Black Beauty (1994)

Wow! Such a good movie.

Why so much hype?

The movie turns out to be a little better than the average. Starting from a romantic formula often seen in the cinema, it ends in the most predictable (and somewhat bland) way.

Through painfully honest and emotional moments, the movie becomes irresistibly relatable

This film is one of the best I have seen and I've watched hundreds. I don't have a problem at all with the narration of the horse's thoughts. One thing that the 20th century did teach us was that many animals whom many humans had assumed to be somewhat stupid, were in fact highly intelligent (and possibly more so than some humans). Pigs, crows, chickens, dogs, etc are just a few examples. Thus, "dumb" does not in any way describe the highly intelligent and sensitive animal which is the horse, other than to point out that it can't speak "human". Not to say that it can't communicate with humans, but then you have to know your particular horse intimately. Difficult in a relatively short movie.The narration cleverly and, in my opinion, very effectively, bridges this gap. Do horses know that they are about to be sold? Perhaps not, but they almost certainly are able to sense when something is amiss, and that's enough to build a story on.And what a great story it is, as we follow this beautiful animal's passage through life, with its ups and downs, loves and hates, terrors and joys. And even sly humour in places. Throughout, the photography is stunning, with charming shots of the English countryside, and amazing sequences of the horses playing and frolicking together. No sex, of course, which is only proper.Stupendous!

I'm not one for kid's films, but I do like my novel adaptations and particularly when they're of classic Victorian literature. BLACK BEAUTY is one such beast, an all-star-cast adaptation of the Anna Sewell novel. I haven't read the book but this wide-ranging and wide-reaching film seems to have the right touch of authenticity to it.It's a heartfelt and moving story in which the horses of the era are mistreated and put upon by their human owners, although there's still time for a few joyous moments here and there. Elsewhere it's as downbeat and depressing as many a Catherine Cookson adaptation, although the presence of numerous familiar faces (like Sean Bean, David Thewlis, Peter Cook, Peter Davison, Jim Carter, Alun Armstrong and John McEnery) keep it more than watchable.The film is well shot and the acting honours obviously go to the various horses who do commendable jobs. My only problem really is the Hollywood-ised decision to give the horse a twee and childish voice-over from actor Alan Cumming. As ever, this is entirely unnecessary and slightly mars what could have been a near-classic.

There are so many things to love about Black Beauty. It is a truly beautiful, moving film, and do I think it is underrated? Yes I do and unjustly so. For one thing, Black Beauty is just amazing to look at. The cinematography was just tremendous throughout and the scenery was magnificent. The costumes were lovingly designed, and on the whole the period detail was flawless. Caroline Thompson's screenplay also deserves credit. The book is a timeless literary classic, and out of the numerous adaptations of the book, this is the truest. The screenplay itself is enough to evoke tears, Black Beauty's inner thoughts especially were so beautifully written. And she does a remarkable job directing as well. Danny Elfman is one of my favourite film composers, his score for Edward Scissorhands is still one of the most beautiful scores I have ever heard in a film. His score here is just as effective, it never affects the quiet composition of the film, as a matter of fact the tone of it is just right. The acting from Sean Bean, David Thewlis, Peter Cook and Eleanor Bron is all top notch, but the real star of the show is Black Beauty himself, though all the horses look superb. I also thought that Alan Cumming's voice for Black Beauty was perfect, very sensitive and melodious as it should be. The film is so beautiful and has a lot of poignant moments and an unexpected soft centre. If I had one minor quibble, and it is ever so minor, it is that the film is too short. Other than that beautiful; I remember sort of liking the 1971 film, but it didn't have the emotional impact that this adaptation did on me. 10/10 Bethany Cox

I love this film and have seen it a few times. I am totally prejudiced because I live on a horse ranch with four horses and mine is an ex-stallion big (16h3) and, oh yeah, he's black. You've got to give the film and the story some room and accept the anthropomorphic horse driven narrative. The story has all the highs and lows of cinematic drama without dipping into melodrama for more than a moment or two. There are several versions of the book and this is the best production and the most emotional. If you like Old Yeller or The Yearling and you have some Kleenex nearby and want to get completely lost in a wonderful epic of a horse's life and horses he encounters and all the people he crosses paths with then grab some popcorn and your tissues and saddle up with this great movie.