Hostiles (2017), directed by Scott Cooper, is a stark yet hauntingly lyrical Western that examines reconciliation between sworn enemies during one of the most violent periods in American history. What many viewers don’t realize is just how personal—and painstakingly crafted—the project was for Cooper and his cast.

Cooper was drawn to the story because of its moral ambiguity. Instead of presenting the American West through familiar archetypes of heroes and villains, he wanted to explore the shared trauma carried by both U.S. soldiers and Native peoples. To ensure cultural and historical accuracy, Cooper partnered extensively with Native historians and elders—particularly from the Cheyenne and Crow nations—who advised on language, customs, costuming, and worldview. Their involvement helped the film avoid the stereotypes that have long plagued the Western genre.

Christian Bale, who plays Captain Joseph Blocker, prepared intensely to portray a man burdened by violence, loyalty, and remorse. Bale pored over 19th-century soldiers’ journals to understand their conflicting emotions regarding war, duty, and the people they were ordered to fight. He also spent significant time with his Native co-stars, building genuine trust to ensure that Blocker’s evolving relationship with Chief Yellow Hawk (Wes Studi) would feel authentic rather than performative. Studi—long a champion for accurate Indigenous representation—praised Hostiles as one of the few Westerns to grant Native characters equal emotional complexity.

One of the film’s most distinctive production choices was Cooper’s decision to shoot the story in chronological order, a rare luxury in modern filmmaking. This allowed the actors to experience their characters’ physical and emotional journey in real time—from the unforgiving deserts of New Mexico to the sweeping, punishing landscapes that lead north into Montana. The cumulative weariness, grief, and fleeting moments of grace the cast experienced along the way seeped into their performances, giving the film its raw emotional power.

In the end, Hostiles is far more than a Western. It is a somber meditation on forgiveness, survival, and the lasting human cost of conflict—crafted with deep respect for the people and history it depicts.