Hidalgo (2004)
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A guilt-ridden cowboy and his mustang must endure a grueling 3,000-mile desert race to prove their endurance and honor.
The story
In 1890, Frank T. Hopkins, a famous long-distance rider and cowboy, is part of Buffalo Bill's Wild West show. Plagued by guilt over his role in the Wounded Knee Massacre, Hopkins is challenged by the wealthy Sheikh Riyadh to enter the 'Ocean of Fire,' a grueling 3,000-mile race across the Najd desert. To compete, Hopkins must navigate the desert with his mustang, Hidalgo, facing harsh conditions, sabotage, and cultural contempt. Along the way, he encounters the Sheikh's daughter, Jazira, and must contend with unscrupulous rivals and the physical limits of his horse.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
In 1890, Frank T. Hopkins and his mustang, Hidalgo, perform in Buffalo Bill's Wild West show. Hopkins, haunted by his involvement in the Wounded Knee Massacre, is challenged by Sheikh Riyadh to participate in the 'Ocean of Fire,' a 3,000-mile race across the Najd desert. The race is traditionally reserved for pure-bred Arabian horses and Bedouin riders. Hopkins enters with Hidalgo, facing sabotage and a sandstorm. He meets Jazira, the Sheikh's daughter, who is being forced to marry Prince Bin Al Reeh. During the race, Hopkins discovers his own Lakota ancestry, which deepens his internal conflict. He faces threats from Lady Anne Davenport and the brigand Katib, who seeks to steal the Sheikh's breeding journal. After surviving a swarm of locusts and being rescued by a fellow racer, Sakr, Hopkins eventually overcomes a vision of his past and pushes Hidalgo to victory. Hopkins wins the race, befriends the Sheikh, and releases the government-seized mustangs into the wild. The film concludes with an epilogue stating Hopkins won 400 races and died in 1951, while Hidalgo's descendants live free in Oklahoma.
- First release year
- 2004
- Runtime (minutes)
- 136
- Production countries
- United States; United Kingdom
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Joe Johnston
- Writers
- John Fusco · writer; John Fusco · screenwriter
- Cast and characters
- Viggo Mortensen · Frank Hopkins; Zuleikha Robinson · Jazira; Omar Sharif · Sheikh Riyadh; Louise Lombard · Lady Anne Davenport; Adam Alexi-Malle · Aziz; Saïd Taghmaoui · Prince Bin Al Reeh; Silas Carson · Katib; Adoni Maropis · Sakr
- Genres
- biographical drama; Western; action drama; adventure
- Themes
- Guilt and Redemption; Cultural Identity; Man and Nature; Endurance
- Tone and mood
- Epic; Swashbuckling; Adventure
- Premise and plot tags
- True Story; Horse Racing; Historical Fiction; Western
- Source material / true-story basis
- The legend of American distance rider Frank Hopkins and his mustang Hidalgo, including Hopkins' 1891 desert memoirs.
- Content notes
- Kidnapping
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 46% · review count: 162; Metacritic · score: 54 · scale: 100 · review count: 36; CinemaScore · score: A- · scale: A+ to F
- Awards and nominations
- Spur Award · Best Western Drama Script · Win
- Production trivia
- Viggo Mortensen voiced his own character in the Latin American dubbing.; Breyer Animal Creations produced a line of model horses inspired by the film.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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