Hidalgo (2004) Movie Script
Come on, little brother.
Checkout time.
Yeah.
Everyone's well
behind us, Senator.
When we cross
the finishing line,
we'd best look like champions.
Howdy.
Nice mornin',
don't you think?
You went over it.
You went off the wagon trail.
Cross-country race, ain't it?
Well, I didn't ride 1,100 miles
to finish second place.
Why did you, then?
This race is mine, cowboy.
Yah!
Ready when you are, brother.
Let 'er buck.
Yee-hah!
Whiskey.
That's right.
I don't like
your style, Hopkins.
Heh-hey! You made it.
Mustangs don't belong
in races with thoroughbreds.
If you ask me,
they belong in fertilizer.
Mister...
You can say anything
you want about me.
I'm gonna have to ask you
not to talk about my horse that way.
Call it.
Tails.
Mr. Hopkins...
Private Abernathy.
With the 7th.
Major Whitside, 2nd Battalion,
7th Cavalry Encampment,
at Wounded Knee Creek, sir.
Carry on.
Mr. Hopkins...
Right now, huh?
Wounded Knee Creek
December 29, 1890
Dispatch rider!
Major Whitside, 7th cavalry,
commanding battalion
in the field.
General Miles
directs me to say
that a solution to the Sioux
uprising must be found at once.
Disarm the Indians.
Take every precaution
to prevent their escape.
If they choose to fight,
subdue them.
Dispatch, sir.
They've been doin' it all night.
There's gonna be an uprisin'.
No, soldier. It's a ghost dance.
That's all.
Praying to their ancestors
for help.
Boy.
Where are they taking us?
They called you Blue Child.
I knew your mother.
Get back behind the tent line.
Come on, now.
You don't need that.
Come on.
You know what army this is,
Big Foot?
This is the 7th.
Yellow Hair's men.
You remember Pahaska?
Yeah, you probably
ate his liver.
Hey, you. Come 'ere.
Give me the gun.
Black Coyote is deaf.
He cannot hear your orders. Please...
Let go of it!
What are you doin', Bronco?
Go on, there!
What are you lookin' at?
27 Congressional medals
were awarded at a place
called Wounded Knee.
This was the proud 7th who fought
at the Little Bighorn
and saw their great general
killed in battle.
The Battle of Wounded Knee
would not be that way.
On that day,
outnumbered by warriors,
but undaunted in spirit,
the brave 7th held their ground.
Hopkins!
Get up.
Hidalgo's up next.
Hey, Phoebe Anne.
Get your own gun.
Makin' sure you don't
have live shot in there.
Damn gun's loaded,
and so are you.
- I'm gettin' the hell out of Cleveland.
- Good. Cause we're in Boston.
Come 'ere. Remember?
You're the good guy.
Who has come out to parlay
with Buffalo Bill?
Could it be a real and living
war chief of the red race?
Chief Eagle Horn.
Mothers, hold your children close.
This is not an act.
You are beholding
the last of the wild hostiles,
the red pirates of the prairies.
He who scalped many a pioneer
on the bloody warpath
that led to the winning
of the West.
Now, this is the man
whose power
took the life
of the great general Custer
on the day that
colonel Cody was too late.
And that, gentlemen, is
why they call me Texas Jack.
Far Rider, I must speak to Long Hair.
Please speak United States for me.
Chief says... his people
are vanishing
faster than he can earn silver
with you.
- Can't this wait?
- Curb your tongue, Nate!
Let the chief speak.
Chief Eagle Horn says
that our nation... his nation's... hoop
is broken and scattered.
The buffalo herds
have been destroyed.
Elk and deer are gone.
And now the government is
rounding up our wild horses,
and they plan to...
shoot them, too,
before the first snows.
They put a price
on the native horses
too great
for a poor Indian to meet.
Chief says that perhaps his
people have lost their lands,
but not their spirit.
And he asks you for your help.
Tell my dear friend Eagle Horn
that... the mustang breed
has known its day
and served its purpose.
If my chief
wishes a fine horse,
I will give to him
a thoroughbred steed
of his chosen color.
Yes. He'll do whatever he can.
Behold the famed
Cheyenne-to-Deadwood stage line.
What? What?
Heavens, folks!
It's an ambush.
What think you
of the show, Aziz?
Bravely, the pioneer
meets the savages...
Jack, what are you doing?
Hold on to it.
- Get your foot up there, Frank.
- This is the real West
and not for the faint of heart.
And now, folks,
you remember them,
rough-riding Frank Hopkins
and his horse, Hidalgo!
Galveston, Texas,
to Rutland, Vermont,
is over 1,800 miles.
But Frank Hopkins
and his painted wonder
made the ride in 30 days.
Can cross the country
in 30 days,
but he can't find
his horse backstage.
The wounded-soldier trick!
Ladies and gentlemen,
let's hear it
for the wounded-soldier trick.
You're lucky
this gun's got blanks.
Let go o' me,
you rabbit-eared...
And the horse
- drags the wounded soldier home.
- Let go o' me!
Sheikh Al Riyadh is keeper
of the Muniqi stallion.
His excellency's
royal stables
preserve the purest equine
bloodline in the world.
And he wishes to invest
in the Cody enterprise?
The Sheikh of Sheikhs,
His Greatness,
is beyond investment.
His pride is
in his family horses.
You see, Mr. Cody, the sheikh's
own stallion, Al-Hattal,
is the greatest living
endurance-race champion
of all time.
The sheikh saw your show
in Paris.
His honor was deeply
insulted by your claim
to exhibit the world's greatest
endurance horse and rider.
Hidalgo is a legend, my friends.
He has never lost
a long-distance race.
In America, perhaps.
On deserts that women from
my country could cross on foot.
Frank, you just missed some
wonderful compliments about your horse.
Five minutes, Billy.
Gentlemen, I present
rough-riding Frank Hopkins.
- Mr. Hopkins, a pleasure.
- Mr. Cody, His Excellency...
- Sit down before you fall down.
- ... requests that you remove the title
that you have bestowed
on this American horse.
What's goin' on here, Bill?
Perhaps you have never heard
of the great horse race
of the Bedouin.
It has been held annually
for more than 1,000 years.
A 3,000-mile race.
Across the Arabian Desert.
Along the Persian Gulf and Iraq.
And across the sands
of Syria to Damascus.
It is known
as the "Ocean of Fire".
Our office will accept your entry
at 1,000 dollars in Spanish silver.
The winner's purse makes
the victor very honored.
Very... How do we say?
Very rich, Mr. Cody.
These boys are serious, Frank.
His greatness invites
you and your horse
to enter in the challenge
if you will not
remove the title
that you have bestowed
on this impure animal.
Impure?
He is pure mustang, friend.
What shall I tell
His Excellency?
You can go tell 'im
to pound sand for all I care.
Tequila.
To be more exact,
my Arabian friend.
Gentlemen, the third act
is starting.
I suggest you take your seats.
A very wise choice
you have made, Mr. Hopkins.
I don't think that was
a compliment, Frank.
Long Hair has promised me
rock candy in Pittsburgh.
Our good red and blue days are over.
Perhaps all of us will die
in this show of the great Cody.
You have a chance
to go save yourself, Far Rider.
Hidalgo is not the horse
he used to be, Chief.
There's nothing wrong with that horse.
Is it better to perish here
in this Wild West, as Cody tells it?
I saw what happened
at Wounded Knee Creek.
I carried the orders.
I call you Far Rider, not because of
your great races and your fine pony,
but because you are one who rides far
from himself, and wishes not to look home.
Until you do,
you are neither white man nor Indian.
You are lost.
You think we got one more in us?
Nah, me neither.
Hell, I don't even know
who Frank Hopkins
is no more, brother.
A hundred of us
put in our 10 coin.
Chief Eagle Horn put in 20.
Don't waste our money, Hopkins.
There goes Hopkins.
The house of Sheikh Riyadh
will be greatly honored.
Bertolt, accommodate Mr. Hopkins
and his horse.
Halt!
Are you all right, sir?
Ice is a precious commodity
at sea, my friend.
My gin might go warm
for the sake of your misfortune.
Much obliged.
But I'd take a... warm gin
over ice anytime, mister.
Major, actually.
Major Davenport. Yeah.
Oh. I believe you already
know my wife, Lady Anne.
She tells me you put on
quite a Wild West display
down there in steerage.
You handled yourself
with aplomb, Mr. Hopkins.
Well done.
