Animated, live action, true story, or fictional account, horses are magical creatures and film captures their beauty in a way that no other art form can. With their grace of movement and endearing spirit they have always been a favorite among filmmakers. Listed here are three picks for some of the best horse movies ever.
The Black Stallion
One of the best live action movies about a horse that has ever been made is The Black Stallion. Kelly Reno stars in the adaptation of the Walter Farley novel about a young boy who experiences the loss of his father and at the same time gains the greatest friend he will ever have.
The story is quite simple, young Alec Ramsey is lost at sea when his passenger ship sinks in the Mediterranean, with his father dead, his only salvation is a giant black stallion. In the water as the ship is sinking Alec saves the stallion from the confines of a harness that threatens to drown him, when the horse swims to the nearest land Alec holds on to him, and in turn they end up saving each other. Stranded on a deserted island with the stallion, they survive together, eat together, play together, and end up making a making a bond that will last a lifetime.
When Alec is finally rescued from the island he takes the stallion home with him, but problems arise when the horse is put up in the yard, in a residential neighborhood, and he ends up breaking free and running away. When Alec finds him he is locked in a strange barn and Alec meets Henry, a former jockey that sheltered the stallion in the night. He knows the black', as Alec calls him, is special, a born and bred racer, and with Alec's help he wants to prove that he is the fastest horse in the world.
Besides the wonderfully endearing story of a boy and his horse, there are stellar performances given by both Terri Garr as Mrs. Ramsey, and Kelly Reno as Alec, and Mickey Rooney's brilliant performance garnered him an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor. The Black Stallion was also nominated for film editing that year and was the winner of a special award in the area of sound editing. The sound of the horse during the racing is so real because the sound was captured in a way that had never been done before, by putting the microphones on the running horse, this editing technique has now been used to capture other horses on film and is now an industry standard.
Beautifully directed by Carroll Ballard and produced by Francis Ford Copolla, this film has some of the most beautiful scenes where there is no dialogue spoken and the unspoken communication between the horse and the boy is absolutely magical. This truly is an enjoyable film for all ages and should be ranked highly among the best horse movies ever made.
Seabiscuit
Out of the three movies I chose this one is a true story. The first part of the movie is about people; Charles Howard the automobile salesman played by Jeff Bridges, Tom Smith the eccentric horse trainer played by Chris Cooper, and Red Pollard the young angry jockey played by Tobey Maguire. The individual stories of these characters are established as the first part of the film and they start to intermingle toward the middle, as fate would have them come together for the love of a horse.
It is not until you get to the second half of the film that the stories truly intertwine and we hear the story of Seabiscuit. Seabiscuit was a real horse that was sired by Hard Tack, a son of Man O War, who was one of the greatest Kentucky thoroughbreds to ever race. But Seabiscuit was not like his predecessors and was known for laziness, he eventually ended up as a racing partner to other horses that were supposedly better than him. Purchased for $2000 by Charles Howard (Bridges), Seabiscuit is put into the care of his new trainer Tom Smith (Cooper), and the result is he not only learns to race, but he learns to win. With Red Pollard (Maguire) as a rider Seabiscuit starts to fulfill his potential as a race horse and eventually wins race after race.
The intertwining story line of Buick automobile salesman Charles Howard, unconventional horse trainer Tom Smith, and the most touching story of jockey Johnny Red' Pollard fill out the human aspect of the story. Charles Howard was an incredible salesman of Buick automobiles in San Francisco, but tragically he lost his son in a truck accident, this caused the loss of his first marriage and the eventual interest and purchase of Seabiscuit. Tom Smith is an aging cowboy who is watching the American west as it disappears behind the fences of the cattle ranchers that are pushing into what was once a frontier. Red Pollard is a boy who loses his family during the depression, but his gift for riding eventually leads him to Seabiscuit. These three people are brought together by a horse of immeasurable beauty and spirit, and are in turned saved by that spirit.
The film is well made and very well directed, it was nominated for an academy award for best picture, but lost that year to Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King. Incredible performances by Tobey Maguire, Jeff Bridges, and Chris Cooper bring this story to life with thoughtful tenderness. With incredible racing sequences as well as touching human moments, this movie will have you laughing, crying, and cheering at the finish line. Seabiscuit is an endearing and touching true story of a horse that wins against all odds and it is by far is one of the best horse films ever made.
Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron
Spirit is an animated film about a wild horse from the Cimarron valley; and where better for a hero horse like Spirit to make his mark than in the world of animation.
Spirit (voiced by Matt Damon)is narrated through his thoughts as a wild horse in the Cimarron Valley, and like some other animated movies he does not actually speak. This adds to the charm and realism of this film as the narration is a stream of conscience thought that reflects back and keeps the story moving without actual dialogue coming from the animal.
The story is about a wild young horse amongst a beautiful that grows to be a strong stallion until one day he is taken away from his family. The opening sequences where Spirit grows up are the basis for the attachment that you feel to the character throughout the entire film. He is captured, taken to be a cavalry horse, escapes with the help of the Sioux, and is captured again, but along the way everyone who encounters Spirit is quick to realize that he is forever wild and will never be broken. The rest of the story is about Spirit and his journey back home to the Cimarron; on his way back he learns that man is ready to invade his home and there may be nothing that he can do to stop it.
The animation is beautiful and the story is expressive without being overpowering or awkward. Wonderful supporting voice performances from James Cromwell as the Colonel that tries to break Spirit, and Daniel Studi as the voice of little creek the Sioux boy that befriends Spirit completes the cast and rounds out the films main characters. Wonderful songs by Bryan Adams are also a delightful addition and enhance the story without detracting from the good moments in the film. Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron is a movie that has love, action, drama, comedy and all the best things that you could ask for to make this a really fun family film. All around this is possibly the best animated film about a Horse to ever be made, it is not campy or fake, and that makes it captivating to audiences of all ages.