Hostiles
In 1892 after nearly two decades of fighting the Cheyenne, the Apache, and the Comanche natives, the United States Cavalry Captain and war hero Joseph Blocker is ordered to escort the ailing Cheyenne chief, Yellow Hawk--his most despised enemy--to his ancestral home in Montana's Valley of the Bears. Nauseated with a baleful anger, Joseph's unwelcome final assignment is further complicated when widowed settler Rosalie Quaid is taken in by his band of soldiers. Aggressive packs of marauding Comanches are still on the warpath and thirsty for blood, so can the seasoned Captain do his duty one last time?
The film underperformed commercially against its moderate budget of $55.0M, earning $37.0M globally (-33% loss). While initial box office returns were modest, the film has gained appreciation for its bold vision within the drama genre.
4 wins & 7 nominations
Plot Structure
Story beats plotted across runtime
Narrative Arc
Emotional journey through the story's key moments
Story Circle
Blueprint 15-beat structure
Arcplot Score Breakdown
Weighted: Precision (70%) + Arc (15%) + Theme (15%)
Hostiles (2017) showcases strategically placed story structure, characteristic of Scott Cooper's storytelling approach. This structural analysis examines how the film's 15-point plot structure maps to proven narrative frameworks across 2 hours and 14 minutes. With an Arcplot score of 7.3, the film balances conventional beats with creative variation.
Characters
Cast & narrative archetypes
Captain Joseph Blocker
Rosalie Quaid
Chief Yellow Hawk
Master Sergeant Thomas Metz
Lieutenant Rudy Kidder
Elk Woman
Black Hawk
Corporal Henry Woodsen
Sergeant Wills
Main Cast & Characters
Captain Joseph Blocker
Played by Christian Bale
A hardened cavalry officer ordered to escort a dying Cheyenne chief to his homeland in Montana, confronting his own prejudices.
Rosalie Quaid
Played by Rosamund Pike
A traumatized widow who witnessed her family's murder by Comanches, rescued by Blocker's party.
Chief Yellow Hawk
Played by Wes Studi
A dying Cheyenne war chief seeking to return to his tribal lands in Montana, once Blocker's enemy.
Master Sergeant Thomas Metz
Played by Rory Cochrane
A loyal sergeant and Blocker's right-hand man on the dangerous escort mission.
Lieutenant Rudy Kidder
Played by Jesse Plemons
A young, idealistic officer accompanying the escort party, represents a new generation.
Elk Woman
Played by Q'orianka Kilcher
Yellow Hawk's wife who accompanies him on his final journey home.
Black Hawk
Played by Adam Beach
Yellow Hawk's son who joins the escort party, carries deep resentment toward white soldiers.
Corporal Henry Woodsen
Played by Jonathan Majors
A young soldier in Blocker's escort detail.
Sergeant Wills
Played by Ben Foster
A brutal fur trader convicted of murder, forced upon Blocker's escort.
Structural Analysis
The Status Quo at 1 minutes (1% through the runtime) establishes The Quaid family homestead is brutally attacked by Comanche warriors. Rosalie watches her husband and children murdered, establishing the violent world of 1892 frontier America where hatred between settlers and Native Americans runs deep.. Of particular interest, this early placement immediately immerses viewers in the story world.
The inciting incident occurs at 16 minutes when Blocker is given a direct order from the President to escort his mortal enemy, dying Cheyenne Chief Yellow Hawk, from New Mexico to Montana. Refusal means court martial. His comfortable hatred is challenged by duty.. At 12% through the film, this Disruption aligns precisely with traditional story structure. This beat shifts the emotional landscape, launching the protagonist into the central conflict.
The First Threshold at 34 minutes marks the transition into Act II, occurring at 25% of the runtime. This indicates the protagonist's commitment to Blocker makes the choice to unshackle Yellow Hawk and arm the Cheyenne warriors when Comanche raiders threaten the party. This tactical decision marks his first step toward seeing his enemies as potential allies rather than prisoners., moving from reaction to action.
At 67 minutes, the Midpoint arrives at 50% of the runtime—precisely centered, creating perfect narrative symmetry. Of particular interest, this crucial beat After surviving an ambush together, Blocker and Yellow Hawk share a moment of mutual respect by the campfire. Yellow Hawk speaks of his own regrets and losses. For the first time, Blocker sees his enemy as a fellow human being carrying similar burdens., fundamentally raising what's at risk. The emotional intensity shifts, dividing the narrative into clear before-and-after phases.
The Collapse moment at 101 minutes (75% through) represents the emotional nadir. Here, Yellow Hawk dies peacefully on his ancestral land in Montana, but hostile ranchers immediately threaten his burial. Several of Blocker's remaining soldiers are killed defending the body. The whiff of death is literal as Blocker buries both enemy and friend together., shows the protagonist at their lowest point. This beat's placement in the final quarter sets up the climactic reversal.
