[Wind gusting]
[Man whistles]
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 overland. You went off the wagon trail.
Cross-Country race, ain't it?
I didn't ride 1100 miles to finish second place.
- Why did you, then? - This race is mine, cowboy.
Hyah!
Ready when you are, brother.
Let her buck.
Yee-Hah!
BASED ON THE LIFE OF FRANK T. HOPKINS
Whiskey.
I don't like your style, Hopkins.
Hey! You made it.
[Patrons chuckle]
Mustangs don't belong in races with thoroughbreds.
If you ask me, they belong in fertiliser.
Mister, you can say anything you want about me.
But I'm gonna have to ask you not to talk about my horse that way.
Call it.
Tails.
[Man] Mr Hopkins?
Private Abernathy. With the Seventh.
Major Whitside, Second Battalion,
Seventh Cavalry encampment at Wounded Knee Creek, sir.
Carry on.
Mr Hopkins?
Right now, huh?
- [Drumbeat] - [Chanting]
WOUNDED KNEE CREEK DECEMBER 29, 1890
[Man] Dispatch rider.
[Man reading] "Major Whitside, Seventh 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.
- [Drumbeat] - [Chanting]
They've been doing it all night. There's gonna be an uprising.
No, soldier. It's a ghost dance, that's all.
Praying to their ancestors for help.
[Speaking Lakota] Boy... 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 Seventh. Yellow Hair's men.
You remember Pahaska? Yeah, you probably ate his liver.
Hey, you. Come here.
Give me the gun.
[In Lakota] Black Coyote is deaf.
He cannot hear your orders...
Please...
- [man] Let go of it! - [Gunshot]
[People screaming]
[Neighing]
What you doin', bronco? Keep on, now.
- [Neighing] - What are you lookin' at?
[Announcer] Twenty-Seven Congressional Medals were awarded
At a place called Wounded Knee.
This was the proud Seventh who fought at the Little Bighorn...
BUFFALO BILL'S WILD WEST SHOW EIGHT MONTHS LATER
...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 Seventh held their ground.
Hopkins!
Get up. Hidalgo's up next.
Hey, Phoebe Ann. Get your own gun.
Making 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, we're in Boston. Come here. Remember? You're the good guy.
[Announcer] Who has come out to parley with Buffalo Bill?
Could it be a real and living war chief
Of the red race, Chief Eagle Horn?
Mother, hold your children close.
This is not an act. You are beholding the last of the wild hostiles.
- The red pirate of the prairie. - [Crowd booing]
He who scalped many a pioneer
On the bloody warpath that led to the winning of the West.
For this is the man whose arrow took the life of the great General Custer,
On the day that Colonel Cody was too late.
[Whistle blowing]
And that, gentlemen, is why they call me Texas Jack.
[Speaking Lakota] 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!
Let the chief speak.
[Speaking Lakota]
Chief Eagle Horn says that our nation...
his nation's hoop is broken and scattered.
The buffalo herds have been destroyed, the 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've 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.
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 colour.
[Speaks Lakota] Yes. He'll do whatever he can.
Behold the famed Cheyenne to Deadwood Stage Line.
But... What?
- Heavens, folks! It's an ambush! - What think you of the show, Aziz?
[Bill] Bravely, the pioneer meets the savage...
- What are you doin'? Hold on to him. - Get your foot up.
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.
[Man in crowd] Jackass!
Galveston, Texas, to Rutland, Vermont, is over 1800 miles.
But Frank Hopkins and his painted wonder
Made the ride in 30 days.
He can cross the country in 30 days, but he can't find his horse backstage.
[Shouting]
- Whoa! Whoa! - Oh, my...!
- [Crowd] Oh! - [Grunts]
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 of me, you rabbit-Eared son of a snake!
[Bill] And the horse drags the wounded soldier home.
Let go of me!
Sheikh Al-Riyadh is keeper of the Muniqiyah 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 honour 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.
You just missed wonderful compliments about your horse.
Five minutes, Billy.
- I present Rough-Riding Frank Hopkins. - Mr Hopkins... A pleasure.
