gavin6942 While traveling with his father (Hoyt Axton), young Alec becomes fascinated by a mysterious Arabian stallion who is brought on board and stabled in the ship he is sailing on. When it tragically sinks both he and the horse survive only to be stranded on a desert island.This film is noted for its beautiful cinematography. Indeed, some of the scenes have no words at all and rely on the horse and the island to tell the tale. And whether it is a good tale or not, it is a good-looking one.Unfortunately, I watched it on the DVD from MGM, which only hints at the bright and brilliant colors. My assumption is the new Criterion disc will take the negative and give it the quality it deserves. If so, I would be more than happy to give the picture an extra star.

KobusAdAstra Beautiful cinematography can't save this film. The rather simplistic story unfolds as a young boy washes up on an island off the North African coast, after the ship on which he and his father were passengers sunk and the boy was thrown into the waves. Miracles abound. To name just one, when the boy wakes up on the beach after his ordeal he finds, right next to him in the shallow water, his pocket knife, blade already open. Highly unlikely, to put it mildly. By spoon-feeding the viewers with easy answers the film underestimates the intelligence of the movie loving public.The characters are poorly develop, even that of the protagonist, young Alec Ramsey, played without distinction by Kelly Reno. Other actors are equally mediocre. The award for best 'actor' goes to the black stallion.A large part of the first half of the film is taken up by vividly colored and picturesque sunsets, with the boy trying to befriend the horse, but after a while it just gets boring. The second half of the film builds up to the horse race, and for a change some real dialogue takes place. The ending is unfortunately rather predictable.Undiscerning young kids may perhaps unconditionally enjoy the film, but many thinking youngsters will find it a bore, not to mention adults.

budmassey Adapted from Walter Farley's beloved novel, and exquisitely filmed by legendary cinematographer Caleb Deschanel, The Black Stallion is a lyrical, rhapsodic experience of breathtaking beauty.The cast of The Black Stallion is superb and their portrayals are often astonishingly magical. The standout in the film is young Kelly Reno. Preternaturally, disturbingly adult, yet intensely vulnerable, his electric presence illuminates the screen. Tragically, his protracted recovery from an accident involving an 18-wheeler cut his career short, but as Alec, he is the stuff of cinema legend.Young Alec Ramsey (Kelly Reno), at sea with his father (Hoyt Axton) is fascinated by a wild black stallion aboard the steam ship Drake. The purported owner calls the horse Shetan (Devil), and keeps him heavily restrained. After a storm at sea and a subsequent fire aboard ship, which claims the life of his father, Alec is shipwrecked on an island of the coast of North Africa with the mysterious black Arabian stallion.The scene on the island is one of my favorite in all of cinematic history. As Alec forages to find food on the uninhabited island, he sees the stallion caught in some rocks by the ropes still attached to it. He frees the horse, but it runs away. Alec then decides to try to mount the horse, and after several attempts, which play out like a hypnotic pas de deux of almost astounding beauty, he succeeds. The two of them are as one as the magnificent horse gallops along the shore, and their bond is complete. This scene, without so much as a word of dialog, is one of my favorite in all of cinema. Its astonishing beauty alone should have assured Deschanel at least an Oscar® nomination, but, alas, he was snubbed.After some time, Alec and the horse are rescued by some Portuguese fishermen, and Alec returns home with the horse, which he keeps in his yard, with some difficulty. Upon one of the horse's escapes, he and Alec meet retired horse trainer Henry Daily, portrayed with delightful understatement by a masterful Mickey Rooney. At length, they determine to race the horse against thoroughbred champions.Alec's mother (Teri Garr) objects, but, as we all know, the race must go on. This is good, because we get to see Alec and The Black run as one once again.Carmine Coppola's haunting score plays perfectly with Deschanel's cinematography. The result is sublime. The Black Stallion does justice to the 1941 children's novel, and the masterful production offers something for audiences of all ages.

classicsoncall When I was about eight years old in the third grade of parochial school, our teacher walked the entire class down to the local library about a block away. It was my first time at the library, and the first time I ever took out a book. This was going to be an important decision and I took my time. The one that finally caught my eye was 'The Black Stallion' by Walter Farley. I loved that book so much I wound up taking out additional ones in the series - 'The Black Stallion's Blood Bay Colt' and 'The Island Stallion's Fury' are a couple I remember. The sequels didn't hold up for me like the original, which made enough of an impression that I still remember it some fifty years later.So it took fifty years more to see the movie; actually only a little over thirty since the film came out in 1979. If the picture doesn't exactly follow the novel, I can't say, but what I DO remember having read is beautifully translated to the screen under Francis Ford Coppola's direction. I watched the picture with my daughter and granddaughter, who sat transfixed to the screen. Not an easy feat for a two year old, but she made it through the entire story.The entire first half of the movie is presented with virtually no dialog. Once shipwrecked on the island, the film focuses on the bonding relationship between Alec (Kelly Reno) and the Black, wonderfully photographed amid ocean waves and stark desert shores. The breakthrough moment occurs when the Black accepts Alec as his rider and friend, and one can't help but feel inspired by the relationship forged between both.Interestingly, Mickey Rooney, who portrays trainer Henry Dailey, appeared in a similar role some thirty five years earlier in 1944's "National Velvet". Both pictures follow similar themes with their young heroes, who love horses and yearn for a chance to prove their abilities in a race of consequence. Although the outcomes are somewhat different, both stories provide the kind of pleasure and excitement that can be enjoyed by young and old alike. Just ask a two year old.