Now, tell me, Mr. Hopkins...
Is it true that you're
en route to Aden
to enter your horse
in the famous race?
Well, I can't think
of any other, uh, reason
to cross the big water, ma'am.
Splendid.
He's the real item, isn't he?
Have you ever killed
any red Indians?
Just one.
A long time ago.
Do you know who you'll be
racing against, Mr. Hopkins?
Yeah. Pretty near a hundred
Arabians is the word.
It's-it's not just... 100 Arabians.
It's 100 of the finest
and purest horses
ever bred on the sands
of the Nedj.
There's Al-Hattal,
the sheikh's champion.
Al Amir of Syria is entering
Kusma, the blue mare.
And then there's Camria.
The red racer who descends
from the great Al-Jebla.
The best.
Who owns that one?
Queen of Sheba?
No, Mr. Hopkins. I do.
Lady Davenport has lived
among the Bedouin.
She's fluent
in Arabic, Kurdistani.
And what's that... African dialect?
- Tuareg.
- Yes, right.
Tell me, Mr. Hopkins,
what breed is your stud?
My Hidalgo's a mustang, ma'am.
Oh! Mustang?
From the Spanish mesteno,
meaning untamed.
That's right.
Horse of the red Indian.
Small, hearty.
Mixed blood.
Of Spanish origin.
Mixed. Mm...
Well, I, uh, think I'll turn in.
Thanks for the gin.
And the ice.
Nice meeting you, sir.
Ma'am.
Good night, Mr. Hopkins.
I find him rather
ingenuous and charming.
Don't you, Annie?
Sorry, darling?
Godspeed to you all.
Win one for the crown, Annie!
The major prefers
to stay at port
and... guard the ice chamber.
Have you never seen
a slave market, Mr. Frank?
Al-Hattal.
Equine perfection.
He sure looks like a handful.
The Prince is a fine young man of
pedigree, educated in the mission school.
I have chosen him to ride Al-Hattal.
Why can you not accept...?
Father...
I pray only for your happiness.
Be careful, then, father.
Because I am happiest on a horse,
riding where females are forbidden.
There is a tempest in my tent.
But it has come
in the form of my cherished daughter
to upset my failing pancreas.
The Aden caravan has arrived.
The good Lady Davenport...?
Yes. And an American
on a horse of most unusual colour.
The cowboy.
Let in the light.
Well, what do you make of it
so far?
Too late to turn back now.
Very wise to tie
your horse, Mr. Hopkins.
If he were
to cover an Arab mare,
it would be viewed
as a most inviolable blemish.
The foal would need
to be destroyed
before touching the ground.
As would the offending sire.
You hear that?
Keep your pride tucked.
The Rub Al-Khali.
The Empty Quarter.
It is but the first march
of the great race.
Alas, most of the riders
do not even get halfway.
Last year, 40 men perished,
roasted alive
before reaching Iraq.
The fortunate few
cross Allah's Frying Pot,
then must pray
they do not bear witness
to the jinni of the West.
Thank you, sir.
That's... mighty interesting.
Ah!
Where the old ones
speak of the sand devil
who guards the secrets
of the passage to the sea.
Those who reach the gulf waters
travel west across Syria
where the sands shift.
East becomes west.
West becomes south.
What looks like sand to you
soon becomes the poison pits.
Men and horses
fall through the air
and are boiled thus.
Get outta here, mister.
Leave me be.
This is not possible!
You see, I was
Sheikh bin Riyadh's goat herder.
I was charged
with the crime of stealing milk.
As punishment,
I have been assigned
to the American and his horse.
You're working for me?
It was this or be
removed of my left hand.
The future will tell
if I have chosen poorly.
To cross Syria to Damascus,
one must face
hundreds of miles of salt
where no food can be found.
Men go mad!
I can see that.
I pray to Allah,
the All-Compassionate,
that he will give you
the merciful wisdom to go home.
- You know horses?
- Goats.
That'll help.
In the name of Allah,
I welcome you
into my tent as my guest.
If His Excellence
were to touch an infidel,
he would lose his ability
to foretell the future.
Oh. Sorry.
Most foreigners find
our coffee to be too potent.
Too...
Back home we toss
a horseshoe in the pot.
Stands up straight,
coffee's ready.
Shall we play at cards?
No, I ain't too much
of a gambler, sir.
To the contrary.
You are gambling with
your very life in this great race.
I had five sons once.
Three were killed in the raids.
One perished
in this very race six years ago.
The other was swallowed
by the quicksand of the Hammad.
I'm now a man with no sons.
Just...
... one lowly daughter.
Please.
Ignore her presence.
I am greatly pleased that
you have accepted my challenge.
But I must warn you.
Never before has a foreigner
partaken in the great race.
Some here are angry.
I'm not here
to insult anybody, sir.
I'm just here to race.
You may smoke if you wish.
Oh, well, don't mind if I do.
The winner's purse
in the Ocean of Fire
exceeds 100,000 in American
currency, Mr. Hopkins.
But that matters
very little to me.
What matters to my house
is honor.
Our culture revolves around
our sacred horses, Mr. Hopkins.
It is written in the Koran.
"For they were born
of the south winds,"
"and sculpted from
essence by Allah."
On cold nights, my wives
sleep in the stable tents...
so that Al-Hattal
is comfortable and appeased.
Jaffa.
Show Mr. Hopkins to his tent.
He needs his rest.
All right.
Thank you.
Oh, Mr. Hopkins.
Please.
I will amend the winner's
purse with another 10,000
if you will put
that Colt pistol in the pot.
That is an authentic Colt,
is it not?
As they say, God didn't
make all men equal.
Mr. Colt did.
Colt did not make
all men equal, Mr. Hopkins.
You will find this out.
Will you wager
the magnificent weapon?
For 10,000 dollars?
- I'll gamble on that.
- Very good, sir.
- Sleep well.
- You too.
And blessed be thee.
You must never eat more
than one day's ration.
Do you hear me?
Cowboy!
I will eat it myself.
Hey! Quit messin'
with my things.
Is this the symbol
of your nation?
Good as any.
Put that away.
You.
Fetch water.
For the horse.
Okay?
Go on.
Hey!
Get back here!
Come sit down.
That's a very noble deed,
Mr. Rough-Riding Hopkins.
Frank will do, ma'am.
Mary, could we have some more tea
for Mr. Hopkins, please?
You're right at home here,
ain't you?
Well, I spent time amongst
the Bedoui with my father
since I was 13 years of age.
- Lookin' for good horses?
- Looking for the breed apart.
My father spent 26 years
trying to ambassador his way
into the Muniqi blood.
Just like his father.
The Viceroy of Egypt,
Napoleon III.
All of them pandered...
when all they needed to do
was up the ante.
Bad poker players,
the lot of them.
If my mare, Camria,
wins this race,
I'll procure breeding rights
to Al-Hattal.
If I lose...
I pay 40% of the purse
to the sheikh.
And you, cowboy?
What are you in it for?
Just the purse, ma'am.
- "Anne" will do.
- Yes, ma'am.
Thanks for the tea.
Frank.
How good are you
and your little express pony?
Really?
I reckon
we'll both find out, ma'am.
3,000 miles from Sunday.
Hey, cowboy!
Every rider's camp
must bear the flag
of his house or nation.
Yusef has made our flag.
Behold it.
We are pitiful.
Would you get over here, Yusef?
I need some more water.
What did he say?
He said he has
no place else to go.
You and me both, partner.
Tell 'im to get
some more water.
Hey. You too.
Why do you buy this boy, anyway?
Somebody gotta
do your work, goat herder.
Howdy.
Last chance, cowboy.
My name is Sakr.
Desert law compels me
to speak truthfully.
I find the entry
of a Western infidel... sacrilege.
But I trust in Allah
that he'll roast 10 of us
like sheep on a spit
before the sun sets today.
You shall be among the first.
Well, good luck to you, too.
The prince says maybe
we should give you a head start.
Nawali say
"Ride each day to sunset."
"Start again each dawn."
"Those who survive"
"to reach the halfway camp
in the Rub Al-Khali"
"shall be rewarded
with a full day's rest."
"A tent camp will reach
halfway point before you,"
"traveling by camel road."
Nawali say
"Strength to your horses,"
"and may God have mercy
on your souls."
Goodbye, cowboy.
Fly high, my friend.
Ease up.
Let 'em go.
Never beat 'em
in the quarter-mile.
Whoa, son.
Ease up, brother.
