• Review Index
  • About Me
  • Suggestions

vinnieh

~ Movie reviews and anything else that comes to mind

vinnieh

Tag Archives: Carroll Ballard

The Black Stallion

31 Wednesday Jul 2019

Posted by vinnieh in Movie Reviews

≈ 10 Comments

Tags

1970's, Adventure, Carroll Ballard, Hoyt Axton, Kelly Reno, Mickey Rooney, Teri Garr, The Black Stallion

A captivating story of a boy and his horse, The Black Stallion is a delight for the whole family. Blessed with a sublime cinematography, love for nature and understated performance, it’s simply irresistible to all the family.

It’s 1946 and young Alec Ramsey(Kelly Reno) is sailing with his father on a boat off the East Coast of Africa. While onboard, Alec discovers an black Arabian Stallion that he becomes intrigued by. Though warned to stay away by the fearsome owner, Alec refuses to. Later that night, a violent storm hits the ship, throwing Alec and the horse overboard. They are the only survivors from the storm as Alec manages to pull on the ropes around the horse. When he awakens, he is on a deserted island. Armed with the penknife his later father gave him and resourcefulness, he learns to survive. The horse also made it to the island at first, both keep a distance from each other. Over time, however Alec wins the horse over gives the horse the name The Black. They become inseparable from that moment on as a bond is solidified. Eventually, Alec is rescued and makes sure The Black comes with him. Back home, Alec’s mother( Teri Garr) is overjoyed to see him but doesn’t quite understand the bond between her son and his horse. Alec comes across old horse trainer Henry Dailey( Mickey Rooney) accidentally when The Black runs away. Henry hasn’t raced in years but you can sense he feels a bit of regret and nostalgia creeping his way once he finds The Black. Following a bit of hostility between them, Alec and Henry become friends and Henry rekindles his love of horses with a dream of racing The Black. After a few mishaps and hurdles,  Alec and Henry enter to the horse into the race and hope for success with what they truly believe is not just a horse, but a supremely special one.

Director Carroll Ballard is the perfect choice to direct this heartwarming adventure. His love for nature and the relationships humans share with the animal kingdom are splendidly evoked. Some could write the movie off as as sickly as too much sugar, yet Ballard knows how to keep us invested without resorting to overt sentimentality. Aided by the arresting cinematography of Caleb Deschanel and vivid camerawork, the friendship at the core of The Black Stallion comes to life. The main sections on the island are largely wordless and though that might sound boring to some viewers, it certainly isn’t the case. The unspoken bond between Alec and the horse is observed with nuance and eventual trust; much like a friendship between humans. We watch as Alec wins the horse over and the horse comes to respect him and it’s very beautifully portrayed. The childlike sense of wonder and excitement is imbued within the DNA of The Black Stallion and it definitely pleases the crowd with this touch. And though many may see where the story is heading when he returns to land, they will no doubt be impressed by the eventual outcome and how things play out to a rousing and joyous finale. It’s a movie with a heart that’s sole goal is to be inspiring and for the whole family, and on that score alone it’s a winner. Carmine Coppola contributes an eclectic score that mixes Middle Eastern percussion and a soaring orchestral feel that is truly a thing of beauty. It imprints itself on your mind and is just beautifully orchestrated with obvious craftsmanship and phenomenal skill at arousing emotion.

Young Kelly Reno is full of life and wonder as the freckle-faced Alec. He’s ideal casting for the role and a genuinely convincing child actor that isn’t cloying or prone to overly annoying child acting. Mickey Rooney has fun as the slightly grouchy but brought back to life horse trainer, discovering what he’s missed for so long. Rooney is subtle yet sparkling with revived energy; both are exactly the notes he needs to star here. Just like the horse, he splendidly compliments Reno as the two things that mean the most to him. Teri Garr makes the most of her small part as Alec’s mother who doesn’t quite understand his link to the horse but comes around to the idea in a way only a mother could. Hoyt Axton is here in a brief role of father and given that he’s not on screen for long, he nails the part of adventurous dad that we miss when he’s gone. The two biggest stars however are Kelly Reno and the horse; they form the beating heart of The Black Stallion.

