy horse besting bigger thoroughbreds like "Seabiscuit." Perhaps the film "Hidalgo" most resembles, however, is "The Last Samurai." Both films deal with heroes drowning their sorrow over the treatment of American Indians by climbing into the bottle and leaving military life for show business, then accepting a challenge in a foreign land where they find parallels to the very culture they are mourning.
While we only hear of Hidalgo's racing exploits, we're shown his specialness early on. It is Hidalgo who senses disaster at Wounded Knee and Frank, respecting his horse's instincts, returns to the scene that will crush his soul. When offered a shot at the Ocean of Fire, Frank is too drunk to care, but Annie Oakley (Elizabeth Berridge, "Amadeus") starts a collection towards his entry fee that spurs him on. During passage, Frank meets Major Davenport (Malcolm McDowell, "The Company"), whose wife Lady Anne (Louise Lombard, "Twice Upon a Time"), grew up among the Bedouins and is determined to have her horse win in order to procure stud rights with Al Hattal, the Sheik's Arabian considered 'equine perfection.'
Upon arriving at the Bedouin camp, Frank, hereafter the 'infidel,' discovers he's been assigned an unwanted assistant, Yusef (Harsh Nayyar, "Traffic"), who becomes the comic sidekick while a Slave Boy (Franky Mwangi) Frank has rescued becomes the mascot . The race is harsh, its no assistance to disabled riders rule equating to an almost certain death sentence, but Frank manages to become one of the few who win a day's rest at the halfway point. Another test arrives though when the Sheikh's daughter Jazira (Zuleikha Robinson, "Timecode") gets Frank into hot water by visiting his tent unchaperoned (another woman with a personal agenda for the race's outcome), then gives him a chance to save his skin when she is kidnapped - the Sheikh will allow Frank to keep his manhood if he returns his daughter. The second half of the race is fraught with betrayal, treachery of the highest order (traps are set, wild cats unleashed) and even some native American mysticism, but Frank and Hidalgo endure to return home for a conclusion straight out of the screenwriter's "Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron."
Star Viggo Mortensen is sure to lure some of "The Lord of the Rings" audience to "Hidalgo" and despite his current star stature, Mortensen is far more successful disappearing into the skin of Hopkins than, say, Tom Cruise's last Samurai. Director Joe Johnston ("Jurassic Park III"), however, doesn't maintain an even tone throughout the film, blending drama with the corn of Saturday matinee serial adventures, so that when Mortensen is driven to off an enemy with 'Nobody hurts my horse,' he comes across as a combination of a true animal advocate and Arnold Schwarzenegger tossing out a one-liner. (It should be noted that one is subjected to seeing Hidalgo suffer a terrible injury.) Louise Lombard presents an intriguing presence as Lady Anne, a woman who keeps her Victorian Englishness intact in the desert right down to her china tea cups (shades of grandmother Thornberry!) and Zuleikha Robinson is well cast as the Sheikh's feisty daughter. Sharif plays the Sheikh as a likable old gent fascinated with the Wild West and devoted to his horses and daughter with the upshot that he is never truly threatening towards Hopkins. Most of the Arabian characters are shallow stereotypes of the thieving or noble bent. Simmons and Berridge stand out in their smaller roles, their characterizations of American legends aided by a creative makeup department.
Director of Photography Shelly Johnson ("Jurassic Park III") paints a beautiful picture, bleeding color in and out of the film to express Hopkins's state of mind. James Newton Howard's ("Peter Pan") score mixes in the appropriate cultural motifs without overpowering the action on screen. And Hidalgo himself? Editor Robert Dalva ("Jurassic Park III") knows how to milk a reaction shot and T.J. the horse knows how to deliver them (Hidalgo was played by 5 different horses, 4 of which were painted to match closeup horse T.J.).
B-
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