In 1890, a down-and-out cowboy and his horse travel to Arabia to compete in a deadly cross desert horse race.
Cowboy Frank T. Hopkins, who has an Indian mother, was wounded and traumatized for life as US Cavalry scout at the Wounded Knee Massacre and joint Buffalo Bill's world travelling (Ringling Circus) Wild West show as horse stuntman as well as reputed horse racer. An Arabian sheikh comes dare him to defend the show billing as the world's greatest endurance rider, by entering -as first Westerner- the millennial great 'ocean of fire' race across the unforgiving Arab deserts, which always eliminates most riders, often fatally. Hopkins enters with the first-ever non-thoroughbred, his trusted mustang Hidalgo. As if learning the harsh country in the act weren't hard enough, he must contend with contempt for infidels and impure horses, as well as competitors stopping at nothing, including the Enlish lady davenport who employs one, having wagered against the obvious favorite, the champions from the stable of Sheikh Riyadh, whose tomcat daughter sides with Hopkins, which proves both helpful and as a mortal a danger as a sand storm.—KGF Vissers
Held yearly for centuries, the Ocean of Fire--a 3,000 mile survival race across the Arabian desert--was a challenge restricted to the finest Arabian horses ever bred, the purest and noblest lines, owned by the greatest royal families. In 1890, a wealthy sheik invited an American, Frank T. Hopkins, and his horse to enter the race for the first time. During the course of his career, Hopkins was a cowboy and dispatch rider for the U.S. cavalry--and had once been billed as the greatest rider the West had ever known. The Sheik puts his claim to the test, pitting the American cowboy and his mustang, Hidalgo, against the world's greatest Arabian horses and Bedouin riders--some of whom are determined to prevent a foreigner from finishing the race. For Frank, the Ocean of Fire becomes not only a matter of pride and honor, but a race for his very survival as he and his horse attempt the impossible.—Sujit R. Varma
Frank T. Hopkins, a cowboy working in Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show is troubled by the events he saw at Wounded Knee and by the way the Indians are treated in the show. Billed as the world's greatest endurance rider, an Arabian sheik challenges the title and the rider to come ride in a great race across the desert. Once there he becomes embroiled in political intrigue - a desert prince is trying to seize the sheik's breeding secrets to the great Arabian horses. Also an Englishwoman is trying to win the rights to breed one of her thoroughbred with the great Arabian champion. Hidalgo is the small, mixed breed horse that Hopkins rides and is a metaphor for Hopkins himself who is a half-breed born to a Lakota Indian woman, but has hid it from most everyone. If you take the film on surface value, it is a fun film; however the political overtones can be overweighing. It clearly offers cowboys and Arabs (nee Indians). The sheik's daughter wants her freedom and exposes her face to the cowboy. Then there are gaping plot holes - it is amazing how many Arabs, including a lowly goat herder do speak English. Nevertheless, if you want to suspend your belief and can overlook the political implications of the movie, it can be a fun ride. Contains considerable violence, both in a depiction of the massacre at Wounded Knee and later killings during the Arabian adventure. There is one particularly grueling event involving an injury to Hidalgo.—John Sacksteder <[email protected]>
Frank Hopkins was a rider for the Army, who was at the Wounded Knee Massacre, which would haunt him for life and he copes by turning to the bottle. He joins Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show, and is billed as the greatest horseman and his horse, Hidalgo is billed as the greatest horse in the world because of the countless races he has won. But an Arab questions that claim because they have not competed in a race like the Oceans of Fire which is very grueling. Hopkins decides to join it. So he travels to the Middle East to enter and has several rivals and there are those who don't want him to win. And Frank gets to face some of the demons that plague him.—[email protected]
In 1890, Hopkins is plagued by guilt for having carried a message to the 7th Cavalry Regiment authorizing the Wounded Knee Massacre of Lakota Sioux. The Lakota Sioux were already captive with the US Army, and based on Hospkins' message from the General, they were massacred preemptively to prevent an uprising. By the time Hopkins heard the shots and returned to camp, all the Lakota Sioux had been slaughtered.While working as a stunt rider in Buffalo Bill's Wild West show, Hopkins and his horse are advertised as "the world's greatest distance horse and rider". Preston Webb (C. Thomas Howell), a fellow competitor says that Mustangs do not belong with thoroughbreds and are only fit for being fertilizer.
Hopkins translates a futile request from another performer, Chief Eagle Horn (Floyd Red Crow Westerman), for Bill (J.K. Simmons) to help his nation's mustangs that have been rounded up by the government to be eradicated. The Government had put a price on the mustangs and the Indians do not have that kind of money to save their horses. Bill says that the mustangs have served their purpose and there is no point in saving them.
In 1891, wealthy Sheikh Riyadh (Omar Sharif) sends his attache Aziz (Adam Alexi-Malle) to invite American Frank Hopkins (Viggo Mortensen), and his mustang, Hidalgo, to enter the "Ocean of Fire," an annual 3,000-mile survival race across the Najd desert region (along the Persian Gulf and Iraq, and across the sands of Syria and Damascus), a race traditionally restricted to pure-bred Arabian horses. The race has been held for 1000 years and the top 100 horses of the world participate. Most of the riders do not even get halfway and last year 40 riders perished.
The Sheikh is custodian of the Al-Khamsa line, considered the greatest distance horses in the world. Aziz asks the show to stop using that phrase or to allow Hopkins and Hidalgo to enter the race and prove themselves. Aziz says that Hidalgo has only won races in America (where he is undefeated) which barely qualifies as a desert. Aziz says that Hidalgo is yet to be tested against the greatest endurance horses of the world.
