Hidalgo

In his film "Hidalgo," Viggo Mortensen makes a solid follow-up to his star-making turn in the Lord of the Ring trilogy. While not as epic as his most recent work, the movie is an entertaining adventure for both horse and action enthusiasts. "Hildago" is based on the autobiography of distance rider Frank T. Hopkins (Mortensen) and his mustang, Hidalgo. Hopkins made a name for himself in the late 1800s as the best long distance rider/dispatch. But after a tragedy that he helped cause in his last courier mission, Hopkins spends his time drinking his life away while performing in a traveling Western show. Representatives of Sheikh Riyah (Omar Sharif "The 13th Warrior") attend Hopkins' latest show and invite him to participate in the annual Ocean of Fire, a 3,000-mile survival race across the Arabian Desert. The race is exclusive to royal Arabian families, but Sheikh makes an exception because he has issues with Hopkins' claim that Hidalgo is the world's fastest horse. Hopkins' participation in the race doesn't sit well with many of the competitors, who don't believe that an American will be able to survive the contest and in some cases, actively plot to stop him from finishing the race. Mortensen makes for a great leading man. This role is a smart follow-up for him, as it isn't a major deviation from his Lord of the Rings role, yet it is different enough to prove that he won't get typecast as his Lord of the Rings character Aragorn. His Hopkins is likable, and like any great character, has a demon that he has to fight outside of the elements and the other riders - his past and his true heritage. With so much of the film consisting of a race, Mortensen doesn't really have that many people outside of his horse to interact with for large portions of the film. Fortunately, Hidalgo actually has some charisma to him, so Mortensen doesn't carry the load all by himself. When the supporting characters do make their appearances, they are fairly interesting, particularly Louise Lombard ("Claim"), who plays Lady Anne Davenport, the black widow-esque character who wants to do a little more than discuss horse breeding with Hopkins. Breaking from most film stereotypes, Sharif's Sheikh doesn't spout off a bunch of hokey Middle Eastern sayings. Surprisingly, the film's best scenes occur when Hopkins is off Hildago and operating more as an Indiana Jones-type character -- rescuing Sheikh's daughter, assisting his fellow riders and showing off his gun tricks while battling sword-wielding Arabians -- than as horse rider extraordinaire. It's in these scenes that the film gets really interesting and serves as a nice break from the horse racing. At 2 hours and 25 minutes, Hildago's a bit too long for its own good as Director Joe Johnston attempts to make the film more than it really is -- which is the story of a man and his horse trying to complete a race. There are only so many times that the audience can watch Hopkins battle fatigue, the elements and his fellow riders before it loses some of its emotional impact on the viewer. Johnston wants to convey just how much Hopkins and Hidalgo have to face in completing the race, but he has gotten too attached to what he's filmed. A little bit of editing would have done wonders for the pace and intensity of the film's truly dramatic moments, such as the sandstorm scene. Still, it's hard to argue with Johnston's fascination with his subject matter, as the concept of a man and his horse racing across the Arabian Desert does indeed make for a unique plot. With a nice mix of "Indiana Jones" and "Seabiscuit," "Hidalgo" easily stands out as one of 2004'a best adventure films. It's an ideal film for anyone looking for their next fix of Mortensen, who proves that he has a future in Hollywood beyond Lord of the Rings.

Wonderful product

It is a rarity for me to give out 5 stars. I watched this movie more than a decade ago - on a whim. I loved it. It is one of those movies that are hidden in the recesses of my memories where if it came up, I would watch it all over again. And I just did. It never ceases to amaze and does not disappoint with the beautiful story, story telling of this movie. It would make you want to do an online search and find out if the story of Hidalgo is true. This movie may be a "based on a true story," or "inspired by a true story" kind of movie and whatever kind of semantics those lawyers come out with in terms of labeling a movie, but the truth is, this is a very beautiful movie that's wonderfully made and expressed to your average movie watcher. It is very inspirational and there are life lessons depicted in it, both obvious and subtle, that are worth noting and being reminded of that are sadly very absent in today's world. True (Hollywood) movies do not employ an overwhelming amount of CGI or any artificial film effects to tell a a very good story. And this movie is proof of that. Viggo Mortensen is one of Hollywood's most underrated and underappreciated actors of all time. He is a real man who embodied the real manliness of Mr. Frank T Hopkins. And let's not forget the great Omar Sharif who is another one of those unappreciated Hollywood actors long forgotten in today's chaotic world where real character values are noticeably absent. Lessons to be learned, ladies and gentlemen. Lessons to be learned. Watch this movie - without any distractions. You will never be disappointed.