What are you doing here?
Go back to work now.
What did I tell you,
little brother?
It's all for show.
Infidel!
Do not take him!
It is against
the laws of the race.
Best hotel in town, I reckon.
Hey, cowboy!
Nearly 100 miles in one day.
Most impressive!
This is your last chance
to turn back.
Hear me?
You do not belong out here!
Turn back at dawn.
Or prepare for a death
beyond your greatest fear!
Tomorrow I shall not
even look over my shoulder!
A water hole never
looked so good.
What water hole
would that be, sir?
The cistern's dry.
You must discontinue here.
I suggest you take
the east road back to Aden.
That's not even a transit tax.
Six soldiers in the middle
of the Arabian desert
guarding a dry well...
That's unusual.
I said "The well is dry".
Okay, brother.
We ain't gonna make
another 10 miles without water.
On the whistle.
Are you bloody stupid?!
Go, brother! Go!
Easy, boys.
Long way to Damascus.
What in hellfire?
Let's go, brother.
Hyah!
Better up your price
at the next water hole, Prince.
You are carried by the West Wind itself,
Bin Al Reeh.
How many have fallen?
The report claims
39 have fallen out,
and 11 were lost
in the sandstorm.
Wash him with cold water.
I don't believe it.
You survived the sandstorm.
Allah must have a more
severe judgment awaiting you.
Thanks, partner.
Daidai, we have
one full day's rest
before the long march to Iraq.
That's where Al-Hattal
will break away from the pack
and the mustang is still in,
so we must maintain the pace.
Do you hear me?
Look at me!
Your Excellency.
- Peace be with you.
- And also be with you.
Bless you, Sheikh of Sheikhs.
Sit, Katib. Revive thy spirit.
Allah willing,
I never miss the great race, uncle.
If I owned more flocks,
I would bet them all.
I have come to beseech you
one last time.
Forgive me, and allow me to share in
the ownership of our forefathers' horses.
You have not the discipline to be keeper of
such royalty as your grandfather's horses.
Least of all Al-Hattal -
he is my son.
Go rob pilgrims.
That is your calling.
Even the blessed Prophet
was a raider in his time.
This is blasphemy.
How is the coffee?
Most excellent. I am revived.
If one tossed a horseshoe
into the pot,
do you think
it would stand erect?
At your age, uncle, perhaps
it is the only thing that might.
Boldly spoken for a man
with no wives.
How is your health, uncle?
I have the blood
of a warrior grandfather.
Please, Mr. Frank.
Listen to me.
There will be no grazing
for many days.
That's all right.
I packed some barley.
Take these.
- What's that?
- Dates.
Trust me.
Take with you this skin.
It is filled with the butter
of camel.
Mix it with the water
for... both you and your horse.
It will keep you alive
across the Hammad.
And fear not the locusts.
They are a gift from above.
Not a plague,
as you might believe.
Why are you tryin' to help me?
If... Prince Bin Al Reeh wins
the race on Al-Hattal,
I become his fifth wife.
The youngest of his harem.
No more than a slave
in his house.
I do not know if you are
as good as it is said.
But I have faith
in the painted stallion.
It is said that you captured him
in the wild.
Badlands.
Long time ago.
- How did you tame him?
- I didn't.
Why are you wearin' that?
Verily, you do not know
our world.
This is a cowboy's spur.
Yeah.
My father reads many books
from the outside world.
But... his true enjoyment
of literature,
it is of... Wild Bill
and... Calamity Jane.
You're boshin' me.
In this Wild West,
there are nomads, also.
The red people.
Like the Bedou,
they are a horse culture.
Have you seen
their vanishing kind?
I am their kind.
My father was a cavalry scout.
He fell in love
with a chief's daughter.
Married her.
They called me Frank T.
My grandmother named me
Hokshelato.
It means "Blue Child".
I would know you
only as a white man.
Maybe I got good
at hidin' my face, too.
- Why?
- You don't know our world.
Look out!
Foolish is a foreigner.
Allah has decided
that I should not sleep well these nights.
You have disgraced this house.
I am sickened.
- It is not how it appears.
- He forced you into his quarters.
No, I went by my own volition.
I wished only to speak with him.
He did not touch your daughter,
but tried to protect her from danger.
I am responsible.
Have you ever considered
just poisoning me, Jazira?
Why torture me with slow precision?
Why force me to marry a man
who has never looked at me?
If he looks at you,
I have to cut off his head.
You are not yet his property.
The women of the western tribes
no longer wear the veil.
Pray you were of a western tribe.
I would not be in this position.
And in the middle of the great race.
Shame upon you.
Shame upon you, father.
For allowing me
to ride horses when no one sees.
For taking me on gazelle hunts
when the men make pilgrimage.
You are all I have.
You are my treasure.
But when the eyes of the people
are on the great sheikh, I am lowly.
Let him go.
How dare you give orders
to a man in my tent?
Aziz! Remove a certain woman
to the tent of office.
No. It is not right.
Wait a minute. She...
Sir!
It is written, Mr. Hopkins.
If any of our chaste women
commit lewdness
with evidence against them,
so shall they be taken out
and stoned.
And it is then by law
that the father must...
drown his own daughter.
- It wasn't her fault.
- Silence, I said.
- Ahmed.
- All right.
However, we are still far
from the next cistern.
And water is precious.
So my decision is swift.
For her trespass,
my daughter will be flogged.
Seven stripes... at a time hence.
And you...
An impure unbeliever
in the tent of a man
who can trace his very blood
back to Adam.
You will be removed
of your infidel self.
Removed of my what?
Like a stallion
not worthy of breeding.
Come here, skinner.
We didn't do nothin', sir!
I feel compassion for you.
But I cannot let your fear
move me.
Speak honestly as a man.
Did you violate
my daughter's honor?
No, sir. I did not!
Can one believe a nonbeliever?
Only fools or gamblers walk
behind a strange mare, Sheikh!
You can believe that!
Is that a passage
from the Bible?
No, it's somethin' Wild Bill
said to me one night.
Wild Bill?
Out in Deadwood!
You refer to the man
known as Hickok?
The master
of the double six-gun?
Only one Wild Bill, sir.
Hickok was a true prince
of pistoleers, was he not?
He's pretty good
with a twist draw.
What did my daughter say
about your horse?
Well, she's a... lady with an eye
for horseflesh, sir.
If she was my son,
she would be in this race.
Alas, she is not.
She's a woman who has entered
the sleeping quarters
of an infidel.
Come, skinner.
You heard of the OK Corral?
Eh... You were not there.
Tell me about this... Wyatt Earp.
And the Doctor Holliday.
Raiders!
Free him.
Come on. Hurry up!
Hey! Get back here!
Tribal war games are
their national sport, Mary.
It's none of our affair.
Hey, partner!
How 'bout a hand?
Thank you kindly.
Go, Prince.
Al-Hattal. He is gone.
Jazira.
Hy!
I will free you.
You will run, like the prince.
Damn coward.
No wonder you don't wanna be
his fifth wife.
Hey!
Hey, deputy! Hey!
Jazira...
They've taken her.
They've taken her!
If I turn over Al-Hattal,
Katib will return my child.
And if you don't?
He's a bastard son of a jackal
who would have his gypsies
commit crimes upon her.
I cannot surrender what is
most sacred to my family.
You could never understand that,
so do not even try.
The Al Khamsa manuscripts.
My family's breeding book
is gone.
It is gone!
The Al Khamsa book
contains the breeding secrets
of the Muniqi strain
going back to Saba.
Let's bring your deputy in here.
I'll ask you once more,
Aziz, and only once.
Where did they take my daughter?
I know nothing.
I only took the book
to protect it from the raiders.
It is they
who stole it from me.
Stole it?
Or paid you,
my trusted brother?
It matters only to He.
Please, end my humiliation.
- What are you doing?
- That's the easy way out.
He ain't gettin' it.
Please.
Western justice, partner.
That's called
a Mexican tattoo, Deputy.
And that lasts a lot longer
than a sword.
For a man of such high rank,
you're kinda short, Aziz.
We can fix that.
No!
I know where they have taken her
until they receive the stallion.
I know you're not
a gambling man.
But bring my daughter back
by nightfall and you're forgiven.
Attempt to deceive me and run,
and you will not get beyond the
port of Jordan with your head.
Run.
Faster, traitor.
His Excellency is most reckless.
Sending a slave with no rurula
to do a man's job.
Know this, Aziz.