An outstanding, life-affirming and gentle film that knows how to touch the heart with its story, acting and cinematography, The Black Stallion is a champion.

Subscribe

  • Entries (RSS)
  • Comments (RSS)

Archives

  • November 2019
  • October 2019
  • September 2019
  • August 2019
  • July 2019
  • June 2019
  • May 2019
  • April 2019
  • March 2019
  • February 2019
  • January 2019
  • December 2018
  • November 2018
  • October 2018
  • September 2018
  • August 2018
  • July 2018
  • June 2018
  • May 2018
  • April 2018
  • March 2018
  • February 2018
  • January 2018
  • December 2017
  • November 2017
  • October 2017
  • September 2017
  • August 2017
  • July 2017
  • June 2017
  • May 2017
  • April 2017
  • March 2017
  • February 2017
  • January 2017
  • December 2016
  • November 2016
  • October 2016
  • September 2016
  • August 2016
  • July 2016
  • June 2016
  • May 2016
  • April 2016
  • March 2016
  • February 2016
  • January 2016
  • December 2015
  • November 2015
  • October 2015
  • September 2015
  • August 2015
  • July 2015
  • June 2015
  • May 2015
  • April 2015
  • March 2015
  • February 2015
  • January 2015
  • December 2014
  • November 2014
  • October 2014
  • September 2014
  • August 2014
  • July 2014
  • June 2014
  • May 2014
  • April 2014
  • March 2014
  • February 2014
  • January 2014
  • December 2013
  • November 2013
  • October 2013
  • September 2013
  • August 2013
  • July 2013
  • June 2013
  • May 2013
  • April 2013
  • March 2013
  • February 2013
  • January 2013
  • December 2012
  • November 2012
  • October 2012
  • September 2012
  • August 2012
  • July 2012
  • June 2012
  • May 2012
  • April 2012

Categories

  • 007 thoughts and reviews
  • Adventures of Satrap
  • Announcements
  • Awards and Achievements
  • Birthdays and Tributes
  • Blogging Community
  • Blogging Questions
  • Creepy
  • Gif Posts
  • Humour
  • Movie and Television Trivia
  • Movie opinions and thoughts
  • Movie Reviews
  • Music reviews and opinions
  • Photography Discussion
  • Rest In Peace
  • Sport
  • Television Opinions
  • Television Reviews
  • Uncategorized

Meta

  • Register
  • Log in
December 2019
M T W T F S S
« Nov    
 1
2345678
9101112131415
16171819202122
23242526272829
3031  

Tags

007 1940's 1950's 1960's 1970's 1980's 1990's 2000's 2010's Action Adventure Announcement Based on a true story Bernard Lee Bette Davis Birthday Blogs You Should Follow Carry On Movies Cate Blanchett Comedy Crime David Duchovny Desmond Llewelyn Drama Fantasy Foreign Language Film Gillian Anderson Horror James Bond Jennifer Lopez Judi Dench Julianne Moore Julia Roberts Liebster Award Lois Maxwell Love Your Bum Madonna Matthew Fox Meryl Streep Music Musical Mystery Natalie Portman Neve Campbell Period Drama Psychological Horror Psychological Thriller Romance Romantic Comedy Sarah Michelle Gellar Science Fiction Spy Supernatural Horror Thriller

Top Posts & Pages

The Best Asses in the Business
Nights in Rodanthe
Mogambo
Lyric Analysis - Sugababes: Too Lost in You
Unfaithful
Boy on a Dolphin
Shoot Em Up
The Watcher in the Woods
Lyric Analysis- ABBA : The Day Before You Came
Happy Birthday Judi Dench
Follow vinnieh on WordPress.com

Create a free website or blog at WordPress.com.

Cancel
Privacy & Cookies: This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this website, you agree to their use.
To find out more, including how to control cookies, see here: Cookie Policy