DVD, 2009
Directed by Francis Ford Coppola
One of the most famous kids' movies of all time, this was one that I found in the stacks at my local public library. I vaguely, and I mean quite vaguely, seeing it as a kid and thought it might be fun to revisit.
Description:
'The Black Stallion' tells the story of Alec and his Arabian Stallion simply known as "the Black". Set in the 1940s, the movie begins with Alec and his family on-board a cruise liner and he becomes enamored with the Arabian Stallion. The ship, in a horrible accident, catches fire and creates a panic on-board. After the accident, Alec finds himself on the beach of a deserted island, and the only other soul he finds that has made it to the island is the horse. Initially reluctant in dealing with the boy, the horse and Alec soon gain the trust of one another. After much trial and tribulation, the boy finally manages to climb atop the horse and ride him up and down the beach. Eventually rescued from their deserted island, the boy returns home with horse in tow. Their relationship grows and Alec soon learns just how fast of a horse 'The Black' is, signing the horse up for a hugely important horse race for the movies climactic scene.
Review:
Although, quite honestly, I found the film quite boring I can see how it has become a classic. The scenes of Alex and his horse on the beach are some of the most easily recognizable scenes in cinema. There is this feeling that pervades the movie that Alec, a kid, is the only one who truly understands and loves the horse. This is a very common theme in kids and 'tween' titles and is certainly at work here. There is a scene in which Alec loses the horse and searches frantically to find him. He finds that an old jockey has found him and claimed him as his own. After seeing Alec with the horse, he soon sees the errors of his ways and knows that the boy is the horse's real owner. A classic kids movie that many, especially horse-lovers, will cherish but that others may find a bit slow.
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