The Second Threshold at 107 minutes initiates the final act resolution at 80% of the runtime. Blocker realizes his duty now extends to Yellow Hawk's surviving grandson, Little Bear. He chooses to protect the boy and complete Yellow Hawk's wish - synthesizing his soldier's duty with his newfound compassion for those he once hated., demonstrating the transformation achieved throughout the journey.
Emotional Journey
Hostiles's emotional architecture traces a deliberate progression across 15 carefully calibrated beats.
Narrative Framework
This structural analysis employs a 15-point narrative structure framework that maps key story moments. By mapping Hostiles against these established plot points, we can identify how Scott Cooper utilizes or subverts traditional narrative conventions. The plot point approach reveals not only adherence to structural principles but also creative choices that distinguish Hostiles within the drama genre.
Scott Cooper's Structural Approach
Among the 4 Scott Cooper films analyzed on Arcplot, the average structural score is 7.0, demonstrating varied approaches to story architecture. Hostiles represents one of the director's most structurally precise works. For comparative analysis, explore the complete Scott Cooper filmography.
Comparative Analysis
Additional drama films include After Thomas, South Pacific and Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights. For more Scott Cooper analyses, see Black Mass, Crazy Heart and Out of the Furnace.
Plot Points by Act
Act I
SetupStatus Quo
The Quaid family homestead is brutally attacked by Comanche warriors. Rosalie watches her husband and children murdered, establishing the violent world of 1892 frontier America where hatred between settlers and Native Americans runs deep.
Theme
Colonel Biggs tells Blocker that carrying hatred destroys a man from within: "We've all done terrible things... the old ways are dying." The theme of whether redemption is possible for those stained by violence is established.
Worldbuilding
We meet Captain Joseph Blocker, a legendary Indian fighter haunted by decades of warfare. His deep hatred of Native Americans is established through his resistance to escorting Chief Yellow Hawk. The brutal frontier setting and the era's racial tensions are depicted.
Disruption
Blocker is given a direct order from the President to escort his mortal enemy, dying Cheyenne Chief Yellow Hawk, from New Mexico to Montana. Refusal means court martial. His comfortable hatred is challenged by duty.
Resistance
Blocker assembles his escort party and prepares for the journey. He encounters the traumatized Rosalie Quaid, sole survivor of a Comanche attack, and takes her along. The party sets out with visible tension between soldiers and Cheyenne prisoners.
Act II
ConfrontationFirst Threshold
Blocker makes the choice to unshackle Yellow Hawk and arm the Cheyenne warriors when Comanche raiders threaten the party. This tactical decision marks his first step toward seeing his enemies as potential allies rather than prisoners.
Mirror World
Rosalie Quaid emerges as Blocker's thematic mirror. Despite losing her family to Native Americans, she begins showing kindness to Yellow Hawk's family. Her capacity for grace despite trauma shows Blocker what healing might look like.
Premise
The escort party travels through dangerous territory. Shared hardships and dangers begin breaking down barriers. Blocker witnesses Yellow Hawk's dignity and family bonds. Small moments of connection occur between former enemies as they protect each other from external threats.
Midpoint
After surviving an ambush together, Blocker and Yellow Hawk share a moment of mutual respect by the campfire. Yellow Hawk speaks of his own regrets and losses. For the first time, Blocker sees his enemy as a fellow human being carrying similar burdens.
Opposition
The journey grows increasingly perilous. A captured soldier who murdered a Native family exposes the darkness within "civilized" men. Party members are killed in attacks. Blocker must confront that the violence he blamed on others exists within his own people too.
Collapse
Yellow Hawk dies peacefully on his ancestral land in Montana, but hostile ranchers immediately threaten his burial. Several of Blocker's remaining soldiers are killed defending the body. The whiff of death is literal as Blocker buries both enemy and friend together.
Crisis
Blocker sits alone with the weight of all he's lost and all he's done. The violence seems endless, the cycle unbreakable. He must decide who he will be now that his enemy has become his friend and died as one.
Act III
ResolutionSecond Threshold
Blocker realizes his duty now extends to Yellow Hawk's surviving grandson, Little Bear. He chooses to protect the boy and complete Yellow Hawk's wish - synthesizing his soldier's duty with his newfound compassion for those he once hated.
Synthesis
Blocker and Rosalie protect Little Bear from the violent ranchers. They complete Yellow Hawk's burial with dignity. Blocker turns in his resignation from the Army, unable to continue the cycle of violence. He escorts Rosalie and Little Bear toward a new life.
Transformation
At the train station, Blocker watches Rosalie board with Little Bear. At the last moment, he steps onto the train with them - choosing connection over isolation, compassion over hatred. The Indian fighter becomes protector of a Cheyenne child.