- Mr Cody, His Excellency requests... - Sit down before you fall down.
...that you remove the title you've 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 in Spanish silver.
The winner's purse makes the victor very honoured.
Very... How do we say?
Very rich, Mr Cody.
- These boys are serious, Frank. - Hmm.
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 him pound sand for all I care.
[Shouts in Arabic]
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.
[Show music plays]
[Speaking Lakota] 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... you have a chance to go save yourself, Far Rider.
[Speaking Lakota] 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.
[Horses neighing]
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 ten coin.
Chief Eagle Horn put in 20.
Don't waste our money, Hopkins.
There goes Hopkins.
The house of Sheikh Riyadh will be greatly honoured.
Bertolt, accommodate Mr Hopkins and his horse.
[Foghorn blows]
[Horse neighing]
[Man shouts]
Are you all right, sir?
[Groans]
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 warm gin over ice any time, mister.
Major, actually. Major Davenport. Yes.
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 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 100 Arabians is the word.
It's not just 100 Arabians.
It's 100 of the finest and purest horses ever bred on the sands of the Nejd.
There's Al-Hattal, the sheikh's champion.
El Emir of Syria is entering Qisma, the blue mare.
And then there's Kamria, the red racer who descends from the great Al-Jabella.
- 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.
Ah, yes.
Tell me, Mr Hopkins, what breed is your stud?
Hidalgo's a mustang, ma'am.
Oh, mustang?
From the Spanish mesteño, meaning "untamed".
That's right.
Horse of the Red Indian.
Small, hearty... Mixed blood, of Spanish origin.
Mixed. Mmm.
Well, I... 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?
[Singing in Arabic]
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?
[Neighing]
Al-Hattal.
Equine perfection.
He sure looks like a handful.
[Speaking Arabic] 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...
[speaks Arabic] 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.
[Speaks Arabic] The Aden caravan has arrived.
The good Lady Davenport--
Yes. And an American on a horse of most unusual colour.
[In English] The cowboy.
[In Arabic] Let in the light.
Well... What do you make of it so far?
Uh-Uh.
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.
Hmm.
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 who cross Allah's frying pot then must pray
They do not bear witness to the Jinni of the Waste.
Uh-Huh.
Thank you, sir. That's mighty interesting.
Hah.
For 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.
Umm al-Samim. Men and horses fall through the earth 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 workin' for me? - It was this,
Or be removed of my left hand.
The future will tell if I have chosen poorly.
Uh-Huh.
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 ofAllah, I welcome you into my tent as my guest.
If His Excellence were to touch an infidel,
He'd lose his ability to foretell the future.
Oh.
Sorry.
[Both speak in Arabic]
Most foreigners find our coffee to be too potent, too...
Back home, we toss a horseshoe in the pot.
If it stands up straight, coffee's ready.
- Shall we play at cards? - 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. - 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 honour.
Our culture revolves around our sacred horses, Mr Hopkins.
It is written in the Koran:
"For they were born of the south wind, sculpted from essence by Allah."
- [Whinnies] - [Speaks Arabic]
[Sheikh laughs]
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. - God did not make all men equal.
You will find this out.
- Will you wager the magnificent weapon? - For 10,000 dollars?
- I'll gamble on that. - Very good.
- 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.
[Harmonica plays]
Hey! Quit messin' with my things.
Is this the symbol of your nation?
Good as any.
[Men shouting in Arabic]
Put that away.
You... fetch water... for the horse.
OK? Go on.
Hey! Get back here!
[Laughs] Come sit down.
That's a very noble deed, Mr Rough-Riding Hopkins.
Frank'll do, ma'am.
Mary, could we have some more tea for Mr Hopkins, please?
You're right at home here, ain't you?
I've spent time amongst the Bedouin with my father since I was 13 years of age.
- Looking for good horses? - Looking for the breed apart.
My father spent 26 years trying to ambassador his way
Into the Muniqiyah 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, Kamria, wins this race,
I'll procure breeding rights to Al-Hattal.
If I lose...
...I pay 40 percent 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, on 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.
