March 6, 2004 -- “Hidalgo” is a big old-fashioned adventure yarn about a long-distance horse race across deserts in the Middle East. This film is reminiscent of the 1975 movie, “Bite the Bullet” about a similar kind of high-stakes endurance horse race. Although it is jam-packed with movie clichés, the film works because it takes the time to develop its characters, the acting is solid and the production values are top-notch. Its fish-out-of-water story also works, contrasting a cowboy from the Old West with Arabs living in 1891. In a way, the cowboy's situation is very similar to that of the American hero's situation in “The Last Samurai.” He is a stranger in a strange land.

The cowboy, a half-Indian named Frank Hopkins (played by Viggo Mortensen of the Lord of the Rings trilogy), has won every major long-distance horse race in the world with his tough mustang pony, Hidalgo. As his career declines, he finds himself working in Buffalo Bill Cody's Wild West Show, alongside sharpshooter Annie Oakley (Elizabeth Berridge), and Chief Eagle Horn (Floyd 'Red Crow' Westerman of “Dances With Wolves”). Proud Arabian Sheikh Riyadh (Omar Sharif of “The Thirteenth Warrior”) challenges Hopkins to enter a grueling 3,000-mile race across the desert in the Middle East, or to give up his claim of being the greatest long-distance racer in the world. Against his better judgement, Hopkins enters the race, even though he knows his horse is no longer in the prime of his life.

Hopkins and his horse are ridiculed by the Arabs, who prize their purebred horses. Of course, we know now that mixed breeds are genetically stronger than purebreds, but people still believed in a kind of racial purity nonsense back then. The Arabs don't believe this American and his little pony can hold up in the race they call “The Ocean of Fire.” Hopkins is, indeed, out of his element in this strange land with its unusual customs and language. He does the only thing he knows how to do. He remains true to himself and his horse. He tells the sheik's pretty daughter, Jazira (Zuleikha Robinson of “Timecode”), that the secret to Hidalgo's strength is that the horse has never been tamed. Jazira and Hopkins have some very unlikely adventures in the film. The story also takes great pains to be politically correct. It wears its heart on its sleeve with environmental messages and arguments for tolerance, diversity and women's rights. It also features a large helping of Native American mysticism, which runs counter to Islamic fatalism.

Some of the action in the film has a kind of Indiana Jones quality about it. The story requires a significant suspension of disbelief, as Hopkins and Hidalgo make some amazing escapes, daring rescues, survive shootouts, traps, a plague of locusts, a sandstorm, ambushes, double-dealing and cheating by other riders. The movie gets away with this with a wink. It really isn't being serious. The story has a mythic quality about it. It is based on the autobiographical writings of Frank Hopkins, who actually claimed to have won hundreds of such horse races. Hopkins' claims were accepted as fact for years. However, recent research indicates Hopkins probably fabricated the stories about the races. The research on Hopkins, conducted, in part, right here in Laramie at the University of Wyoming's American Heritage Center, is featured in a History Channel documentary called “The True Story of Hidalgo.”

Hopkins claimed to have been born in Laramie, Wyoming. Some say he never made it that far west. According to Wikipedia, Hopkins was born in Pennsylvania in 1893, two years after the Arabian horse race he claimed to have won (Hopkins claimed to have been born in 1865). Arabian scholars reportedly can find no evidence the “Ocean of Fire” race ever existed, either. It is obvious after watching the movie that this is not a true story. It is more like one of those tall tales of legendary characters like Pecos Bill or Paul Bunyan, not credible, but fanciful and entertaining. It is a shame that the Disney company marketed this film as a true story.

While the pace of the film is slow, at first, while Hopkins' back story is being filled in, there is plenty of action later on. Director Joe Johnston of “Jurassic Park III,” knows how to handle a big, epic film like this. Viggo Mortensen, once an actor on the fringes of Hollywood, is now a big name star, thanks to his starring role in the Lord of the Rings trilogy. He does a fine job as the laconic cowboy hero of “Hidalgo.” Mortensen is a fine horseman, too, which adds a lot to his credibility in the role. There seems to be a real bond between Mortensen and Hidalgo (Mortensen bought the horse after the movie), and that is something you can't easily fake.

It is great to see Omar Sharif back all these years after appearing in the greatest movie ever made, “Lawrence of Arabia” (“Hidalgo” was shot in some of the same locations as that earlier classic). The years have not dimmed the on-screen presence of this great actor. He illuminates every scene he is in. The horse who plays Hidalgo has quite a personality, and makes an interesting character in the film, too. Adam Alexi-Malle of “Bowfinger” is quite good as Aziz, one of the film's main characters. The cinematography, by Shelly Johnson (“Jurassic Park III”) provides breathtaking backdrops for the film's many outdoor action scenes, filmed in Montana, Morocco, South Dakota, and California. High adventure, interesting characters and great scenery combines to make this an enjoyable ride, as long as you don't take it seriously. This film rates a B.

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Copyright © 2004 Robert Roten. All rights reserved.
Reproduced with the permission of the copyright holder.

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