If any harm has befallen
the child,
I shall remove your head myself.
You know that my father
will never surrender Al-Hattal.
I will tell you something
about your father.
He is a failure at being a ruler.
He allows emotions to govern him.
I do not.
And he has become
Sheikh of Sheikhs.
Whilst you,
no more than a brigand.
I am the greatest horseman of the tribe.
I could defeat any rider in the great race,
if I was allowed to sit the back of Al-Hattal.
Why am I not?
Because the sacred is not for sale,
as are you.
If Al-Hattal is not turned out
onto the sands of the Hamad by midnight,
I send your head to my uncle,
wrapped in Baghdad silk.
I am warned.
You are promised.
Know that if we all die,
your soul will go straight
to the devil.
And your impure horse, too.
That's far enough, Aziz.
Kill her!
Jazira, run!
Jazira!
Jazira! Jazira!
Jaffa!
- Give 'im his head!
- I know what to do!
Let's keep movin', miss.
He pledged his life for me
when I was born worthless.
I'm sorry.
We gotta make that tent camp
by sundown.
Please.
I wish you to look at me.
Why do I feel that... you truly
see me... when others do not?
Well, my horse likes you.
Even a blind man could see
that you're beautiful.
We must ride.
We will stay off
the camel roads.
What does this mean?
Shunka Wakan.
Big dog.
There's no word in Sioux
for horse.
When the Indians saw the first one
the Spanish brought over,
they didn't know
what the hell it was.
When they saw... how it could run,
carry a man through battle,
become his friend for life,
well, they figured it had to be
a sacred animal.
Indeed.
Did your mother teach you
this wisdom?
I am sorry.
When this race is over,
I will pray five times a day.
Being an infidel, as you are,
you cannot be expected
to comprehend.
There are those
who are chosen to be winners
and those chosen to be losers.
Allah chooses thus,
and it is written.
You are summoned
to the tent of the lady.
Right now.
You know, Yusef,
I once had a three-legged colt.
Born that way.
Turned out to be one of the best
ropin' horses I ever had.
Your mare's runnin'
a good race, ma'am.
She is rather lovely,
isn't she?
Good legs on her.
Can you envision her offspring
from an Al-Hattal cross?
Aziz was not
a very admirable man.
But he was very adept
in researching bloodlines.
You have blood
from the red Indian race.
You hid it effectively
all your life.
I'm not sure
what you're gettin' at, ma'am.
There's no way for me to win
rights to the Muniqi bloodline
other than to win this race.
You, on the other hand,
you have another way to win.
Only one way to win.
Your little mustang
has... proven hardy.
But... the chances of him...
crossing Iraq and Syria
before Al-Hattal and my mare
are slim... at best.
Your horse is weakening,
Mr. Hopkins, and you know it.
You've taken him so very far
from anything he's ever known.
All for the sake of money.
Are you willing to kill him...
for money?
The winner's purse is 100,000.
Pull out now, and
I'll compensate you 30% in silver
for turning in a serious effort.
I've never... taken money
for quittin' a race.
Well, then, Frank...
Just where are we, then?
Here. Alone.
In the last corner of Arabia.
Yeah.
But when you're in a desert,
the sight of green grass
and fresh water can be
mighty tempting.
Sometimes you're just
seein' things.
Indeed, Mr. Hopkins.
Good night, ma'am.
Frank.
- What of my offer?
- I'll sleep on it.
And all alone. Shame.
He does not like the milk
of the camel.
But it will keep his liver
from failure.
Appreciate it.
You have visited the tent
of the Christian lady.
I don't like the look
of them front hooves.
That quarter crack
is gettin' worse.
Another 400 miles
can put 'im lame.
You must not give up.
It might be just time...
to live with what we got.
You will prove them right.
That blood is more important
than will.
You will continue your life
hiding who God made you.
Like me.
Jazira.
You done me proud, partner.
Frank Hopkins.
I am compelled
to express gratitude.
Hidalgo! Hidaldo!
- Good luck, Mr. Hopkins.
- Thank you, ma'am.
If I don't see you in Damascus,
I hope you find the stock
you've been lookin' for.
Oh, I will.
You should have wagered on it.
The cowboy forgot his drink.
Do not react.
Remain calm.
And only I speak.
Atimi, no!
Call yourself a great Bedou raider
for killing a camel boy.
For not being able to hold on
to a little harem girl.
You will still pay me
my riyals.
But I will exact it from you.
And perhaps much more,
Lady English.
You will receive nothing
unless my horse reaches
that finishing stone first.
They're six days
across the Hammad.
You can intercept them
by using the camel road.
Force the American
into the Amal Samheem.
Capture Al-Hattal
and keep him secure.
But my horse wins this race.
He made you look quite the fool,
didn't he?
The cowboy.
He will beg me to cut
his throat when...
Do not harm him, Katib.
Kill his horse
and let 'im walk the desert.
There's much for him
to think over.
Hy!
Whatever feed was out ahead,
it ain't there no more.
"A gift from above."
"Not a plague."
Once you get past the legs,
it ain't too bad.
Here you go.
It goes down pretty smooth,
don't it?
Come on. Eat up.
We're back in business.
Let's see who's behind.
We are.
Jinni, no. Go away.
Do not assist me.
Just kill me, please.
Use your weapon.
No. It is Allah's will.
No.
Tell you what.
You can do whatever the hell you want
after I get you outta there.
No!
Jinni.
Jinni.
Jinni.
How you doin', partner?
Why you turn back for me?
Ain't no prize money worth
a man's life, the way I see it.
It is written that God
leads astray whom he wishes
and guides whom he wishes.
It was God's will
that I die in this race.
Just as it is his will
who shall win.
What about your will?
What about your horse's will?
Seems to me that's what
will get you across a finish line.
Only then is it written.
Jinni has returned
to carry me home. Please.
My sword.
Hidalgo!
Get Al-Hattal.
Faster. He is escaping.
Stop.
You heard the Christian woman.
We are not to kill him.
The rope!
Quickly!
Hurry!
Katib!
Look. The trap.
Stop. Release the hunters.
Come on. Get up.
Look out!
Jinni! Jinni!
You and your horse have made
enough trouble for me.
Nobody hurts my horse.
Whoa.
Settle down.
Trust me now.
Whoa.
Easy, son.
Don't do it, partner.
Don't you die on me now.
We're almost home.
We're almost home.
We had 'em, brother.
We had those boys.
You're all right.
My old man.
Remember that 500-mile
in Missouri?
We had three days in the lead.
Sittin' on that ranch
lookin' at nothin' but green.
That's it, partner.
If there's a heaven on Earth,
actually... well, we found it.
Well, I reckon if there's
a heaven on Earth,
there's gonna be a hell, too.
We just couldn't cross 'er.
Help me.
Blue Child.
Can you see it, cowboy?
It is the ocean.
It is only Al-Hattal now,
cowboy.
You were defeated
before this race began.
You will not defeat me.
I am born of a great tribe.
People of the horse.
So am I.
Okay.
Al-Hattal! Al-Hattal!
Camria, praise your stamina.
Cowboy! Cowboy!
Push her.
Let 'er buck!
Ah!
Cowboy! Cowboy!
Good race, partner.
It is a magnificent horse.
Likewise, Prince.
It looks better on you.
For many miles,
I did not understand
why Allah would wish this on me.
Now I understand his will.
Be a guest in my house
for as long as you desire.
Stay.
I've been too far from home,
for too long, sir.
I lost the race, Frank Hopkins.
But you won a friend.
It's a gift.
What about your ability
to tell the future?
If I had the ability
to foretell the future,
perhaps I would have bet
on a painted horse.
- Blessings be upon thee.
- You too, partner.
Is it true, then?
As in the Western stories?
The cowboy rides away
into the setting of the sun?
But not the same cowboy.
We won't forget you.
Goodbye.
Blue Child.
Assemble on the rim.
30 paces to a stand.
Make every shot count.
What's this bloke doin'?
Bringin' them in one at a time?
- Lieutenant McNulty?
- Who are you?
Hopkins. Frank Hopkins.
Hopkins?
You bring a dispatch?
Yes, sir.
Paid in full?!
Hold on!
Pull back to the left!
- How, Kola.
- How, Kola.
Is it true that the chief named Eagle Horn
has returned to the reservation?
He has taken the journey.
But he knew you won, Far Rider,
in the faraway sand.
Good.
Will you help me with something?
Whoa...
Easy.