[Speaking Arabic]
- What'd he say? - He said he has no place else to go.
Huh. You and me both, partner. Tell him to get some more water.
[Speaking Arabic]
Hey. You too.
Why you buy this boy anyway?
Somebody got to do your work, goat herder.
- [Arabic music playing] - [Horses neighing]
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.
He will roast ten of us like sheep on a spit before the sun sets today.
You shall be among the first.
Well... Good luck to you, too.
[Shouting in Arabic]
The prince says maybe we should give you a head start.
[Shouting in Arabic]
The Wali say, "Ride each day to sunset."
Start again each dawn.
Those who survive to reach the halfway camp on the Rub Al-Khali
Shall be rewarded with a full day's rest.
The tent camp will reach halfway point before you, travelling by camel road.
The Wali say,
"Strength to your horses, and may God have mercy on your souls."
Goodbye, cowboy.
[In Arabic] Fly high, my friend.
- [Gunshot] - [Crowd cheering]
Ease up. Let 'em go. We'll never beat 'em in the quarter-Mile.
Whoa, son. Ease up, brother.
[In Arabic] What are you doing here?
Go back to work now!
What'd I tell you, little brother? It's all for show.
- [Whinnying] - [Grunts]
[Horse panting]
[Neighs in pain]
[Speaks Arabic]
Infidel! Do not aid him. It is against the laws of the race!
Best hotel in town, I reckon.
[Horses whinny in distance]
[Harmonica playing in distance]
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.
[All chuckling]
- 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.
[Chuckles]
That's not even the transit tax.
Six soldiers, middle of the Arabian Desert,
Guardin' a dry well. That's unusual.
I said the well is dry.
OK, brother.
We ain't gonna make another ten miles without water.
On the whistle.
Are you bloody stupid?
I told...
[whistles]
Go, brother! Go!
Easy, boys. Long way to Damascus.
What in hellfire...
Let's go, brother.
[Neighing]
Hyah!
[Wind howling]
[Murmuring in Arabic]
Better up your price at the next water hole, Prince.
[Chattering]
[Man] Al-Hattal!
- [Man] Al-Hattal! - [Clamouring]
You are carried by the west wind itself, ibn-Reeh.
How many are fallen?
The report claims 39 have fallen out, and 11 were lost in the sandstorm.
[In Arabic] Wash him with cold water.
[Man shouting in Arabic]
[Gasps softly]
[In Arabic] I don't believe it.
You survived the sandstorm.
Allah must have a more severe judgment awaiting you.
Thanks, partner.
Daye-Daye, we have one full day's rest before the long march to Iraq.
This is where Al-Hattal'll break away from the pack,
And the mustang is still in, so we must maintain the pace.
Do you hear me? Look at me.
[Man speaking Arabic] Your Excellency.
Peace be with you.
- [Speaking Arabic] And also 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! Blasphemy!
How is the coffee?
Most excellent. I am revived.
[In English] If one tossed a horseshoe into the pot,
Do you think it would stand erect?
[In English] 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 trying 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 do you wear that?
Verily, you do not know our world.
This is the cowboy 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 Bedu, they are a horse culture.
Have you seen their vanishing kind?
I am their kind.
My father was a cavalry scout,
And he fell in love with a chief's daughter.
Married her. They called me Frank T.
My grandmother named me Hoksilato.
It means Blue Child.
I would know you only as a white man.
Maybe I got good at hiding my face, too.
- Why? - You don't know our world.
Look out!
Foolish is a foreigner.
[Speaking Arabic] Allah has decided that I should not sleep well these nights.
You have disgraced this house.
I am sickened.
[Speaking Arabic] 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.
[People approaching]
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 thyself!
Ahmed.
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.
Camel skinner...
[speaks Arabic]
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 honour?
No, sir. I did not.
Can one believe an unbeliever?
Only fools or gamblers walk behind a strange mare, Sheikh!
- You can believe that. - Is that a passage from the Bible?
No. It's something Wild Bill said to me one night.
- Wild Bill? - Down in Deadwood!
Do 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.
- Camel skinner... - You heard of the OK Corral?
