The real Hopkins was a first rate liar and there is no reason to present this obviously fabricated story as a true one. The film could have played perfectly fine as a Saturday serial "Western." Johnston's direction in the action sequences coupled with the Mortensen's charm would have made a fine fluffy film. Yet the film insisted on trying to be more serious and injected a internal conflict into the main character that just doesn't belong in such a silly film. Some of the images that Johnston creates to dramatizes that conflict are utterly provocative and the film could have also been a really intense portrait of a born liar. (Imagine framing the story as Hopkins telling his story at Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show and how that could have feed into the internal conflict). The film is just at war with itself.
Hidalgo, the horse, is a fun animal character. And the cinematography is great. This is decidedly a mixed bag.
Hidalgo, the horse, is a fun animal character. And the cinematography is great. This is decidedly a mixed bag.