One of the best known movie horses was actually a non-existent one! ‘ A horse! A horse! My kingdom for a horse!’ is Richard III’s cry when he desperately needs a horse to escape from those who would kill him 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. While life in Richard III’s time may have been bloodier and generally a great deal more perilous, at least they didn’t have to worry about the necessities of veterinary bills or horse insurance!
The Black Stallion
Produced in 1979 - some 400 years after Shakespeare - this film deservedly won many awards.The relationship between Alec and a lively Arabian stallion is recounted in this film. Especially memorable is the shipwreck scene and Alec’s subsequent rescue from drowning by the horse and the ensuing time on a desert island where they learn to overcome the mistrust they previously felt for each other. Soon this trust is so complete that they can’t exist without each other. The film is a fine illustration of how close a horse and a man can get with each other. If you haven’t yet seen the film, I won’t spoil it for you. It’s sufficient to record one critic’s opinion, that it was perhaps ‘the greatest children’s movie ever made’.But adults too can find much to relish in the film.
Black Beauty
Why do so many horses have to be black?. Would you be excited at the title ‘Piebald Beauty’?. Anyway, it’s through Black Beauty’s eyes and voice that the plot in this 1994 film develops. One of the problems is that the voice shows no signs of reflecting an equine outlook. 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 the content of what the horse says that’s so human. And, unfortunately, it voices the opinions of a rather naive and sanctimonious human. However hard you try, you cannot fail to find Black Beauty’s human attitudes and voice clumsy and ineffective. Notwithstanding what one critic described as the ’soppiness’ of the film, there is much to enjoy both in the scenery and the numerous scenes where Black Beauty expresses her joie de vivre.
The Horse Whisperer
This is a more recent film - 1998. We see how young Grace and the horse she loves, Pilgrim, regain their physical and psychological health after suffering a shocking 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. His ability to get emotionally close is not, however, confined to horses; it extends to troubled females. Before long he has both Pilgrim and Annie eating out of his hand. The contrast between Annie’s previous sophisticated city life and that of the country is a theme that is developed alongside the story of Grace and Pilgrim’s recovery and the growing love between Annie and Tom. Annie is faced with choosing either the down-to earth Tom or her high-flying lawyer husband. Which of these will she choose?!
It’s not only the horses that are moving - whether galloping, cantering, or trotting - it’s also some of the more emotional scenes. The delight you’ll feel at many of the lovely scenic sequences will be in contrast to some of the sickly sentiment of the ‘moving’ scenes. Metaphors as well as riders are on the backs of these horses. Whether the horse carries - or is saddled with - this message, and what the message is can be decided only by you. Phone your local DVD store 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. You can buy horse rider insurance today online or by phone, and all net profits go towards helping animals in crisis around the globe. 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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