Paul Newman did a whole bunch of films with Director Martin Ritt and Hombre, one lean and mean western ranks as one of the best.
Newman is John Russell, the ultimate in the Stockholm Syndrome in the western film. He's a man who was kidnapped by the Apaches as a child, raised among them, and then when he was rescued from the Apaches, turned his back on his rescuers and went back to live among them. The opening of the film has some closeup shots of Newman as an Apache and he does look like a figure of interest with those baby blue eyes of his. The viewer is already involved, this is a person of interest, there's a story here, let's find out about him.
Circumstance has put him on a coach with several other passengers, including the Indian agent at the San Carlos Reservation, Fredric March and his wife Barbara Rush. Unbeknownst to everyone else, March has embezzled a whole stash of money from the tribe and is on the run, like Berton Churchill in Stagecoach. Of course Churchill is not taking his young pretty wife along with him.
The outlaws led by Richard Boone know about the loot and they ambush the coach, but the holdup is unsuccessful. Nevertheless the passengers are left afoot with the loot, but limited water on the Arizona desert.
It falls to Newman to lead them to safety, a guy they had previously snubbed. Hombre gets deliciously ironic that way.
Next to Newman, I'd say the best performance in the film is easily that of Diane Cilento, the very wise and earthy boarding house keeper. She's one experienced with life woman who if everyone heeded it would have been better all around.
Why are they with Newman, cause he can cut it. And as a film, Hombre definitely cuts it.
