 The Black Stallion (1979)
The Black Stallion is a timeless film! A wonderful family movie that will appeal to everyone. It opens with Alec (Kelly Reno) on a ship with his father played by Hoyt Axton of "Gremlins" fame. Alec is intrigued by a wild Arabian Stallion he calls, "The Black." He can't stay away from him. The ship encounters a storm and sinks. The horse and the boy are the only survivors that wash up on a deserted island.
This is where the film gets a bit slow. A large portion of the movie is spent with Alec trying to gain the trust of "The Black." Finally, he gains his trust and learns to ride him bareback. One day a few fishermen come ashore and find Alec. They forcibly rescue him and he won't abandon "The Black." They both end up back home with his mother played by Teri Garr.
"The Black" escapes and ends up on ex-jockey, Henry Dailey's farm (Mickey Rooney). The movie starts to get more interesting as Henry sees "The Black" and Alec as his ticket back to horse racing glory. He starts training Alec to ride "The Black" while trying to get the horse into a race. The scenes of training on the farm are pleasant and heart warming. Henry gets a big money man to show up in a rain storm to see how fast Alec and "The Black" can run. A match race is setup and Henry gets his chance.
The race is one of the most memorable movie scenes I've ever seen! "The Black" gets hurt at the start of the race and is bleeding. The drama builds as Alec breaks the horse terribly out of the gate. Alec realizes he has to ride "The Black" with abandon as he did on the island. He rips off his jockey helmet, goggles and forges ahead with determination! Beautifully shot and filled with detailed sound, they storm into contention and win the race. You get the happy ending that makes you cheer and feel great! See this movie, enjoy the scenery, and you'll cheer for "The Black Stallion!" This movie gets a big, happy Tail Wag!
By: Tony Rogers |
