In truth, there is barely enough story here to make a film.

The film creates a perfect balance between action and depth of basic needs, in the midst of an infertile atmosphere.

The acting in this movie is really good.

By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

Though the camera-work in "The Black Stallion" was often-times quite impressive. Indeed.... For the most part - I found myself frequently "riding the fence" when it came to my overall appreciation for this 1979 adventure picture about an ordinary boy and a magnificent horse.I mean - When you really think about it - How can one really be taken in by this film's cinematic splendour when it becomes quite apparent that the only likable character in this picture was, of course, the horse? (which, by the way, wasn't black, at all - but, instead, a very deep, dark brown) Set in the year 1946 - Yes. This film's attention to detail was certainly noteworthy, at times (with many of the latter scenes shot in Toronto) - But, unfortunately, its 2-hour running time turned into a major endurance test for me, where just about every scene seemed to be unnecessarily prolonged beyond the point of rational comprehensibility.

Carroll Ballard and Francis Ford Coppolls succeeded in taking a children's book and elevating it to a multi-layered story of the mythological journey of Alec and the Black, reminiscent of the ancient mythology of Alexander and his horse Bucephalus.Looking over the many reviews of this film, none (although I might have missed it) mentioned the parallels between Alec and the Black with the story of young Alexander the Great and his horse Bucephalus, told by Alec's father at the very beginning of the film. You have to hear the father tell that story if you are to understand the multiple levels of the rest of the film. In that vein you can't understand the nuances of the "home" sequence without the island sequence, nor the island sequence without the story of Alexander.The shipwreck occurs immediately after Alec's dad tells the story. After the shipwreck, