Featured Audience Ratings

• Randy T

  
  Paul Newman is very Eastwood-esque in this classic '60's western that features Fredric March, Martin Balsam and Richard Boone.

• xGary X

  
  Paul Newman plays a horse trader raised by the Apache who finds himself the protector of a group of travelers when they are ambushed by outlaws. Obviously another variation on the Stagecoach theme, Hombre instead casts the "Indian" as the anti-hero and the white men as the… More
  Paul Newman plays a horse trader raised by the Apache who finds himself the protector of a group of travelers when they are ambushed by outlaws. Obviously another variation on the Stagecoach theme, Hombre instead casts the "Indian" as the anti-hero and the white men as the villains. This switch-around forms the basis of the story as the main topic is that of racism; the steely-eyed Newman is initially shunned and vilified because of his native American heritage but finds himself emotionally blackmailed into becoming their saviour as soon as they need his help. Newman is extremely charismatic as the enigmatic frontiersman, the irony being that the actions the whites see as "savage" are in fact born of the cold logic of a lifetime struggling for survival. The white characters are shown as either hypocritical or naive and soon forget their moral outrage when they find their lives on the line. The plot may be a little predictable but it's also a very interesting character study and social commentary with a superb central performance from Newman. Well worth a look for those who like westerns with a brain.

• jay n

  
  Talky western with Newman miscast but doing what he can, Richard Boone as a hissable villian and Frederic March offering a more subtle form of villianry. However the real standout is Diane Cilento as a real tower of strength, an excellent performance. A side note Barbara Rush's… More
  Talky western with Newman miscast but doing what he can, Richard Boone as a hissable villian and Frederic March offering a more subtle form of villianry. However the real standout is Diane Cilento as a real tower of strength, an excellent performance. A side note Barbara Rush's fright wig has to be seen to be believed!

• Jeffrey M

  
  The western genre embodies many different sorts of films, from typical shoot 'em up adventures, to more nuanced films that seek to convey commentary within the western framework. Hombre is a fantastic example of the later, representing a late 60s western that features Paul Newman… More
  The western genre embodies many different sorts of films, from typical shoot 'em up adventures, to more nuanced films that seek to convey commentary within the western framework. Hombre is a fantastic example of the later, representing a late 60s western that features Paul Newman as a Native American. The film is an intelligent western, concerned with characters, dialogue, themes, and thus is uniquely situated within the genre, having an amount of ambiguity that is very uncommon for that time, and puts most modern movies to shame. Hombre features excellent performances from all around. The notable one is of course Newman. Though the blue-eyed Newman lacks the physical characteristics for an Indian, his performance more than makes up for that. The way he embodies his character harkens back to early Eastwood westerns, with a strong presence, conveying a lot even in silence. There is really not a weak link to be had in the supporting cast, with Diane Cilento having some terrific work as an outspoken and headstrong frontier woman. What I appreciated most about the film was the script. The dialogue was simply tremendous, with exchanges that were intelligent and felt real. The characterizations were strong and multi-dimensional, far surpassing many of the clichéd characters we are often treated to. Though the film's methodical pace and concern with characters, as opposed to action, may turn some off it's really a grade A western, and a must see for any fan of the genre. 4.5/5 Stars

• Deb S

  
  John 'Hombre' Russel (Paul Newman) is a man raised by the Apaches. When his heritage is discovered by a handful of stage travelers, none of the white folks want to sit next to him he's relegated to sitting out the journey atop the coach next to driver Mendez. During the… More
  John 'Hombre' Russel (Paul Newman) is a man raised by the Apaches. When his heritage is discovered by a handful of stage travelers, none of the white folks want to sit next to him he's relegated to sitting out the journey atop the coach next to driver Mendez. During the journey, they are ambushed by outlaw Richard Boone who knew that one of the passengers Dr. Favor had been carrying money that he stole from the very Apaches Newman grew up with. Hombre is forced to help the scared travelers out despite their bigotry towards him. He puts his cunning and survival skills to good use escaping with little water, the money that the bandits want and having them hot on their tail.

• Grifty G

  
  Enjoyable western, Paul Newman plays a white man raised by Injuns, and kicks some ass. Martin Balsam plays a very convincing Mexican, but the standout performance is Richard Boone, who plays a complete asshole cowboy to end all complete asshole cowboys.

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