Easy, brother.
Let 'er buck.
Checkout time.
Yeah.
Everyone's well
behind us, Senator.
When we cross
the finishing line,
we'd best look like champions.
Howdy.
Nice mornin',
don't you think?
You went over it.
You went off the wagon trail.
Cross-country race, ain't it?
Well, I didn't ride 1,100 miles
to finish second place.
Why did you, then?
This race is mine, cowboy.
Yah!
Ready when you are, brother.
Let 'er buck.
Yee-hah!
Whiskey.
That's right.
I don't like
your style, Hopkins.
Heh-hey! You made it.
Mustangs don't belong
in races with thoroughbreds.
If you ask me,
they belong in fertilizer.
Mister...
You can say anything
you want about me.
I'm gonna have to ask you
not to talk about my horse that way.
Call it.
Tails.
Mr. Hopkins...
Private Abernathy.
With the 7th.
Major Whitside, 2nd Battalion,
7th Cavalry Encampment,
at Wounded Knee Creek, sir.
Carry on.
Mr. Hopkins...
Right now, huh?
Wounded Knee Creek
December 29, 1890
Dispatch rider!
Major Whitside, 7th cavalry,
commanding battalion
in the field.
General Miles
directs me to say
that a solution to the Sioux
uprising must be found at once.
Disarm the Indians.
Take every precaution
to prevent their escape.
If they choose to fight,
subdue them.
Dispatch, sir.
They've been doin' it all night.
There's gonna be an uprisin'.
No, soldier. It's a ghost dance.
That's all.
Praying to their ancestors
for help.
Boy.
Where are they taking us?
They called you Blue Child.
I knew your mother.
Get back behind the tent line.
Come on, now.
You don't need that.
Come on.
You know what army this is,
Big Foot?
This is the 7th.
Yellow Hair's men.
You remember Pahaska?
Yeah, you probably
ate his liver.
Hey, you. Come 'ere.
Give me the gun.
Black Coyote is deaf.
He cannot hear your orders. Please...
Let go of it!
What are you doin', Bronco?
Go on, there!
What are you lookin' at?
27 Congressional medals
were awarded at a place
called Wounded Knee.
This was the proud 7th who fought
at the Little Bighorn
and saw their great general
killed in battle.
The Battle of Wounded Knee
would not be that way.
On that day,
outnumbered by warriors,
but undaunted in spirit,
the brave 7th held their ground.
Hopkins!
Get up.
Hidalgo's up next.
Hey, Phoebe Anne.
Get your own gun.
Makin' sure you don't
have live shot in there.
Damn gun's loaded,
and so are you.
- I'm gettin' the hell out of Cleveland.
- Good. Cause we're in Boston.
Come 'ere. Remember?
You're the good guy.
Who has come out to parlay
with Buffalo Bill?
Could it be a real and living
war chief of the red race?
Chief Eagle Horn.
Mothers, hold your children close.
This is not an act.
You are beholding
the last of the wild hostiles,
the red pirates of the prairies.
He who scalped many a pioneer
on the bloody warpath
that led to the winning
of the West.
Now, this is the man
whose power
took the life
of the great general Custer
on the day that
colonel Cody was too late.
And that, gentlemen, is
why they call me Texas Jack.
Far Rider, I must speak to Long Hair.
Please speak United States for me.
Chief says... his people
are vanishing
faster than he can earn silver
with you.
- Can't this wait?
- Curb your tongue, Nate!
Let the chief speak.
Chief Eagle Horn says
that our nation... his nation's... hoop
is broken and scattered.
The buffalo herds
have been destroyed.
Elk and deer are gone.
And now the government is
rounding up our wild horses,
and they plan to...
shoot them, too,
before the first snows.
They put a price
on the native horses
too great
for a poor Indian to meet.
Chief says that perhaps his
people have lost their lands,
but not their spirit.
And he asks you for your help.
Tell my dear friend Eagle Horn
that... the mustang breed
has known its day
and served its purpose.
If my chief
wishes a fine horse,
I will give to him
a thoroughbred steed
of his chosen color.
Yes. He'll do whatever he can.
Behold the famed
Cheyenne-to-Deadwood stage line.
What? What?
Heavens, folks!
It's an ambush.
What think you
of the show, Aziz?
Bravely, the pioneer
meets the savages...
Jack, what are you doing?
Hold on to it.
- Get your foot up there, Frank.
- This is the real West
and not for the faint of heart.
And now, folks,
you remember them,
rough-riding Frank Hopkins
and his horse, Hidalgo!
Galveston, Texas,
to Rutland, Vermont,
is over 1,800 miles.
But Frank Hopkins
and his painted wonder
made the ride in 30 days.
Can cross the country
in 30 days,
but he can't find
his horse backstage.
The wounded-soldier trick!
Ladies and gentlemen,
let's hear it
for the wounded-soldier trick.
You're lucky
this gun's got blanks.
Let go o' me,
you rabbit-eared...
And the horse
- drags the wounded soldier home.
- Let go o' me!
Sheikh Al Riyadh is keeper
of the Muniqi stallion.
His excellency's
royal stables
preserve the purest equine
bloodline in the world.
And he wishes to invest
in the Cody enterprise?
The Sheikh of Sheikhs,
His Greatness,
is beyond investment.
His pride is
in his family horses.
You see, Mr. Cody, the sheikh's
own stallion, Al-Hattal,
is the greatest living
endurance-race champion
of all time.
The sheikh saw your show
in Paris.
His honor was deeply
insulted by your claim
to exhibit the world's greatest
endurance horse and rider.
Hidalgo is a legend, my friends.
He has never lost
a long-distance race.
In America, perhaps.
On deserts that women from
my country could cross on foot.
Frank, you just missed some
wonderful compliments about your horse.
Five minutes, Billy.
Gentlemen, I present
rough-riding Frank Hopkins.
- Mr. Hopkins, a pleasure.
- Mr. Cody, His Excellency...
- Sit down before you fall down.
- ... requests that you remove the title
that you have bestowed
on this American horse.
What's goin' on here, Bill?
Perhaps you have never heard
of the great horse race
of the Bedouin.
It has been held annually
for more than 1,000 years.
A 3,000-mile race.
Across the Arabian Desert.
Along the Persian Gulf and Iraq.
And across the sands
of Syria to Damascus.
It is known
as the "Ocean of Fire".
Our office will accept your entry
at 1,000 dollars in Spanish silver.
The winner's purse makes
the victor very honored.
Very... How do we say?
Very rich, Mr. Cody.
These boys are serious, Frank.
His greatness invites
you and your horse
to enter in the challenge
if you will not
remove the title
that you have bestowed
on this impure animal.
Impure?
He is pure mustang, friend.
What shall I tell
His Excellency?
You can go tell 'im
to pound sand for all I care.
Tequila.
To be more exact,
my Arabian friend.
Gentlemen, the third act
is starting.
I suggest you take your seats.
A very wise choice
you have made, Mr. Hopkins.
I don't think that was
a compliment, Frank.
Long Hair has promised me
rock candy in Pittsburgh.
Our good red and blue days are over.
Perhaps all of us will die
in this show of the great Cody.
You have a chance
to go save yourself, Far Rider.
Hidalgo is not the horse
he used to be, Chief.
There's nothing wrong with that horse.
Is it better to perish here
in this Wild West, as Cody tells it?
I saw what happened
at Wounded Knee Creek.
I carried the orders.
I call you Far Rider, not because of
your great races and your fine pony,
but because you are one who rides far
from himself, and wishes not to look home.
Until you do,
you are neither white man nor Indian.
You are lost.
You think we got one more in us?
Nah, me neither.
Hell, I don't even know
who Frank Hopkins
is no more, brother.
A hundred of us
put in our 10 coin.
Chief Eagle Horn put in 20.
Don't waste our money, Hopkins.
There goes Hopkins.
The house of Sheikh Riyadh
will be greatly honored.
Bertolt, accommodate Mr. Hopkins
and his horse.
Halt!
Are you all right, sir?
Ice is a precious commodity
at sea, my friend.
My gin might go warm
for the sake of your misfortune.
Much obliged.
But I'd take a... warm gin
over ice anytime, mister.
Major, actually.
Major Davenport. Yeah.
Oh. I believe you already
know my wife, Lady Anne.
She tells me you put on
quite a Wild West display
down there in steerage.
You handled yourself
with aplomb, Mr. Hopkins.
Well done.
Now, tell me, Mr. Hopkins...