Chief Eagle Horn tells Hopkins that the best days of the Indians are behind them, and they would live out their lives, but the race is a chance for Hopkins to be great. Hopkins knows that Hidalgo is not the horse he used to be. Chief says that Hopkins is lost as he is neither native American nor white and needs to find himself.Hopkins' fellow performers from the show raise his entrance fee of $1000 to be paid in Spanish Silver.
The American cowboy and his mustang are placed against the world's greatest Arabian horses and Bedouin riders, some of whom are determined to prevent a foreigner-and especially an "impure" horse-from finishing the race.
For Hopkins, the Ocean of Fire becomes not only a matter of pride and honor but a race for his survival, as he and his horse attempt the near-impossible desert crossing. He intends to use the purse for saving the mustangs. They were important to the Indians, who trained and used them, but the US government was trying to eliminate them to convert the Indians to farming. The winner's purse of the race is over $100,000.
Throughout the race, competitors try to kill Hopkins and Hidalgo. Chief adversaries include the wealthy, spoiled British aristocrat Lady Anne Davenport (Louise Lombard), who owns a rival Arabian horse and is used to getting her own way. Anne is married to Major Davenport (Malcolm McDowell).Another is the Sheikh's nephew Katib, who wishes, contrary to his uncle's decree, to marry his cousin, the sheikh's daughter Jazira (Zuleikha Robinson) and gain control of the Sheikh's stables including Al-Hattal.Sheikh Riyadh, an admirer of the Wild West, who has promised his daughter Jazira (Zuleikha Robinson) as the fifth wife to the Prince Bin Al Reeh (Said Taghmaoui) riding the Sheikh's horse Al-Hattal, should he win.Jazira is spirited girl and a horse-rider in her own right. Jaffa (Peter Mensah) is Jazira's personal guard. Sheikh Riyadh once had 5 sons, 3 of whom were killed in the raids, one was lost to the race and the last to the quick sands of Hammad.The Sheikh also wagers Hopkins $10,000 on top of the race's purse, for his colt pistol. Yusef (Harsh Nayyar) was a goat herder with the Sheikh and was caught stealing. He was punished to either losing his hand or serving Hopkins as his guide during the race. Yusef advises Hopkins to withdraw from the race.
Anne says that if her mare Camria wins the race, she will procure the breeding rights to Al-Hattal. If she loses, she pays 40% of the purse to the Sheikh.The race allows riders to ride from sunrise to sunset, with a full day's rest at mid-point of Rub Al-Khali. The riders who lose their horses are not allowed to be rescued.
A recurring theme in the film is the fact that Hopkins' father was European American and his mother a member of the Native American Lakota tribe. The Lakota call him "Blue Child" or "Far Rider". As a half-breed, he feels sympathy and pity for his mother's people, who are being driven to extinction by the settlers. However, he does not generally reveal his heritage, especially after the Wounded Knee massacre, for which he feels partly responsible.
Competing rider named Sakr bribes a military contingent along the route not to provide water to Hopkins and Hidalgo, forcing Hopkins to fight for it and continue his race. He then has to outrun a sandstorm by hiding in an abandoned fort.Eventually, the race reaches the halfway point, where the Shiekh has also reached with his entourage and Jazira. 39 riders have died and 11 lost in the sandstorm.
Determined to live her own life, Jazira advises Hopkins on surviving in the desert (and provides him dates and camel butter to survive the next leg of the race). Jazira says that if the Prince wins the race, she ends up being his 5th wife and her life would be over.But they are discovered together in his tent at the halfway point. The Sheikh prepares to have Hopkins gelded as punishment, but his outcast nephew Katib (Silas Carson) raids the camp hoping to force her marriage by dishonoring her. The Prince flees on Al-Hattal, while Katib kidnaps Jazira.
Hopkins rescues Jazira. Journeying back to camp, he reveals that his mother was Lakota Sioux, deepening his guilt over his role at Wounded Knee. Jazira compares his relationship to his heritage with her desire to avoid wearing the veil. Jazira compares his relation to his heritage to her desire to avoid wearing a veil, saying that he mustn't "go through life hiding what God made you.... like me."
Davenport bribes Hopkins to drop out of the race, but he declines. Unbeknownst to him, Davenport is in league with Katib; they plan to kill Hidalgo and steal Al-Hattal, allowing her mare to win the race and breed with the Sheikh's horse.
After saving his opponent Sakr from quicksand, Hopkins is ambushed by Katib and falls into a trap, severely injuring Hidalgo, and is rescued by Sakr (Adoni Maropis) (a falconer and one of Hopkins' fellow racers). Sakr is then shot, and Hopkins kills Katib. Hidalgo collapses, and Hopkins considers shooting him in mercy, but a vision of Lakota elders and his mother appears to him as he chants a prayer to Wakan Tanka.
The prince arrives and taunts Hopkins that the end of the race is in sight, and Hidalgo struggles upright. Riding bareback, Hopkins comes from behind to surpass Davenport's mare and the prince, winning the race.
He befriends the Sheikh and bids farewell to an unveiled Jazira, who calls him by his Lakota name, Blue Child.Returning to the United States, Hopkins uses his winnings to buy the mustangs from the government, releasing them into the wild and freeing Hidalgo to join them.
An epilogue reveals that Hopkins went on to reportedly win 400 long-distance races and was a supporter for wild mustangs until his death in 1951, while Hidalgo's descendants live free in the wilderness of Oklahoma.