Ahh, you were not there.
Tell me about this Wyatt Earp, and Doctor Holliday.
- [Gunshots] - [Woman screams]
Raiders!
[In Arabic] Free him.
- [Gunshot] - [Cries out]
[Frank] Come on. Hurry up.
[Screaming]
[Frank] Get back here!
[Screams]
Tribal war games are their national sport, Mary.
It's none of our affair.
Hey, partner! How about a hand?
Thank you kindly.
[In Arabic] Go, Prince! Go!
[In Arabic] Al-Hattal! He is gone!
Jazira.
[Shouts]
I will free you, you will run. Like the prince.
Damn coward. No wonder you don't want to be his fifth wife.
[Screams]
- Hey! - No!
Hey, Deputy. Hey!
[Laughing]
Jazira...
[speaks Arabic]
They've taken her.
They've taken her!
If I turn overAl-Hattal, Katib will return my child.
And if you don't?
He's a bastard son of a jackal who will have his gypsies commit crimes upon her.
I cannot surrender what is most sacred to my family.
You can never understand that, so do not even try.
The Al-Khamsa manuscripts! My family's breeding book. It is gone.
It is gone! The Al-Khamsa book contains
The breeding secrets of the Muniqiyah strain going back to Al-Sahaba.
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.
[Gasps]
[Grunts]
- What are you doing? - That's the easy way out.
- And he ain't gettin' it. - Please.
Western justice, partner.
[Whistles]
That's called a Mexican tattoo, and that lasts a lot longer than a sword.
- [Straining] - [Whinnying]
For a man of such high rank, you're kinda short, Aziz.
We can fix that.
[Shouts] 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...
...partner.
[In Arabic] Faster, traitor.
[In English] His Excellency is most reckless,
Sending a slave with no rujula to do a man's job.
Know this, Aziz. If any harm has befallen the child,
I shall remove your head myself.
[Jazira in Arabic] You know that my father will never surrenderAl-Hattal.
[Speaking Arabic] I will tell you something about your father, Jazira.
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 on the back ofAl-Hattal.
Why am I not?
Because the sacred is not for sale...
...as are you.
IfAl-Hattal is not turned out onto the sands of the Hammad 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 goes straight to the devil.
And your impure horse, too.
[Shouting in Arabic]
[Shouts in Arabic]
[Man shouts in Arabic]
That's far enough, Aziz.
[Speaks Arabic]
Kill her!
Jazira! Run!
Jazira!
[Whistles]
[Growls]
- [Snarling, roaring] - [Man screaming]
[Groans]
Jazira! Jazira!
- [Gunshot] - [Grunts]
[Jazira screams] Jaffa!
[Groans]
- Give him his head. - I know what to do.
Best 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.
[Nickers]
We must ride. We will stay off the camel roads.
[Speaking Lakota]
- What does this mean? - "Sunka 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-All it was.
When they saw how it could run,
And carry a man through battle, become his friend for life...
Well, they figured it had to be a sacred animal.
- Indeed. - Hmm.
Did your mother teach you this wisdom?
I am sorry.
[Boy shouting in Arabic]
[Crowd cheering]
[Giving thanks in Arabic]
[In English] 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.
[Speaking Arabic]
You are summoned to the tent of the lady.
- OK. - 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 Muniqiyah blood line 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 percent in silver
For turning in a serious effort.
I've never taken money for quittin' a race.
[Opera music plays]
Well, then, Frank.
Just where are we, then?
Here, alone, in the last corner ofArabia.
Ma'am...
When you're runnin' desert,
The sight of green grass and fresh water can be mighty tempting.
And 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. A 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.
The quarter cracks are gettin' worse.
- Another 400 miles could put him 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.
[Nickers]
Frank Hopkins...
I am compelled to express gratitude.
[Whistles]
Hidalgo! Hidalgo!
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.
[In Arabic] The cowboy forgot his drink.
[Man shouting in Arabic]
[Shouts in Arabic]
[Speaks Arabic]
Do not react. Remain calm.
And only I speak. Atimi, no.