Is it true that you're
en route to Aden
to enter your horse
in the famous race?
Well, I can't think
of any other, uh, reason
to cross the big water, ma'am.
Splendid.
He's the real item, isn't he?
Have you ever killed
any red Indians?
Just one.
A long time ago.
Do you know who you'll be
racing against, Mr. Hopkins?
Yeah. Pretty near a hundred
Arabians is the word.
It's-it's not just... 100 Arabians.
It's 100 of the finest
and purest horses
ever bred on the sands
of the Nedj.
There's Al-Hattal,
the sheikh's champion.
Al Amir of Syria is entering
Kusma, the blue mare.
And then there's Camria.
The red racer who descends
from the great Al-Jebla.
The best.
Who owns that one?
Queen of Sheba?
No, Mr. Hopkins. I do.
Lady Davenport has lived
among the Bedouin.
She's fluent
in Arabic, Kurdistani.
And what's that... African dialect?
- Tuareg.
- Yes, right.
Tell me, Mr. Hopkins,
what breed is your stud?
My Hidalgo's a mustang, ma'am.
Oh! Mustang?
From the Spanish mesteno,
meaning untamed.
That's right.
Horse of the red Indian.
Small, hearty.
Mixed blood.
Of Spanish origin.
Mixed. Mm...
Well, I, uh, think I'll turn in.
Thanks for the gin.
And the ice.
Nice meeting you, sir.
Ma'am.
Good night, Mr. Hopkins.
I find him rather
ingenuous and charming.
Don't you, Annie?
Sorry, darling?
Godspeed to you all.
Win one for the crown, Annie!
The major prefers
to stay at port
and... guard the ice chamber.
Have you never seen
a slave market, Mr. Frank?
Al-Hattal.
Equine perfection.
He sure looks like a handful.
The Prince is a fine young man of
pedigree, educated in the mission school.
I have chosen him to ride Al-Hattal.
Why can you not accept...?
Father...
I pray only for your happiness.
Be careful, then, father.
Because I am happiest on a horse,
riding where females are forbidden.
There is a tempest in my tent.
But it has come
in the form of my cherished daughter
to upset my failing pancreas.
The Aden caravan has arrived.
The good Lady Davenport...?
Yes. And an American
on a horse of most unusual colour.
The cowboy.
Let in the light.
Well, what do you make of it
so far?
Too late to turn back now.
Very wise to tie
your horse, Mr. Hopkins.
If he were
to cover an Arab mare,
it would be viewed
as a most inviolable blemish.
The foal would need
to be destroyed
before touching the ground.
As would the offending sire.
You hear that?
Keep your pride tucked.
The Rub Al-Khali.
The Empty Quarter.
It is but the first march
of the great race.
Alas, most of the riders
do not even get halfway.
Last year, 40 men perished,
roasted alive
before reaching Iraq.
The fortunate few
cross Allah's Frying Pot,
then must pray
they do not bear witness
to the jinni of the West.
Thank you, sir.
That's... mighty interesting.
Ah!
Where the old ones
speak of the sand devil
who guards the secrets
of the passage to the sea.
Those who reach the gulf waters
travel west across Syria
where the sands shift.
East becomes west.
West becomes south.
What looks like sand to you
soon becomes the poison pits.
Men and horses
fall through the air
and are boiled thus.
Get outta here, mister.
Leave me be.
This is not possible!
You see, I was
Sheikh bin Riyadh's goat herder.
I was charged
with the crime of stealing milk.
As punishment,
I have been assigned
to the American and his horse.
You're working for me?
It was this or be
removed of my left hand.
The future will tell
if I have chosen poorly.
To cross Syria to Damascus,
one must face
hundreds of miles of salt
where no food can be found.
Men go mad!
I can see that.
I pray to Allah,
the All-Compassionate,
that he will give you
the merciful wisdom to go home.
- You know horses?
- Goats.
That'll help.
In the name of Allah,
I welcome you
into my tent as my guest.
If His Excellence
were to touch an infidel,
he would lose his ability
to foretell the future.
Oh. Sorry.
Most foreigners find
our coffee to be too potent.
Too...
Back home we toss
a horseshoe in the pot.
Stands up straight,
coffee's ready.
Shall we play at cards?
No, I ain't too much
of a gambler, sir.
To the contrary.
You are gambling with
your very life in this great race.
I had five sons once.
Three were killed in the raids.
One perished
in this very race six years ago.
The other was swallowed
by the quicksand of the Hammad.
I'm now a man with no sons.
Just...
... one lowly daughter.
Please.
Ignore her presence.
I am greatly pleased that
you have accepted my challenge.
But I must warn you.
Never before has a foreigner
partaken in the great race.
Some here are angry.
I'm not here
to insult anybody, sir.
I'm just here to race.
You may smoke if you wish.
Oh, well, don't mind if I do.
The winner's purse
in the Ocean of Fire
exceeds 100,000 in American
currency, Mr. Hopkins.
But that matters
very little to me.
What matters to my house
is honor.
Our culture revolves around
our sacred horses, Mr. Hopkins.
It is written in the Koran.
"For they were born
of the south winds,"
"and sculpted from
essence by Allah."
On cold nights, my wives
sleep in the stable tents...
so that Al-Hattal
is comfortable and appeased.
Jaffa.
Show Mr. Hopkins to his tent.
He needs his rest.
All right.
Thank you.
Oh, Mr. Hopkins.
Please.
I will amend the winner's
purse with another 10,000
if you will put
that Colt pistol in the pot.
That is an authentic Colt,
is it not?
As they say, God didn't
make all men equal.
Mr. Colt did.
Colt did not make
all men equal, Mr. Hopkins.
You will find this out.
Will you wager
the magnificent weapon?
For 10,000 dollars?
- I'll gamble on that.
- Very good, sir.
- Sleep well.
- You too.
And blessed be thee.
You must never eat more
than one day's ration.
Do you hear me?
Cowboy!
I will eat it myself.
Hey! Quit messin'
with my things.
Is this the symbol
of your nation?
Good as any.
Put that away.
You.
Fetch water.
For the horse.
Okay?
Go on.
Hey!
Get back here!
Come sit down.
That's a very noble deed,
Mr. Rough-Riding Hopkins.
Frank will do, ma'am.
Mary, could we have some more tea
for Mr. Hopkins, please?
You're right at home here,
ain't you?
Well, I spent time amongst
the Bedoui with my father
since I was 13 years of age.
- Lookin' for good horses?
- Looking for the breed apart.
My father spent 26 years
trying to ambassador his way
into the Muniqi blood.
Just like his father.
The Viceroy of Egypt,
Napoleon III.
All of them pandered...
when all they needed to do
was up the ante.
Bad poker players,
the lot of them.
If my mare, Camria,
wins this race,
I'll procure breeding rights
to Al-Hattal.
If I lose...
I pay 40% of the purse
to the sheikh.
And you, cowboy?
What are you in it for?
Just the purse, ma'am.
- "Anne" will do.
- Yes, ma'am.
Thanks for the tea.
Frank.
How good are you
and your little express pony?
Really?
I reckon
we'll both find out, ma'am.
3,000 miles from Sunday.
Hey, cowboy!
Every rider's camp
must bear the flag
of his house or nation.
Yusef has made our flag.
Behold it.
We are pitiful.
Would you get over here, Yusef?
I need some more water.
What did he say?
He said he has
no place else to go.
You and me both, partner.
Tell 'im to get
some more water.
Hey. You too.
Why do you buy this boy, anyway?
Somebody gotta
do your work, goat herder.
Howdy.
Last chance, cowboy.
My name is Sakr.
Desert law compels me
to speak truthfully.
I find the entry
of a Western infidel... sacrilege.
But I trust in Allah
that he'll roast 10 of us
like sheep on a spit
before the sun sets today.
You shall be among the first.
Well, good luck to you, too.
The prince says maybe
we should give you a head start.
Nawali say
"Ride each day to sunset."
"Start again each dawn."
"Those who survive"
"to reach the halfway camp
in the Rub Al-Khali"
"shall be rewarded
with a full day's rest."
"A tent camp will reach
halfway point before you,"
"traveling by camel road."
Nawali say
"Strength to your horses,"
"and may God have mercy
on your souls."
Goodbye, cowboy.
Fly high, my friend.
Ease up.
Let 'em go.
Never beat 'em
in the quarter-mile.
Whoa, son.
Ease up, brother.
What are you doing here?