This is sad and exciting all at the same time. Wonderful movie.

Based on a true story of Frank T Hopkins and his faithful horse Hidalgo. They ride many races together and the last called the Ocean of Fire highlights the truth, honor, treachery and. competition of racing horses in the late 1800's. Heartwarming and exciting. Frank Hopkins became an outspoken proponent of the mustang breed. Beautiful backgrounds and honest.

Good action movie.

Clocking in at over two hours’ runtime, this is an exciting (if somewhat slow to start) story about a man, a horse, a clash of cultures, and a race without equal in venerability, distance, and peril. In 1890, Frank T. Hopkins (Viggo Mortensen)—who’s half Sioux, although he doesn’t look it—is only 25, but already has the reputation of being the greatest endurance-race rider in the world. His mount is Hidalgo, a beautiful brown-and-white overo pinto mustang whom he calls “Little Brother.” When he unwittingly carries the dispatch that results in the massacre of unoffensive Sioux at Wounded Knee, he flees to the East—and a bottle—to escape his horror and guilt. Months later, having joined Buffalo Bill Cody’s (J. K. Simmons) Wild West, he’s approached by one Aziz (Adam Alexi-Malle), a representative of a Bedouin sheik who is “insulted” at Frank’s title. The Bedouins, it seems, have for several centuries been holding an annual endurance race of their own—3000 miles from Aden to Damascus, across a burning desert called the Ocean of Fire. Only if Frank can compete in this contest, and win, says Aziz, will he legitimately be able to call himself “the greatest.” Frank isn’t interested at first, but when he learns that the Army is rounding up Sioux horses with intent to slaughter them—but will surrender them to anyone able to pay an inflated price—and that the winner of the race will walk away with $100,000 in American money, he changes his mind, especially after Annie Oakley (Elizabeth Berridge) spearheads a fund drive among the performers that provides him with the entry fee. Reaching Aden, Frank meets Sheikh Riyadh (Omar Sharif), who turns out to be fascinated by the Wild West (we once find him deeply engrossed in a dime novel), and is provided with a staff of sorts—an old goatherder named Yusef (Harsh Nayyar) and a black slave boy (Franky Mwangi). He finds, too, that he’s not the only European who’s entered the race, though he’s the only one who’ll be riding in it: Englishwoman Lady Anne Davenport (Louise Lombard) has entered her purebred Arabian mare, hoping to win permission to breed the animal to Riyadh’s best stud, also an entrant. In the gruelling days that follow, Frank will face a killer dust storm (impressive special effects by George Lucas’s ILM), a plague of locusts that wipes out “any forage up ahead,” a bandit raider (Adoni Maropis) from whom he must help rescue Riyadh’s daughter Jazira (Zuleikha Robinson), quicksands, and the underhanded maneuverings of Lady Anne. In the end he finds his true strength and identity and proves what he and Hidalgo are made of. Hidalgo himself is as much the star of the movie as Mortensen—a beautiful horse (almost certainly *not* a purebred mustang) and both clever and splendidly trained. Though Frank finds much in the Bedouin culture that he can neither understand nor approve—their treatment of their women, their fixation on the purity of their horses’ blood—he sees too that in some ways they are very much like the Sioux, and he and Riyadh forge a real friendship. Sometimes violent but always exciting and full of desert pageantry, this is one of my favorite movies.

My wife and I just watched this movie last night. We had seen it numerous years ago, but we had forgotten how great of a movie it is. Acting was superb and the movie is based on a true story--an American rider and his mustang horse challenging the finest Arabian horses and riders in a race across 3,000 miles of Arabian desert.

