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Post by Claire on Mar 3, 2012 21:45:12 GMT 1
Hi all as this is on TV on Sunday 3rd March (BBC2 2.20 - 4.25 pm) and also as I have been meaning to watch it for yonks, I thought it would be a good one for the next film club film. If anyone misses it on telly dont worry as I can lend people a copy.
In case you don't know it's based (ish) on a true event, a long distance ride across Arabian deserts in which a cowboy and his mustang are pitted against the best bred Arab horses, which are of course known for their endurance.
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Post by Claire on Mar 4, 2012 14:16:04 GMT 1
You can also watch it on youtube:
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Post by kunuma on Mar 4, 2012 20:24:02 GMT 1
Well watched it again this afternoon whilst trying to defrost myself after being out in the hail! Love the end of course, liked the beginning, but could do with losing about two thirds of the 'Lawrence of Arabia' stuff - esp the whole Sheik's daughter bit! I did like the horse/horses they had chosen for Hidalgo - even though he was patently a QH stally not a mustang! (and yes, I know they call them paints, but they are coloured QH's really!) Will admit that it's the horse and Viggo that have me watching it, rather than the film itself. I have a major crush on him, an intellectual who loves horses, can't go wrong can you, and he actually bought the horse too - If one thing made me chuckle it was the homage to Indiana Jones with the sword wielding guy who got the dagger thrown at him - and if there was one thing that really annoyed me it would be that I hoped film makers had outgrown their habit of speeding up galloping horses to make it more dramatic................no, film makers, it just looks silly and like they are clockwork toys! Would be good - but in view of the fact that TJ got to live happily ever after with Viggo I'll vote very good!
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Post by darenc1 on Mar 4, 2012 22:47:18 GMT 1
Based on a supposed true story (and that's a story in itself), it pits a Wild West cowboy and his trusty Mustang, Hidalgo, against the best the Bedouin tribes have to offer in a race across fiery deserts to the ocean.
I don't get tired of this film. It's a pretty decent, old-fashioned adventure movie that Hollywood seldom makes any more (and when they do, they CGI the crap out of it!) - only with horses in it.
7/10 in my book.
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Post by Claire on Mar 5, 2012 15:24:51 GMT 1
Well I watched it for the first time, not sure why I'd never got round to it before. Funnily enough when I was watching it I thought exactly the same things as you two commented on: that it was like an old fashioned adventure film (could have been made in the 40s!) and that it was a little Indiana Jones-ish. Stunning horses that played Hidalgo and yes I thought he looked like a QH too! Liked the character of Frank Hopkins, especially when he said you can say what you like about me but dont insult my horse I dont suppose it really matters much that the story wasn't very realistic as I dont think it had much pretensions to follow reality too close and as Daren said the whole Frank Hopkins thing is a bit controversial in whether it was true or not! As long as you accepted it was an Indiana Jones type adventure rather than a serious depiction of a long distance race it was OK. That said yes like kunuma I found the speeded up horses galloping annoying and the end of the race where the poor old half dead Hidalgo who had a huge wound in his shoulder and had just burst a blood vessel suddenly got up and started galloping. I've seen horses look a lot more knackered after a 3 mile chase at Cheltenham! ;D I like the way they emphasised how important horses were to the Arab cultures and I think it was prob true that they wouldn't swap their best stallion for their daughters!
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Deleted
Deleted Member
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Post by Deleted on Mar 6, 2012 0:37:59 GMT 1
I agree with you all. It's entertaining to watch, and with the photography quality, the cast, the sets, and of course the horses, it has the "pretty" factor that older films with a similar adventure style often lack. Viggo is a great actor so that puts it far above a lot of horse films!
I know there is plenty of room for criticism but in the end I just walk away and don't bother because it's enjoyable. Although it would be so much better if they trimmed it down so that it wasn't quite so long and dragging in places.
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Post by darenc1 on Mar 6, 2012 11:08:12 GMT 1
Hands up who shed a tear at the end??
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Post by darenc1 on Mar 6, 2012 11:08:45 GMT 1
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Post by Claire on Mar 6, 2012 11:44:39 GMT 1
Hands up who shed a tear at the end?? Not quite a tear but did have a lump in the old throat. Nice ending. Thanks for the link.
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Post by kunuma on Mar 6, 2012 21:07:57 GMT 1
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Post by darkhorse on Mar 8, 2012 12:32:14 GMT 1
I watched this on Sunday. I've seen it before but I enjoyed it again. The horses and Viggo are certainly easy on the eye. I agree with most of the comments on here. However I couldn't help feeling that if all these people loved their horses so much why did they put them through so much and enter them in a race where there was a good chance of the horses getting killed? I voted good.
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vera
Pony Clubber
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Post by vera on May 14, 2012 9:07:47 GMT 1
I loved this film; just watching the horses and Viggo was enough but the story was well enough. I can watch it over and over again. ANd yes, a bit teary eyed at the end!
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