Go back to work now.
What did I tell you,
little brother?
It's all for show.
Infidel!
Do not take him!
It is against
the laws of the race.
Best hotel in town, I reckon.
Hey, cowboy!
Nearly 100 miles in one day.
Most impressive!
This is your last chance
to turn back.
Hear me?
You do not belong out here!
Turn back at dawn.
Or prepare for a death
beyond your greatest fear!
Tomorrow I shall not
even look over my shoulder!
A water hole never
looked so good.
What water hole
would that be, sir?
The cistern's dry.
You must discontinue here.
I suggest you take
the east road back to Aden.
That's not even a transit tax.
Six soldiers in the middle
of the Arabian desert
guarding a dry well...
That's unusual.
I said "The well is dry".
Okay, brother.
We ain't gonna make
another 10 miles without water.
On the whistle.
Are you bloody stupid?!
Go, brother! Go!
Easy, boys.
Long way to Damascus.
What in hellfire?
Let's go, brother.
Hyah!
Better up your price
at the next water hole, Prince.
You are carried by the West Wind itself,
Bin Al Reeh.
How many have fallen?
The report claims
39 have fallen out,
and 11 were lost
in the sandstorm.
Wash him with cold water.
I don't believe it.
You survived the sandstorm.
Allah must have a more
severe judgment awaiting you.
Thanks, partner.
Daidai, we have
one full day's rest
before the long march to Iraq.
That's where Al-Hattal
will break away from the pack
and the mustang is still in,
so we must maintain the pace.
Do you hear me?
Look at me!
Your Excellency.
- Peace be with you.
- And also be with you.
Bless you, Sheikh of Sheikhs.
Sit, Katib. Revive thy spirit.
Allah willing,
I never miss the great race, uncle.
If I owned more flocks,
I would bet them all.
I have come to beseech you
one last time.
Forgive me, and allow me to share in
the ownership of our forefathers' horses.
You have not the discipline to be keeper of
such royalty as your grandfather's horses.
Least of all Al-Hattal -
he is my son.
Go rob pilgrims.
That is your calling.
Even the blessed Prophet
was a raider in his time.
This is blasphemy.
How is the coffee?
Most excellent. I am revived.
If one tossed a horseshoe
into the pot,
do you think
it would stand erect?
At your age, uncle, perhaps
it is the only thing that might.
Boldly spoken for a man
with no wives.
How is your health, uncle?
I have the blood
of a warrior grandfather.
Please, Mr. Frank.
Listen to me.
There will be no grazing
for many days.
That's all right.
I packed some barley.
Take these.
- What's that?
- Dates.
Trust me.
Take with you this skin.
It is filled with the butter
of camel.
Mix it with the water
for... both you and your horse.
It will keep you alive
across the Hammad.
And fear not the locusts.
They are a gift from above.
Not a plague,
as you might believe.
Why are you tryin' to help me?
If... Prince Bin Al Reeh wins
the race on Al-Hattal,
I become his fifth wife.
The youngest of his harem.
No more than a slave
in his house.
I do not know if you are
as good as it is said.
But I have faith
in the painted stallion.
It is said that you captured him
in the wild.
Badlands.
Long time ago.
- How did you tame him?
- I didn't.
Why are you wearin' that?
Verily, you do not know
our world.
This is a cowboy's spur.
Yeah.
My father reads many books
from the outside world.
But... his true enjoyment
of literature,
it is of... Wild Bill
and... Calamity Jane.
You're boshin' me.
In this Wild West,
there are nomads, also.
The red people.
Like the Bedou,
they are a horse culture.
Have you seen
their vanishing kind?
I am their kind.
My father was a cavalry scout.
He fell in love
with a chief's daughter.
Married her.
They called me Frank T.
My grandmother named me
Hokshelato.
It means "Blue Child".
I would know you
only as a white man.
Maybe I got good
at hidin' my face, too.
- Why?
- You don't know our world.
Look out!
Foolish is a foreigner.
Allah has decided
that I should not sleep well these nights.
You have disgraced this house.
I am sickened.
- It is not how it appears.
- He forced you into his quarters.
No, I went by my own volition.
I wished only to speak with him.
He did not touch your daughter,
but tried to protect her from danger.
I am responsible.
Have you ever considered
just poisoning me, Jazira?
Why torture me with slow precision?
Why force me to marry a man
who has never looked at me?
If he looks at you,
I have to cut off his head.
You are not yet his property.
The women of the western tribes
no longer wear the veil.
Pray you were of a western tribe.
I would not be in this position.
And in the middle of the great race.
Shame upon you.
Shame upon you, father.
For allowing me
to ride horses when no one sees.
For taking me on gazelle hunts
when the men make pilgrimage.
You are all I have.
You are my treasure.
But when the eyes of the people
are on the great sheikh, I am lowly.
Let him go.
How dare you give orders
to a man in my tent?
Aziz! Remove a certain woman
to the tent of office.
No. It is not right.
Wait a minute. She...
Sir!
It is written, Mr. Hopkins.
If any of our chaste women
commit lewdness
with evidence against them,
so shall they be taken out
and stoned.
And it is then by law
that the father must...
drown his own daughter.
- It wasn't her fault.
- Silence, I said.
- Ahmed.
- All right.
However, we are still far
from the next cistern.
And water is precious.
So my decision is swift.
For her trespass,
my daughter will be flogged.
Seven stripes... at a time hence.
And you...
An impure unbeliever
in the tent of a man
who can trace his very blood
back to Adam.
You will be removed
of your infidel self.
Removed of my what?
Like a stallion
not worthy of breeding.
Come here, skinner.
We didn't do nothin', sir!
I feel compassion for you.
But I cannot let your fear
move me.
Speak honestly as a man.
Did you violate
my daughter's honor?
No, sir. I did not!
Can one believe a nonbeliever?
Only fools or gamblers walk
behind a strange mare, Sheikh!
You can believe that!
Is that a passage
from the Bible?
No, it's somethin' Wild Bill
said to me one night.
Wild Bill?
Out in Deadwood!
You refer to the man
known as Hickok?
The master
of the double six-gun?
Only one Wild Bill, sir.
Hickok was a true prince
of pistoleers, was he not?
He's pretty good
with a twist draw.
What did my daughter say
about your horse?
Well, she's a... lady with an eye
for horseflesh, sir.
If she was my son,
she would be in this race.
Alas, she is not.
She's a woman who has entered
the sleeping quarters
of an infidel.
Come, skinner.
You heard of the OK Corral?
Eh... You were not there.
Tell me about this... Wyatt Earp.
And the Doctor Holliday.
Raiders!
Free him.
Come on. Hurry up!
Hey! Get back here!
Tribal war games are
their national sport, Mary.
It's none of our affair.
Hey, partner!
How 'bout a hand?
Thank you kindly.
Go, Prince.
Al-Hattal. He is gone.
Jazira.
Hy!
I will free you.
You will run, like the prince.
Damn coward.
No wonder you don't wanna be
his fifth wife.
Hey!
Hey, deputy! Hey!
Jazira...
They've taken her.
They've taken her!
If I turn over Al-Hattal,
Katib will return my child.
And if you don't?
He's a bastard son of a jackal
who would have his gypsies
commit crimes upon her.
I cannot surrender what is
most sacred to my family.
You could never understand that,
so do not even try.
The Al Khamsa manuscripts.
My family's breeding book
is gone.
It is gone!
The Al Khamsa book
contains the breeding secrets
of the Muniqi strain
going back to Saba.
Let's bring your deputy in here.
I'll ask you once more,
Aziz, and only once.
Where did they take my daughter?
I know nothing.
I only took the book
to protect it from the raiders.
It is they
who stole it from me.
Stole it?
Or paid you,
my trusted brother?
It matters only to He.
Please, end my humiliation.
- What are you doing?
- That's the easy way out.
He ain't gettin' it.
Please.
Western justice, partner.
That's called
a Mexican tattoo, Deputy.
And that lasts a lot longer
than a sword.
For a man of such high rank,
you're kinda short, Aziz.
We can fix that.
No!
I know where they have taken her
until they receive the stallion.
I know you're not
a gambling man.
But bring my daughter back
by nightfall and you're forgiven.
Attempt to deceive me and run,
and you will not get beyond the
port of Jordan with your head.
Run.
Faster, traitor.
His Excellency is most reckless.
Sending a slave with no rurula
to do a man's job.
Know this, Aziz.
If any harm has befallen
the child,
I shall remove your head myself.
