The film “Hostiles” shows the viewer the cruel events that took place in the 30s of the 19th century. Having seen enough bloody battles, feeling the need to defend himself and kill, a person turns into a real beast, which already acts at the level of instincts. The police officer had a hard time when he took part in the war with the red tribe. The Indians killed many of his friends and partners, and after the end of the armed conflict, Joseph cursed the Indians for a long time and hated them. But who knew that fate would again bring him together with his former enemies.
What is the film “Hostiles” about?
The plot of the film tells about a complex bloodthirsty time period in which officer Joseph Blocker found himself. Actions are developing on the territory of New Mexico, in 1832. In recent years, the man did nothing but take sides against the Indians. Together with allies, Joseph entered into fierce battles and exterminated them. Soon the Indian Wars, which had been going on since 1620, ended. There was a period of calm, and at this time all the Indians were dispersed on the reservations. There were also those who managed to escape and return to their native lands. They continued to engage in robberies and attacks on local residents and wanderers. Joseph was finally able to breathe a sigh of relief. The officer intends to retire, because the war has greatly shaken his health. Unexpectedly, just before leaving, Blocker receives the last task that he can complete, only if he crosses over himself. Cheyenne Yellowhawk fell ill with cancer in the colony and was acquitted by the court, so he can return to his homeland with his family. The officer needs to escort the Indians so that they get to their destination – Montana.
Blocker was forced to accept the instructions of the leadership, otherwise he was threatened with a tribunal. The officer did not want to let down his services to the fatherland, and also exclude pension from the future life. Therefore, he packs up and sets off along with an old enemy on the road. Ahead, the heroes will have a dangerous plain to overcome, given that one of the group is not able to function normally. At some point, a woman joins the company, with whom a tragic story happened. Previously, the girl had a full-fledged family, but the Comanches came, who, without remorse, killed both the children and the husband. Miraculously, the surviving woman, as a result, became distraught and set off on a journey. Seeing the travelers, she decides to warn them of the danger so that they do not stumble upon the formidable detachments of the Comanche, who do not spare anyone on their way. This meeting changes the course of history.
Blocker spent 20 years valiantly defending his truth and protecting civilians. The protracted war sucked all the strength out of him, and after it ended, the man went into deep melancholy, now not experiencing any positive emotions for life. He thought that everything had ended long ago, the losses among civilians, among his own soldiers. New circumstances will show him that hostilities continue to move by inertia, but locally. On their short journey, the main characters will meet face to face with fugitive bandits who continue to have feelings of aggression and rage towards their opponents.
The meaning of the film “Hostiles”
The main message of the film is that war is a terrible phenomenon, exhausting people, turning them into animals acting solely on instincts. People who participated in fierce battles against the Redskins still continue to experience hatred and anger towards them, suffering from tragic memories.
In the film, the main character is officer Joseph Blocker, who gave years of his life to this war and remained indifferent to life. All that interests him now is peace, but even here the leadership from above gives him a difficult task, which he must undertake in order to secure long-awaited peace in the future. Joseph, along with an enemy-Indian who fell ill with cancer, and his family set off on a journey. The Indian wished to die in his native land, but in order to get there, many dangers must be overcome.
The path here acts as a metaphor, which means rebirth, comprehension. A lot of time has passed since the tragic events, but the heroes continue to digest thoughts about what happened. All the situations that happen to the heroes in the process of their advance to Montana help them get to the bottom of their own truth in order to finally interrupt the rumble of hostilities in their heads. It is hard to come to terms with the fact that the war claimed the lives of soldiers, friends, comrades, and even relatives, who will never be returned. Inside, Joseph feels abandoned, he continues to adapt to a new reality without people dear to him.
Thanks to his tenacious nature, Blocker did not go insane, but suffered greatly. The moral losses for him were colossal, now Joseph is not able to feel anything but pain. Although he saw how people around him go crazy, whose psyche is not ready to see the tearing apart of living people.
Around Joseph is considered a legendary and honorable person, everyone respects and honors him. However, the task that he is assigned is the most difficult one in his entire service in moral terms. Chief Yellow Hawk had previously killed his friends and comrades, and now he must be accompanied by an injured person who himself would not mind tearing apart a cancer-sick opponent.
Explanation of the ending of the film “Hostiles”
The entire film “Hostiles” is a series of portioned meanings that the viewer is trying to learn along with the main characters. There are few skirmishes, demonstrations of battles, but a lot of bitter aftertaste from tragic events.
By agreeing to accompany Yellow Hawk on his way home, Joseph was able to reconstruct his worldview. The circumstances that develop in the process of overcoming the dangerous plain at the end lead the protagonist to a new opinion, which he discovers with surprise in himself. Being together with his enemy for a long time, whether a person wants it or not, he begins to drive a chain of thoughts in his head. The enemy is accused a thousand times in Joseph’s head, and then a long reflection moves into a new stage, where the captain tries to understand the position of the Yellow Hawk. Old views upon arrival in Montana begin to collapse, a new truth is born, to which Blocker begins to get used.
At the end of the film, not everyone makes it out alive. Death awaited the participants of this journey at every turn, so in order to survive, experienced opponents had to join forces. At the moment it may seem that the situation is really rolling into the abyss, there is no humanity left in any eye, but Joseph continues to follow his humane principles, which not only save him, but also continue to give the viewer hope that kindness and honor remain in the world and valor. A person shows his true essence only when he finds himself in crisis situations. At the end, Blocker saw who the hated Indian, as well as his red-skinned family, really are. If earlier he considered the Yellow Hawk, which cannot be justified, then in the process he realizes that he has a human inside, they simply force him to start differently.
