Hidalgo - 3,000 miles to fame

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Movie
German title Hidalgo -
3,000 miles to fame
Original title Hidalgo
Country of production United States
original language English , Arabic
Publishing year 2004
length 131 minutes
Age rating FSK 12
Rod
Director Joe Johnston
script John Fusco
production Casey Silver
music James Newton Howard
camera Shelly Johnson
cut Robert Dalva
occupation

Hidalgo - 3000 miles to fame is a 2004 film based on the biography of Frank Hopkins (1865–1951) and the stories about his enduring horse "Hidalgo", a Mustang . The main role is played by Viggo Mortensen , with Omar Sharif and Louise Lombard acting at his side . JK Simmons can be seen in a small supporting role as Buffalo Bill .

content

1890: Since the massacre at the Wounded Knee , the former courier rider and half-Indian Frank T. Hopkins has been hanging on the bottle and trundling through America with the Buffalo Bill Wild West show . There, the miserable happenings are re-enacted every evening as the triumph of civilization; Frank, presented as the world's best endurance rider, is allowed to perform a few tricks with his Mustang Hidalgo, even if he can hardly keep himself in the saddle from being drunk at times.

One day he and his horse Hidalgo are invited by Sheikh Riyadh to the spectacular 3,000-mile race through Arabia. He had heard of Hidalgo as the most enduring horse and saw the honor of his own exceptional stallion Al Hattal hurt. Frank T. Hopkins only decided to participate when the Sheikh's envoy, Aziz, insulted his Mustang ("an unclean animal"). On the voyage to Arabia, after a fight in the intermediate deck in which sailors irritate Hidalgo, he meets another participant; the attractive Lady Davenport, whose mare will be ridden by an Arab. While all the noble thoroughbreds around him are being professionally prepared for the ride in hell, Frank only gets a suspicious, old goatherd and buys a small, black slave boy.

As the race begins, Hopkins quickly finds that the rules are pretty tough for horse and rider. You are not allowed to help dropped participants if they have an accident and the right to be faster applies to those who hunt in an oasis. The prince, who is riding on Al Hattal, also tries to prevent Hopkins from continuing his journey by bribing guards at a waterhole. However, through skillful cooperation they manage to get the coveted water. A little later, the only way to save themselves from a sandstorm is to force them into a ghost town. To the sheikh's surprise, they arrive at the stopover after the first half of the race, an oasis where they can rest for a day. 50 participants have already dropped out.

In the evening Hopkins receives a visit from Jazira, the sheik's pretty daughter, who wants to help him because, if Al Hattal wins, she will have to marry the prince, which would amount to a life as a slave. The two start a conversation, but are caught by Jazira's bodyguards Jaffa and Aziz. Hopkins thinks it's an attack and actually wants to protect her, which is believed to be a red-handed situation. Although Jazira takes his side, she cannot convince her father that she went to him voluntarily just to talk to him. She is to be whipped as a punishment and Hopkins emasculated. Before that can happen, the sheikh's nephew Katib is attacked. He feels that he has been treated unfairly because he has been expelled from the family due to a lack of discipline and is leading a life as a bandit. Actually, the aim is to steal Al Hattal, but the prince brings him to safety, whereupon Jazira is taken hostage. Hopkins has to watch helplessly chained, but also watches Aziz steal a stud book. When he informs the sheikh of this, they learn, with the help of Hopkins, where Jazira is being held. With the help of a disguised horse that they spend on Al Hattal, Hopkins, Aziz and Jaffa get to the criminal city and get Jazira and the studbook back. Aziz, who is in league with the Katib, kills Jaffa while fleeing, but is killed by Jaffa with the last of his strength before he can kill Jazira as well. Hopkins and Jazira escape on Hidalgo. Back at the oasis, Hopkins is pardoned in thanks. In a conversation with Lady Davenport, in which she offers him to forego the continuation of the race for a third of the prize money, she encourages him to think about whether the prize money is worth damaging Hidalgo for it. When Hopkins notices slight injuries at Hidalgo and expresses this to Jazira, she complains that he only confirms for everyone that Hidalgo is worth less than all the pedigree horses. The next day, Hopkins discovers that Hidalgo is at the finish line. He makes it clear to him that Hopkins should not give up.