You know that my father
will never surrender Al-Hattal.
I will tell you something
about your father.
He is a failure at being a ruler.
He allows emotions to govern him.
I do not.
And he has become
Sheikh of Sheikhs.
Whilst you,
no more than a brigand.
I am the greatest horseman of the tribe.
I could defeat any rider in the great race,
if I was allowed to sit the back of Al-Hattal.
Why am I not?
Because the sacred is not for sale,
as are you.
If Al-Hattal is not turned out
onto the sands of the Hamad by midnight,
I send your head to my uncle,
wrapped in Baghdad silk.
I am warned.
You are promised.
Know that if we all die,
your soul will go straight
to the devil.
And your impure horse, too.
That's far enough, Aziz.
Kill her!
Jazira, run!
Jazira!
Jazira! Jazira!
Jaffa!
- Give 'im his head!
- I know what to do!
Let's keep movin', miss.
He pledged his life for me
when I was born worthless.
I'm sorry.
We gotta make that tent camp
by sundown.
Please.
I wish you to look at me.
Why do I feel that... you truly
see me... when others do not?
Well, my horse likes you.
Even a blind man could see
that you're beautiful.
We must ride.
We will stay off
the camel roads.
What does this mean?
Shunka Wakan.
Big dog.
There's no word in Sioux
for horse.
When the Indians saw the first one
the Spanish brought over,
they didn't know
what the hell it was.
When they saw... how it could run,
carry a man through battle,
become his friend for life,
well, they figured it had to be
a sacred animal.
Indeed.
Did your mother teach you
this wisdom?
I am sorry.
When this race is over,
I will pray five times a day.
Being an infidel, as you are,
you cannot be expected
to comprehend.
There are those
who are chosen to be winners
and those chosen to be losers.
Allah chooses thus,
and it is written.
You are summoned
to the tent of the lady.
Right now.
You know, Yusef,
I once had a three-legged colt.
Born that way.
Turned out to be one of the best
ropin' horses I ever had.
Your mare's runnin'
a good race, ma'am.
She is rather lovely,
isn't she?
Good legs on her.
Can you envision her offspring
from an Al-Hattal cross?
Aziz was not
a very admirable man.
But he was very adept
in researching bloodlines.
You have blood
from the red Indian race.
You hid it effectively
all your life.
I'm not sure
what you're gettin' at, ma'am.
There's no way for me to win
rights to the Muniqi bloodline
other than to win this race.
You, on the other hand,
you have another way to win.
Only one way to win.
Your little mustang
has... proven hardy.
But... the chances of him...
crossing Iraq and Syria
before Al-Hattal and my mare
are slim... at best.
Your horse is weakening,
Mr. Hopkins, and you know it.
You've taken him so very far
from anything he's ever known.
All for the sake of money.
Are you willing to kill him...
for money?
The winner's purse is 100,000.
Pull out now, and
I'll compensate you 30% in silver
for turning in a serious effort.
I've never... taken money
for quittin' a race.
Well, then, Frank...
Just where are we, then?
Here. Alone.
In the last corner of Arabia.
Yeah.
But when you're in a desert,
the sight of green grass
and fresh water can be
mighty tempting.
Sometimes you're just
seein' things.
Indeed, Mr. Hopkins.
Good night, ma'am.
Frank.
- What of my offer?
- I'll sleep on it.
And all alone. Shame.
He does not like the milk
of the camel.
But it will keep his liver
from failure.
Appreciate it.
You have visited the tent
of the Christian lady.
I don't like the look
of them front hooves.
That quarter crack
is gettin' worse.
Another 400 miles
can put 'im lame.
You must not give up.
It might be just time...
to live with what we got.
You will prove them right.
That blood is more important
than will.
You will continue your life
hiding who God made you.
Like me.
Jazira.
You done me proud, partner.
Frank Hopkins.
I am compelled
to express gratitude.
Hidalgo! Hidaldo!
- Good luck, Mr. Hopkins.
- Thank you, ma'am.
If I don't see you in Damascus,
I hope you find the stock
you've been lookin' for.
Oh, I will.
You should have wagered on it.
The cowboy forgot his drink.
Do not react.
Remain calm.
And only I speak.
Atimi, no!
Call yourself a great Bedou raider
for killing a camel boy.
For not being able to hold on
to a little harem girl.
You will still pay me
my riyals.
But I will exact it from you.
And perhaps much more,
Lady English.
You will receive nothing
unless my horse reaches
that finishing stone first.
They're six days
across the Hammad.
You can intercept them
by using the camel road.
Force the American
into the Amal Samheem.
Capture Al-Hattal
and keep him secure.
But my horse wins this race.
He made you look quite the fool,
didn't he?
The cowboy.
He will beg me to cut
his throat when...
Do not harm him, Katib.
Kill his horse
and let 'im walk the desert.
There's much for him
to think over.
Hy!
Whatever feed was out ahead,
it ain't there no more.
"A gift from above."
"Not a plague."
Once you get past the legs,
it ain't too bad.
Here you go.
It goes down pretty smooth,
don't it?
Come on. Eat up.
We're back in business.
Let's see who's behind.
We are.
Jinni, no. Go away.
Do not assist me.
Just kill me, please.
Use your weapon.
No. It is Allah's will.
No.
Tell you what.
You can do whatever the hell you want
after I get you outta there.
No!
Jinni.
Jinni.
Jinni.
How you doin', partner?
Why you turn back for me?
Ain't no prize money worth
a man's life, the way I see it.
It is written that God
leads astray whom he wishes
and guides whom he wishes.
It was God's will
that I die in this race.
Just as it is his will
who shall win.
What about your will?
What about your horse's will?
Seems to me that's what
will get you across a finish line.
Only then is it written.
Jinni has returned
to carry me home. Please.
My sword.
Hidalgo!
Get Al-Hattal.
Faster. He is escaping.
Stop.
You heard the Christian woman.
We are not to kill him.
The rope!
Quickly!
Hurry!
Katib!
Look. The trap.
Stop. Release the hunters.
Come on. Get up.
Look out!
Jinni! Jinni!
You and your horse have made
enough trouble for me.
Nobody hurts my horse.
Whoa.
Settle down.
Trust me now.
Whoa.
Easy, son.
Don't do it, partner.
Don't you die on me now.
We're almost home.
We're almost home.
We had 'em, brother.
We had those boys.
You're all right.
My old man.
Remember that 500-mile
in Missouri?
We had three days in the lead.
Sittin' on that ranch
lookin' at nothin' but green.
That's it, partner.
If there's a heaven on Earth,
actually... well, we found it.
Well, I reckon if there's
a heaven on Earth,
there's gonna be a hell, too.
We just couldn't cross 'er.
Help me.
Blue Child.
Can you see it, cowboy?
It is the ocean.
It is only Al-Hattal now,
cowboy.
You were defeated
before this race began.
You will not defeat me.
I am born of a great tribe.
People of the horse.
So am I.
Okay.
Al-Hattal! Al-Hattal!
Camria, praise your stamina.
Cowboy! Cowboy!
Push her.
Let 'er buck!
Ah!
Cowboy! Cowboy!
Good race, partner.
It is a magnificent horse.
Likewise, Prince.
It looks better on you.
For many miles,
I did not understand
why Allah would wish this on me.
Now I understand his will.
Be a guest in my house
for as long as you desire.
Stay.
I've been too far from home,
for too long, sir.
I lost the race, Frank Hopkins.
But you won a friend.
It's a gift.
What about your ability
to tell the future?
If I had the ability
to foretell the future,
perhaps I would have bet
on a painted horse.
- Blessings be upon thee.
- You too, partner.
Is it true, then?
As in the Western stories?
The cowboy rides away
into the setting of the sun?
But not the same cowboy.
We won't forget you.
Goodbye.
Blue Child.
Assemble on the rim.
30 paces to a stand.
Make every shot count.
What's this bloke doin'?
Bringin' them in one at a time?
- Lieutenant McNulty?
- Who are you?
Hopkins. Frank Hopkins.
Hopkins?
You bring a dispatch?
Yes, sir.
Paid in full?!
Hold on!
Pull back to the left!
- How, Kola.
- How, Kola.
Is it true that the chief named Eagle Horn
has returned to the reservation?
He has taken the journey.
But he knew you won, Far Rider,
in the faraway sand.
Good.
Will you help me with something?
Whoa...
Easy.
Easy, brother.
Let 'er buck.