The movies are sometimes a dreary place, full of sad situations that make for good stories but don't serve to excite and thrill.
It's been a long time since we've seen an old-school, serial-style adventure flick packed full of chases, natural phenomena, double-crosses, shady characters, historical implications, gunplay, fights, friendship and triumph. Which is exactly why "Hidalgo" works.
Based loosely on a true story, the film encompasses all of the above elements that made adventure films in the vein of "Indiana Jones" so enticing and, at the same time, manages to breathe life into old conventions. The result is by no means perfect, but it's definitely one of the most entertaining adventures since the genre hit a drought oh so long ago.
"Hidalgo" is the story of Frank Hopkins (Viggo Mortensen), a half-American Indian cowboy haunted by the tragedy of Wounded Knee. Hopkins and his horse, Hidalgo, work as a part of Buffalo Bill Cody's infamous Wild West show, recreating some of the most exciting truths and myths of their careers. Hopkins soon is approached by a Saudi Arabian ambassador who requests that Hopkins cease calling Hidalgo the greatest distance-racing horse in the world, challenging him to prove his worth by participating in a deadly annual race across 3,000 miles of desert.
Hopkins pools his money and soon finds himself halfway around the world, where his cowboy ways clash not only with the Saudi Arabian way of life, but also with the European aristocrats who vie for victory.
The race itself is interesting to watch, as competitors are killed or forced to quit, massive sand storms overtake the land like tidal waves, friendships are forged and backs are stabbed.
To make things more interesting, Hopkins finds himself in charge of rescuing the daughter of political figure Sheikh Riyadh (Omar Sharif) from a group of raiders. It is at this point that the film becomes less of an endurance race and more of an adventure chock-full of great gun and sword fights, beautiful scenery and a handful of bad guys to complicate matters further down the road.
Aside from the rollicking adventure, the thing that really makes the film work is the subtlety of its themes and characters. There is a lot going on here, from the guilt Hopkins feels over the treatment of American Indians to the contrasting cultural and personal situations experienced by the characters. But at no point does the film beat you over the head with these themes. Instead, they're conveyed with a quiet introspection through Hopkins. Mortensen does a great job of crafting a contemplative, well-intentioned hero whose actions are never shady but never overexplained.
Instead, the audience is invited to take what it can from the film's more serious issues while simultaneously enjoying a slam-bang desert adventure pushed along with intelligence and wit. Some of it certainly is a stretch and a scene with computer-generated cheetahs is a bit unnecessary (and fake), but the overall effect of the film is pure, exhilarating escapism. With so many seldom-discussed cultures represented and an adventurous spirit, "Hidalgo" definitely is a winner.