Shortly afterwards, Lady Davenport's caravan is stopped by Katib. It turns out that they are in league. For part of the prize money, Katib will ensure that Lady Davenport's mare wins, with which she receives the breeding rights to Al Hattal. She also came up with the idea of ​​kidnapping Al Hattal. Although Hopkins has thwarted both of their plans, Lady Davenport forbids Katib Hopkins to harm, but gives him the freedom to kill Hidalgo. In this act, Al Hattal is said to be kidnapped again this time.

Hopkins gets through a swarm of locusts unscathed and rescues another participant from a hole in the quicksand. Since he is actually not allowed to do this, the men exchange their values, accepting themselves as equals, not as the unbeliever. His competitor regards his accident as the will of Allah and wants to return to his homeland. Katib is attacked the next day, with Al Hattal escaping while Hidalgo is seriously injured because the pursuers drive him and Hopkins into a pitfall. They are left behind when, however, unexpectedly the participant who was believed to be on the way home turns up. He helps them out of the pit, but is watched by Katib, who attacks them. Only Hopkins and Hidalgo survive. In revenge for Hidalgo being injured, Hopkins also drops Katib into a pitfall. At first they make progress until Hidalgo falls and Hopkins actually wants to save him suffering by shooting him. Before he can pull the trigger, Indian visions haunt him. He goes back to his roots when the prince rides up to Al Hattal and mocks him for not coming from a people of proud horsemen. At that moment, not only does Lady Davenport's candidate ride past, but Hidalgo gets up again and tells Hopkins to finish the race. In fact, they manage to win the head-to-head race with one forceful kick.

When she said goodbye to Sheikh Riyadh, he showed him his appreciation and offered him to stay, but Hopkins wanted to go home immediately for the sake of Hidalgo. As a farewell, he gives him his Colt, which was actually his bet. Back in America, he returns to their reservation with Indian friends and releases Hidalgo together with a huge herd of Mustangs (which he previously bought for his life from the government with the prize money of the race).

Reviews

  • "Oberösterreich-Nachrichten" of April 24, 2004 wrote that the ride through the "frying pan of Allah" has everything an adventure film needs to offer: wicked and proud desert sons, intrigues and dangers, a horse that leads its rider to himself, grandiose landscape shots, cultural prejudices, charming jokes - and logical inconsistencies. Viggo Mortensen is a cowboy without etiquette, but with a heart. He and Omar Sharif as the honorable sheikh complemented each other magnificently.
  • Gong thinks the film is an atmospheric adventure with a lot of speed and wonderful shots . In addition, the film offers top tension and atmosphere and is an impressive mix of wild west action and desert romance à la Karl May .
  • Powerful visual and sound adventure around a 3000 mile race in the Middle East. [...] The film, indulging in clichéd exoticisms, gets lost in superfluous subplots and historical revisionist tendencies, mutating into an American version of Karl May's "Durch die Desert". Lexicon of international film
  • The German Film and Media Evaluation FBW in Wiesbaden awarded the film the title valuable.

Others

  • Hidalgo was realized with a film budget of around 90 million US dollars.
  • Director Joe Johnston attached great importance to authenticity, so it was particularly important to him - together with Mortensen - to bring an honest account of the Wounded Knee massacre. It was filmed on the original location with the descendants of the then murdered Lakota .
  • Viggo Mortensen's stunt double remained idle. As an experienced rider and due to his intensive preparation for the role, Mortensen was able to shoot all the scenes himself.
  • Each of the (artificial) locusts eaten in the film by Frank and Hidalgo had been handcrafted for four hours.
  • The film is based on the memoirs of the real Frank Hopkins , the truth of which is in parts controversial.
  • After filming, Viggo Mortensen bought the horse RH Tecontender, one of the five paint horses that were trained for the role of Hidalgo.

Web links

proof

  1. ↑ Gong 16/2008 (April 11, 2008), pp. 27 and 30
  2. ↑ Hidalgo - 3,000 Miles to Fame. In: Lexicon of International Films . Film service , accessed October 19, 2016 .Template: LdiF / Maintenance / Access used