A Film Review of “Hobo with a Shotgun”

The Hobo, played with style, panache and realism is no other than the inimitable Rutger Hauer. Ostensibly, the movie is about how a train hopping stereotypical Hobo, who travels via the rails, unfortunately finds himself in the middle of a town where its ruthlessly run by a bloodthirsty crime lord named “Drake” (Brian Downey), along with his two sadistic sons, Ivan (Nick Bateman) and Stick (Gregory Smith), who have the cops in their pockets and the citizens captive, scared and if not tortured, relegated to random killing, prostitution, or outright sadistic treatment.

Click the Image Below to see the Trailer!  

Hobo with a Shotgun is a 2011 Canadian exploitation film directed by Jason Eisener and written by John Davies, and is based on the winning trailer of the same name from Robert Rogriguez’s South by Southwest Grindhouse trailer contest.

Sounds like a real gem, huh? Well, yes and no. There are so many different other move plots that Hobo with a Shotgun borrows from, I thought it definitely worthy of a mention.

How many moves have we seen where the “new” guy or the “outsider” arrives in a Town Without Mercy that we instinctively know that he’s the guy that’s going to save everyone, and you’d be right that  this is just another one in the same genre—perhaps a bit bloodier. But what delicious fun!

I saw plot elements judiciously borrowed from other movies  such as “Road House,” “Kill Bill,” “Superman,’ “Spiderman,” “Sin City,”  ”Get Carter,” and a few dozen other vigilante films including the infamous Charles Bronson “Death Wish” movie series.

Refreshingly, the accuracy and vulnerability as acted by Hauer in this film–as well as  its descriptions and depictions of life’s cruelty–made me really appreciate Rutger Hauer’s uncanny sense of right from wrong throughout the film–he calls it like he sees it, and what he sees is never pretty–quite the contrary. For instance when asked by a dirty cop if “anyone’s welcomed him to town,” his retort that “Nobody Does” is both witty and unfortunately a sign of our societal coldness and apathy toward the homeless.

As an expert in housing, the unrelenting homeless bashing in the movie, rang a real chord with me–and is a rallying point that everybody is a human being and deserves dignity. It’s unfortunate, that at every turn in the movie, essentially, Rutger Hauer’s character was considered “a piece of shit,” and not fit for the human race–literally. 

It really is a sad social commentary about ourselves, our screwed up sense of values, and how everyone deserves redemption and has good in their heart. On some level, despite the obvious gory content and theme of the movie, to this critic, this point and theme haunted me throughout the movie–and made me quite angry. Angry enough to get back into the fray about this issue–but I digress, obviously.

Rutger Hauer 

Rutger Hauer is a world-class iconic actor who has worked with numerous renowned filmmakers including Ridley Scott, Christopher Nolan, Phil Noyce, Lina Wertmüller, Ermanno Olmi, Robert Rodriguez, Dutch director Paul Verhoeven, and appeared in George Clooney’s “Confessions of a Dangerous Mind.”

2010 sees him involved in a number of independent international productions, including “Portable Life,” “Black Butterflies,” “Hobo With a Shotgun,” “The Rite” (also starring Sir Anthony Hopkins), as well as a comeback on set with a director he is very fond of: Ermanno Olmi with his latest production “Il Villaggio di Cartone” (“The Cardboard Village”).

In the last decade, he was involved in major Hollywood productions, such as Warner Bros. “Batman Begins” (directed by Christopher Nolan, with Christian Bale, Gary Oldman, Michael Caine, Morgan Freeman and Liam Neeson), the TV mini-series “The Poseidon Adventure,” and “Sin City,” the all-star cast film directed by Robert Rodriguez together with Frank Miller, who wrote and illustrated the graphic novel series on which this movie is based.

In 2006, he set up the “Rutger Hauer Filmfactory” in the Netherlands, with the purpose of pulling together new talent in the filmmaking world with renowned international filmmakers who share their knowledge and experience during workshops. Hauer is in the “director’s seat” as he takes the participants on a tour through their creative domain.

In 2007, he wrote a book entitled “All Those Moments: Stories of Heroes, Villains, Replicants, and Blade Runners.” This unprecedented and long-awaited autobiography was published by Harper Entertainment, with all proceeds going to charity initiatives.

In September 2008, Hauer was honoured in the Netherlands with the prestigious “Golden Calf” Culture Award. This is granted by the Board of the Netherlands Film Festival Foundation to a person or organization that brought important contributions to the film culture, and it refers to his Rutger Hauer Filmfactory organization, as well as to his Milan (Italy)-based “I’ve Seen Films – International Film Festival.”

“I’ve Seen Films” represents a merger of the best classic film festival traditions with the most advanced high-definition digital, satellite, and internet technologies, aiming at promoting and uniting filmmakers worldwide, by affording their works new and long-term exposure with fresh platforms of visibility. Hauer, by involving many notable artistic talents and filmmaking experts, is clearly marking a turning point in today’s world of film and festivals.

And Hauer’s love interest and sidekick in the movie, is the prostitute with a heart of gold and nerves of steel–Abby (Molly Dunswoth), where yet again Hauer the Hobo, both affictionally and with intent, calls her “Teacher,” to persuade her to pursue something else that will provide her with a sense of dignity and self worth (and obviously get her off the street). 

But back to the main theme and plot of the movie, it’s a shoot-em-up – bang-em-up but with a purpose. The Hobo (Hauer) has found himself in a city from hell, and well, he’s just not going to let it happen. He’s going to take a stand. That’s called being a Hero and standing for something. (I’m sure, again, this is lost on all reviews but it’s the way it is).

We should all face these types of societal ills–sans shotgun and violence–but with a marked sense of Right vs. Wrong.

Kudos to Hauer for showing another side of him which is vulnerable, trapped and one of society’s throw-a-ways. But then again, the directors and producers of this movie, know a thing or two about a decent plot–and gave the man a sense of dignity, purpose and redemption.

Something that we all will always need and want as part of the human condition.

See the movie–it’s not for the squeamish, but what movie these days does–notwithstanding there are significant themes within this movie that I found to be moving and a clarion call that we should stop abusing the homeless–among other things, namely, societal corruption.

But this review is hardly about that–It’s about a Hobo with a Shotgun.

To wit:

A train pulls into the station – it’s the end of the line.  A Hobo jumps from a freight car, hoping for a fresh start in a new city.  Instead, he finds himself trapped in an urban hell. This is a world where criminals rule the streets and Drake, the city’s crime boss, reigns supreme alongside his sadistic murderous sons, Slick & Ivan.  Amidst the chaos, the Hobo comes across a pawn shop window displaying a second hand lawn mower.  He dreams of making the city a beautiful place and starting a new life for himself.  But as the brutality continues to rage around him, he notices a shotgun hanging above the lawn mower…  Quickly, he realizes the only way to make a difference in this town is with that gun in his hand and two shells in its chamber.

And don’t you forget it! 

Although the film had limited commercial release and success (for obvious reasons), and made little money, it has a cult following and, well, I’m a fan.