Here's a new graphic/poster. Perfectly done, as all the materials have been.
There's an intensity in everything Rutger Hauer does. He's not built for softer roles. His portrayal of Roy Batty, the replicant in 'Blade Runner' who stops at nothing in his quest for a longer life, has always stuck in my mind. I remember being scared as hell watching the movie as a kid and it was because of the way Hauer brought Batty to life. The final chase sequence is one of the most suspenseful movie memories for me. I was struck by how Batty, in the midst of combat, seemed to weaponize a dove, otherwise known as the symbol of peace, and make it a threatening thing. A very cool turn.
Now Hauer has Hobo. Every second of footage I've seen cuts this movie as a classic. It's a lot of fun, gory as hell, and as irreverent as any grindhouse flick, yet HWAS rises above the restrictions of genre. Hobo is unrelentingly badass when there's an injustice that needs correcting but he's also a feeling person. By the end of this clip, for instance, I was truly moved by Hauer's soliloquy, by the sincerity. The emotion isn't campy. The delivery avoids cliché. Hobo's anger and frustration are lifted from classic live theater more than hokey B-movies.
Hobo is the kind of character that launches a career. It's so cleanly drawn, so pure, so damn violent, and so likable -- easy to empathize with. Hauer has been around a long time, though -- been in a bunch of great movies. He's not starting out yet graces us with a performance as heartfelt as that of a young actor in his first leading role.
Both Batty and Hobo are driven, extremely willful, and engrave themselves in the memory.
I like everything about this movie. If HWAS turns out as good as trailers make it look, it will be Hauer's second iconic role. Not many actors get a chance to create one such realization. Hauer may have two under his belt.
(Possibly) a great flawed protagonist given breath by a great actor.
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