The film opens to a windswept winter landscape as two cross country riders race against one another. This 2004 film allegedly recounts the story of Frank Hopkins (Viggo Mortensen) who claimed he was the dispatch rider that carried the message that led to the Wounded Knee Creek Massacre in 1890. Frank then ends up in Buffalo Bill's Wild West carnival where he gets offered the chance to take part in a 3,000 mile desert endurance race against Bedouins. Loading offers English, Portuguese and Dutch. Then goes into trailers. Main menu is play, Bonus [Sand & Celluloid, which is a making off and what inspired it], scene selection and set up[ basically subtitles, and English or Portuguese sound –no Dutch! ] The Disney Corporation marketed the film as "based on a true story" although subsequent investigations failed to find any evidence of such a race and the entire tale is based upon Hopkins own autobiographical account [unpublished in his lifetime] of which the major part is easily dismissed as fantasy as there is no evidence a race of its type ever took place. In other words its all fiction and reality plays second fiddle, yet it’s a great tale and remarkably entertaining. Basically the story is a challenge between the ‘impure’ blood of commoner Franks Mustang and the ‘pure’ blood of the Bedouin Sheiks thoroughbreds. Despite the dodgy facts, this remains a swashbuckling yarn in true ‘Boys Own’ tradition as man and beast face adversity from nature and people alike and includes sandstorms and kidnapped maidens to be rescued. It has elements of the Scorpion King, Indiana Jones, Romancing the Stone, The Jewel of the Nile, as well King Solomon's Mines, and if they appealed to you, then this might as well. The content is inoffensive but younger viewers might be disturbed by some scenes and the 12 rating is thus apt. This is lively family fun and deserves to be better known. Its hard to be disappointed by this.