- [Gunshot] - [Grunts]
Call yourself a great Bedu 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.
Or 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 Umm al-Samim.
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... - Do not harm him, Katib.
Kill his horse, and let him walk the desert.
There's much for him to think over.
[Shouts]
[Horse whinnies]
[Nickering]
[Buzzing in distance]
[Buzzing fades]
Whatever feed was out ahead, it ain't there no more.
"Gift from above, not a plague."
[Crunches]
[Neighs softly]
Once you get past the legs, it ain't too bad.
There you go.
Goes down pretty smooth, don't it?
Come on, eat up. We're back in business.
[Neighs]
Let's see who's behind.
[Gunshot]
[Whinnying in distance]
We are.
- [Neighing] - [Grunts]
[Shouting]
[In Arabic] Jinni, no! Go away!
[Shouting in Arabic]
[Horse whinnies]
Do not assist me.
Just kill me, please. Use your weapon.
No. It is Allah's will.
[Groans]
Tell you what. You can do whatever you want after I get you out of there.
[Shouting] No!
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 gets you across a finish line.
Only then is it written.
Jinni has returned to carry me home.
Please, my sword.
[Shouts in Arabic]
[Speaks Arabic]
- [Gunshot] - [Whinnies]
[Gunshot]
[Whinnies]
[Shouting in Arabic]
- Hidalgo! - [Neighing in pain]
[Speaking Arabic] Get Al-Hattal!
[In Arabic] Faster! He is escaping!
[In Arabic] Stop!
[Speaking Arabic] You heard the Christian woman.
We are not to kill him.
[Loud whinnying]
The rope! Quickly.
Hurry!
Katib!
[In Arabic] Look! The trap.
[In Arabic] Stop!
Release the hunters.
[Snarling, growling]
Come on! Get up!
- [Neighing] - [Straining]
[Snarling]
[Cries out]
- [Squawks] - [Screams]
[Gunshot]
- [Shouts] - [Multiple gunshots]
You and your horse have made enough trouble for me.
[Creaking]
Nobody hurts my horse.
[Screams]
[Neighing softly]
Whoa. Whoa.
Settle down.
Trust me, now.
[Hidalgo panting]
[Squealing]
Whoa.
Easy, son.
Don't do it, partner.
Don't you die on me now. We're almost home.
We had 'em, brother.
We had those boys.
You all right?
Oh, little man.
Remember that 500-Miler in Missouri?
We were three days in the lead.
Sitting on that ridge, lookin' at nothing but green.
And I said, "Partner,
If there's heaven on earth, there she lay.
We found it."
Well, I reckon if there is a heaven on earth, there's gonna be a hell, too.
We just couldn't cross her.
- [Soft whispers] - [Soft drumbeat]
[Whispers, drumbeat continue]
[In Lakota] Help me...
[speaks Lakota]
[Chanting in Lakota]
[Soft whisper] Blue Child.
[Speaks Lakota]
[Man chuckling]
Can you see it, cowboy?
It is the ocean!
It is only Al-Hattal now, cowboy.
You were defeated before this race began.
[Shuffling]
[Nickering softly]
You will not defeat me.
I am born of a great tribe. People of the horse.
So am I.
[Neighs]
OK.
English! English!
[People shouting in Arabic]
[Bell ringing]
Al-Hattal! Al-Hattal!
[Shouting]
Kamria, praise your stamina.
[Ringing bell]
Cowboy! Cowboy!
Push her.
Let her buck!
[Cheering]
Ha!
[Crowd cheering] Cowboy! Cowboy! Cowboy! 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.
[Horses whinnying in distance]
Assemble on the rim. Thirty paces to a stand.
Make every shot count.
What's this buck doin'? Bringing 'em in one at a time?
- Lieutenant McNulty? - Who are you?
Hopkins.
- Frank Hopkins. - Hopkins?
- You bring a dispatch? - Yes, sir.
Paid in full?
Hold up! Fall back to the wagon!
[Both speaking Lakota]
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?
[Nickering softly]
Whoa.
Easy.
Easy, brother.
[Nickering]
[Neighing]
Let her buck.