Three Horse Films To See

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Wednesday, September 22nd, 2010 Subscribe To Our Feed

A horse doesn’t need to play a part to be significant; its absence is enough in one film! ‘ A horse! A horse! My kingdom for a horse!’ cries Richard 111 when he finds himself steedless and at the mercy of his enemies on Bosworth Field.The very positive horses portrayed in these films are completely different from Shakespeare’s evil Richard and the horse he cried out for. Everyday life in Richard’s time was sufficiently dangerous that things like horse insurancewould have come at an incredibly high price!

The Black Stallion
Produced in 1979 - some 400 years after Shakespeare - this film deservedly won many awards.The unfolding relationship between Alec and a vigorous Arabian stallion forms the basis of this movie. It includes a shipwreck, the rescue of the drowning Alec by the horse, and a period of slowly developing mutual trust on a desert island. They learn to trust each other and become devoted partners. The film is a fine illustration of how close a horse and a man can get with each other. I don’t want to spoil the movie for you if you haven’t yet seen it. One critic described it as possibly ‘the greatest children’s movie ever made’.It’s not only children, though, who can enjoy this film.

Black Beauty
Why do so many horses have to be black?. ‘Piebald Beauty’ as a title looks a bit flat. Anyway, whereas we see the Black Stallion from the outside as observers, Black Beauty is herself the narrator in this 1994 production. The obviously human nature and attitude of this voice is a serious defect. This isn’t a complaint about the nature of the voice; if it sounded like a horse, any cinema would soon lose its audience. No, it’s what the horse says and how it’s said that grates. And, unfortunately, it voices the opinions of a rather naive and sanctimonious human. Making a horse think and speak as though it were a human is not at all convincing. Although there’s a lot of cringing sentimentality, there’s also some magnificent photography especially of Black Beauty strutting her stuff.

The Horse Whisperer
This film was issued 4 years later, in 1998. It tells us how a young girl, Grace, and her beloved horse, Pilgrim, recover from a traumatic accident. Annie, Grace’s mother, wants to find a way to bring about the recovery of Grace and Pilgrim so she takes them to Montana where Tom, known for his understanding of animals, lives in open country. Tom’s powers of empathizing are equally as effective with disturbed women as with disturbed horses. Tom soon has both Annie and Pilgrim doting on him. The film is not, though, only about the recovery of Grace and Pilgrim and the love that dawns between Annie and Tom; it’s also about the differences between city life (Annie came from a hectic metropolitan life in Manhattan) and country life. Annie must reject either her smooth wealthy husband, or Tom, the plain-speaking horse whisperer. Which of these will she choose?!

There’s a lot of trotting, cantering, and galloping movement in these films as well as movement of the emotional kind. Some of the scenes are truly idyllic and beautiful ; some of the ‘moving’ moments might make you laugh or weep. It is not only a rider that these horses carry; they are also the vehicle for a message. You will have to make up your mind as to what this message is and whether or not its conveyance is a burden to the horse. Your local DVD supplier has the answer; put in an order now to find out!

This article has been published for the millions of horse enthusiasts all over the world by Animal Friends Equine Insurance - the UK’s only not-for-profit horse insurance provider. Horse rider insurance can be bought today online or by phone, and all net profits go to benefit troubled animals all over the world. You can read more about the many charities helped by Animal Friends on the charity support pages of their ethical pet insurance website.

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