„Hidalgo" ist einer der besten Filme, die ich seit langem gesehen habe und er wird diesen Rang auf ewig behalten. Der Abenteuerfilm ist leider etwas aus der Mode gekommen seit den Zeiten von Indiana Jones und Quatermain, aber nun gibt es dank „Hidalgo" Hoffnung für eine neue Ära des Abenteuerfilms. „Hidalgo" ist ein wahrhaftiges Filmabenteuer, wie man es besser nirgendwo zu sehen bekommt. Bereits die einleitenden Bilder lassen auf Großes hoffen. Als dann schließlich die beiden Hauptfiguren Hengst Hidalgo und sein Reiter Frank Hopkins (Viggo Mortensen) ins Bild kommen, ist auch für die nötige Portion Humor und Freundschaft gesorgt. Beide gelten schon lange als ein unschlagbares Team im Lang-Distanz-Reit-Sport und haben unzähle Reiten zusammen gewonnen. Neben diesen Erfolgen geht es Frank Hopkins aber nicht so gut. Er ist Hin- und Hergerissen zwischen seinen beiden Herkünften, Sohn eines Amerikaners und einer Indianerin, zur Zeiten der Schlacht um Wounded Knee. Er neigt zum Trinken und verdient sein Geld in einer mittelmäßigen „Amerikaner schießen Indianer platt"-Show. Doch sein Ruf als Reiter soll ihn bald in andere Sphären führen. Er bekommt das Angebot für einen Scheich bei dem großen 3000-Meilen-Rennen durch die arabische Wüste teilzunehmen. Er sagt zu und findet sich bald auf dem Rennen seines Lebens wieder, in dem es nicht nur um das schnellste Pferd und den besten Reiter geht, sondern sehr bald auch um das bloße Überleben. Als einziger Amerikaner zwischen einer Horde arabischer Erstklasse-Reiter und deren reinblütigen Pferde hat er von Anfang an Feindschaften und Spott zu ertragen. Doch das Wild-West-Team läßt sich nicht unterkriegen und liefert ein meisterhaftes Rennen hin, bei dem ein Spannungsmoment das nächste jagt (Sandstürme, Heuschrecken, Mordanschläge...). Ob die beiden das Rennen überstehen und ob sie sogar gewinnen, lasse ich für Diejenigen, die den Film noch nicht kennen, dahingestellt. Es sei nur soviel verraten: der Film endet in ebenso faszinierenden Bildern, wie er begonnen hat und mag dem einen oder anderen schon ein paar Tränen in die Augen steigen lassen. Und nun zu meinem Lieblingsteil: hemmungsloses Lob-Verschütten über diesen atemberaubenden Film! „Hidalgo" hat einfach alles, was ein Abenteuerfilm braucht: eine äußerst gelungene, auf der Wahrheit beruhende Story, die nicht nur einfach so dahingepinselt wurde, sondern die auch geistigen Tiefgang besitzt und in allen noch so winzigen Details zusammenpasst. Die Herkunft Hopkins sowie seine Selbstfindung während des Rennens sind ein wesentlicher Punkt dieser tiefgründigen Handlung, die den Film so einmalig machen. Man ist dem Hauptdarsteller von Beginn an verbunden, ebenso dem Haupfpferd, das als glänzender Komiker mit einer Unmenge von Charme überzeugt. Auch Leute, die normalerweise rein gar nichts mit Pferden zu tun haben (so wie ich), wird Hidalgo einfach nur bezaubern. Es ist erstaunlich, welche Intelligenz solch ein Tier besitzt und welch eine ganz eigene Mimik und Art, sich zu verhalten. Viggo Mortensen hatte gesagt, das Pferd ist der eigentliche Star des Films. Auch wenn er damit für meinen Geschmack seine eigene Leistung ein bißchen übergeht, so muß man ihm in dem Punkt rechtgeben, dass das Pferd einen wesentlichen Teil dazu beiträgt, den Film so rührend und so sympathisch zu machen, wie er es ist. Aber auch Herr Mortensen muß man in den höchsten Tönen loben. Nach seiner ersten Hauptrolle nach dem großen Erfolg in „Herr der Ringe" zeigt er, dass er es wirklich in allen Bereichen drauf hat. Nun zeigt er das erste Mal auch eine gehörige Portion Humor und dass er kein Problem hat, auch mal den „Blödel" raushängen zu lassen. Nachdem ich nun schon einige seiner früheren Filme gesehen habe, weiß ich bereits, welches Potential dieser Mensch besitzt, aber noch einmal mehr hat mich seine Rolle in „Hidalgo" von ihm fasziniert. Er ist ein Ausnahmeschauspieler wie Ausnahmemensch, dem in Zukunft noch viele Überraschungen zuzutrauen sind und hoffentlich noch viele solcher fantastischen Filme wie „Hidalgo". Das Zusammenspiel zwischen Mensch und Pferd ist Knackpunkt des Filmes. Mann und Pferd sind nicht nur Mann und Pferd, sondern sie verbindet eine tiefe Freundschaft. Hidalgo scheint der einzige Freund zu haben, den Hopkins besitzt. Das wird ihm selbst erst so richtig während des Rennens klar. Die Härte des Rennens und die vielen Gefahren, die sie miteinander durchschreiten, einer angewiesen auf den anderen, verbinden sie auf besondere Weise miteinander. Kann der Eine nicht mehr weiter, nimmt der Andere das Ruder in die Hand und treibt sie weiter voran. So wird die Beziehung zwischen Mensch und Tier ein zentrales Thema, aber auch Freundschaft insgesamt, denn auch in diesem fremden Land, in dem so viel Schlechtes ihn erwartet, findet Hopkins schließlich Freunde. Das ganze Wüstenrennen verändert ihn und als Zuschauer ist es eine wahre Freude, diese Veränderung, so unmerklich sie auch sein mag, mitzuverfolgen bis er schließlich zu seinen Wurzeln findet. Der Film bietet neben packender Geschichte, ereignisreichem und rasantem Rennen und tiefgründigen Themen zudem noch wunderschöne Aufnahmen. Abenteuerfilme entführen den Zuschauer gewöhnlich in fremde Gegenden, so auch „Hidalgo". Die Wüste wird uns nicht nur in ihrer Bedrohlichkeit dargestellt, sondern auch in ihrer Schönheit. Allein diese wundervollen Kameraaufnahmen und -fahrten sind ein Grund, sich diesen Film noch viel öfter anzuschauen. Ebenso läd die spannende Geschichte mit ihren sympathischen Hauptfiguren dazu ein, sich diesen Film immer und immer wieder anzuschauen. Fans von Abenteuerfilmen läßt „Hidalgo" das Herz alle Male schneller schlagen und ich möchte diesen Film um keinen Preis mehr in meinem DVD-Regal missen. „Hidalgo" ist ein Film, von dem man sich einfach bezaubern und mitreißen lassen muß. Ich kann diesen Film daher nur wärmstens weiterempfehlen, auch wenn ich zugeben muß, so begeistert zu sein, dass meine Meinung ziemlich subjektiv geraten ist, aber auch das muß einmal sein. Let 'em buck! Fazit: „Hidalgo" = Hinreißend!

以前、テレビ放映されたときに大いに気に入ったのですが、その後10年以上も放映がなく、待ちきれなくで購入。 やはり、見ごたえがありました。野生馬ヒダルゴの表情（クリクリした目で語り掛ける）が豊かでユーモラスで、にんまり笑えたり感動したり。冒険好き、馬好き、ヴィゴ・モーテンセン好きな方にはおススメです。

Love the movie

This is a great, heart-warming story about friendship, honesty, love of the world and doing the right thing no matter what. A great tale for everyone, but especially for men in today's world.