The Black Stallion (1979)

I wanted to like it more than I actually did... But much of the humor totally escaped me and I walked out only mildly impressed.

This is a coming of age storyline that you've seen in one form or another for decades. It takes a truly unique voice to make yet another one worth watching.

Great example of an old-fashioned, pure-at-heart escapist event movie that doesn't pretend to be anything that it's not and has boat loads of fun being its own ludicrous self.

The acting in this movie is really good.

I hate checking the "Contains Spoiler" checkbox. I don't think I reveal anything specific that isn't already well known about a movie this old but checked it just in case.I was in high school when I saw this film. I believe it established early on the style of film making I have appreciated for the rest of my life. I have been trying to find where this love of quiet, minimalistic, but extremely powerful imagery became such a huge part of my cinematic taste. Although the one big movie I compare this too was made before The Black Stallion, I didn't see it until years later. It was The Black Stallion that was the first of it's type to influence me.This may seem a completely bizarre comparison but one of the films that has a compelling similarity is the original "Alien" film. Little or no deep exposition at the start. Limited dialog, or at least only the dialog that would happen naturally in the moments. No flowery, over the top poetic nonsense. Alien also was "two movies" in "one". A calm non threatening setup, leading to intense conflict.I know I know, these two movies seem completely and utterly opposites and not related in any way, but after watching it again today, Alien was the first movie that popped into my head. One of the things I loved about Alien/Black Stallion are the "sound textures". When you have limited dialog the director or possibly the sound designer, tends to include rich and detailed sounds. For example the scene with Brett in Alien, when the water is dripping on his cap. That scene is brilliant and the sound is compelling. The Black Stallion is filled with moments like this.Another movie, maybe a bit more comparable from an emotional aspect would be "The Natural". Much more dialog, but still minimalistic. A bit more "magical", but it had a similar "feel" and impact. It also had a strong "two movies in one" structure but with a shorter "first half". Also the endings of both while not identical, have a similar emotional release.Rarely do I see a movie again after so many years and still feel the same about it. Usually it's the youthful newness of the movie in my minds eye that doesn't last over the years. I saw this movie again for the first time after at least 15-20 years. If anything it was even a stronger and better movie with my older viewpoint. At least it totally held up. Some movies from my youth look like crap on re-watching years later.The horse "actor" was amazing (was it one or more horses? Not going to check. Can't tell anyway). The trainer has to be the best in the business or else that horse was special. The relationship between the child actor and the horse was simply perfect. After research I discovered the actor grew up with horses... what a perfect combination and I don't doubt this contributed to the realistic relationship between the horse and the actor. The relationship was so good you assumed they must have spent a long time together and developed a true connection. In many movies with animal/people relationships, you can see the animals "acting" to off-camera instructions and the relationship feels forced. The Black Stallion was absolutely perfect in that regard. In the first half of the film I was convinced they simply abandoned the boy and horse on an island with some cameras.Many times child actors are... well... often when a child actor is cast in a lead the decisions are very poor. I hate to beat a dead horse, but Star Wars Episode 1 comes to mind as the number 1 in bad child casting. The actor in this film however, was perfect. Sadly the star of The Black Stallion wasn't able to continue his acting career after a bad accident. Maybe "sad" is the wrong description. He may not feel that way.Casting a child in a film like this requires a genuine talent. You get it wrong and the film is a failure of max proportions. Get it perfect and a modest film can become a hit. Imagine this film with a horribly awful bad actor playing Alec. Oh good grief, if that happened the movie would have flopped and been hard to watch.The supporting cast was also perfect. Micky Rooney was amazing. You honestly believed his back story. Alec's mother also was perfect. Of course, she had that reputation as an actor portraying a supportive mother against her better instincts.The "two movies in one" aspect was brilliantly handled. I remember seeing it the first time and the "transition" felt jolting but not in a bad way. My most recent viewing, the transition felt smoother. This is also another cinematic choice that can be very difficult to pull off.Also, many times this type of "extraordinary animal" movie can be completely unrealistic. This film simply nailed it. There really wasn't any aspect of the developing relationship between the boy and the horse that didn't feel like it could have happened that way. My only tiny bit of skepticism would be to question if a truly wild animal is capable of recognizing when someone helps them out of a stressful situation. A minor quibble and I'm probably wrong. I assume taming or breaking a wild horse would be done in a similar way.Anyway... brilliant movie. One of my top 10. Inspirational movie.It's not in my top 10 of "watch over and over" type films. This is an intense watch. You have to WATCH it. It's not an "easy" watch but it is a brilliant experience.

Francis Ford Coppola's production of "The Black Stallion" tells the story of a boy who becomes shipwrecked on a deserted island with a mysterious and spirited Arabian stallion. When they return to civilization, the boy enlists the aid of a former trainer in order to realize his dream of racing his horse against the fastest in the world.While "The Black Stallion" is ostensibly a family movie, it may move too slowly for the average kid of today. As far as that goes, it probably moved too slowly for the average kid of 1979 as well. For instance, there's a stretch on the deserted island that has absolutely no dialogue or voice-over for approximately half an hour. That being said, for the patient viewer the movie offers plenty of attractive visuals as it takes its time moving along.Directorially, Caroll Ballard steered the movie with a sure hand and elicited fine performances from his actors. Young Kelly Reno gave a naturalistic performance and interacted with the titular horse with ease. Mickey Rooney likewise took a subdued approach in portraying the once successful horse trainer, in the process snagging an Oscar nomination. Naturally, the role recalls his similar one in "National Velvet" but here he gives a much more nuanced performance. Of the relatively small supporting cast, only Hoyt Axton, Teri Garr & Clarence Muse really stand out.Apart from the attractive cinematography of Caleb Deschanel, the movie also benefits from a varied and well-suited score by Carmine Coppola. Also notable is the fact that Alan Splet's sound editing garnered a Special Achievement Oscar. I can't say that I took particular note of the sound but there you have it.In the end, "The Black Stallion" is a well-crafted movie suitable for family viewing, though probably best appreciated by visually oriented adults. The deliberate pace may clash a little with the plot's driving force but, overall, the movie proves to be a worthwhile viewing experience.

I read most of the books in the Black Stallion series when I was a young girl of 8 or 9. The story is a great one. An epic tale. This movie captures the spirit of the first book of the series. Visually this movie is stunning. I would definitely recommend it, especially for horse lovers. I may even go back and read the books again. The book goes into a lot more detail than the movie, of course, but the magic of the story comes across beautifully here. The boy who plays the lead should have won awards for doing such a great job throughout the movie in interacting with the horse. It is a shame what happened to the boy actor who played the lead. In real life his career was cut short by tragedy. I love movies about horses and this one is up there on my list.

It's 1946. Alec Ramsey (Kelly Reno) is traveling on a ship with his father. There is a wild Arabian stallion on board. The ship sinks and the boy becomes stranded on a desert island with the horse. He is eventually rescued and returned to his mother (Teri Garr) with the horse. When the horse runs away, trainer Henry Dailey (Mickey Rooney) catches him. Together, they train him to race on the big tracks.It takes a little too long to get going with a very slow start. The ship sinking is exciting and the island is beautiful. I think the island is actually a great place for the boy to speak. It would give him real personality. The music and the lack of dialog makes the movie beautiful to look at but it could have been more. With great writing, the boy could have delivered a compelling performance like 'Cast Away'. However he's never given the chance and the movie moves along slowly but beautifully. Considering the drama in the story, the movie really lacks tension. When they're off the island, the movie takes its time. It wants to be atmospheric and mythical. The second half never gets any of that. It feels tired and formulaic. The first half is a beauty but the second half is lacking.