Character Analysis: Hobo

Character Analysis: Hobo

By: Brian Cotnoir

Once Again, I am here to talk about one of my favorite characters from one of my favorite films.  I remember the first time I watched “Hobo with a Shotgun”, it was violent, it was gory, it was funny, it was a PERFECT tribute to the old Grindhouse cinema of the 1970’s, and what’s very funny is that this film wasn’t even supposed to be made.  It was a joke trailer made to go with the 2007 film “Grindhouse”, and it actually ended up being made into a feature length film.  Well the Hobo is the main character of the film, and we’re going to take a look at him today.

CHARACTER: Hobo from “Hobo with a Shotgun” (2011)

The nameless Hobo is a man who arrives in the fictional Canadian town of “Hope Town” on a Box car.  Shortly after his arrival, he realizes that coming to Hope Town may have been a mistake.  Hope Town is controlled by a ruthless and vicious crime boss known as The Drake and his two adult sons, Slick & Ivan.  Whatever the Drake and his sons order happens and no one will stop them.  Besides the Drake, there is also rampant crime throughout the city: corrupt cops, pedophile Santa’s, violent robbers, pimps and prostitutes, and a slew of other devious felons.  The Hobo rescues a prostitute, named Abby, from being raped and murdered by Slick (the Drake’s “Favorite Son”).  However, the attack on Slick makes the Hobo the new target for the Police Department—who are all bribed by the Drake.  While in the Police station, the Hobo is held down by Ivan and the Police Chief, while Slick carves the word scum into his chest by the Slick.  The Hobo is eventually found clinging to life by Abby who takes him in, cleans his wounds, and gives him a warm bed to stay for the night.                                              

    The Hobo’s ultimate goal is to go legit and start his own lawn mowing business.  He begs and does demeaning acts in hopes of buying a used lawn mower at a local pawn shop.  However, the day the Hobo goes to buy the lawn mower a trio a violent gun-toting thugs attempt to rob the Pawn Shop.  The Hobo notices a Remington Shot Gun for sale hanging on the wall and uses it to execute the robbers.  He then decides to buy the shotgun and said and goes on a rampage to right the injustices of Hope Town “one shot gun shell at a time”.

THE ACTOR:

Actor Rutger Hauer plays "The Hobo

In the Original “Grindhouse” trailer the Hobo was played by David Brunt, but he turned down the role for the Full-Length version of the film and instead was casted as a Shotgun-wielding Dirty Cop in the film.  The role of the Hobo was re-cast and given to actor Rutger Hauer.  Hauer was an excellent choice for the role.  The way he looks, the way he delivers his lines, just everything he does in the role of the Hobo is perfect.  I honestly can’t think of any other actor that could do the role of the Hobo as well as Rutger Hauer.

CHARACTER IS SIMILAR TO OR INSPIRED BY:

Praise Hobo Jesus!

I’m not sure if anyone else has noticed this, but there are a lot of Biblical Themes, References, and Allegory’s in “Hobo with a Shotgun”.  The most prevalent of those Biblical themes is that the Hobo is an Allegory for Jesus. Think about it: he enters a world of sin, and wants to do away with that sin.  The only difference is Jesus used to words and humility to combat the sin, while the Hobo used a shotgun.  But that’s not all.  There’s a scene where Ivan and Slick are having a meeting with their father and they’re sitting at table in front of a portrait of Da Vinci’s “The Last Supper”.  Not only that, but during this meeting Slick expresses his desire to “crucify [the Hobo] to a homeless shelter”.  Sort of like how Pontius Pilot wanted to crucify Jesus; coincidence? I think not!  Not only that, but when Slick makes an obscene reference about Mother Teresa, the Hobo attacks Slick and claims that “Mother Teresa is a God D@mn Saint!”.

FATE OF THE CHARACTER:

The Drake and his sons put a hit out on the Hobo.  If people of Hope Town don’t kill all the homeless and bring the Hobo to him, then the Drake and his sons will start killing off all the children in Hope Town.  After evading the Drake and the towns people—and committing a few more vigilante style killings in the process—the Hobo is eventually captured by a mysterious duo known as “The Plague”.  The Plague turns the Hobo over to the Drake who plans a violent execution for him, known as “the Glory Hole”.  He places a man whole cover around his neck and drops him in the sewer he then places a barbwire noose around his neck (I’m guessing the crown of thorns was a bit too cliché for the film’s director), but before the Drake can decapitate the Hobo he is ambushed by Abby and the fed up residents of Hope Town.  It all comes down to a final epic showdown.  If the Hobo kills the Drake, the police have orders to open fire and execute the Hobo.  The Hobo looks down at the Drake and proclaims “You and me are taking a car ride to hell...and you’re riding shot gun!”.  He kills the Drake and then the police kill the Hobo...Gee, it’s almost like the Hobo was DYING FOR THE SINS of Hope Town. Seriously, if you do not see the Hobo is an Allegory for Jesus, you may need to watch it again and take a closer look.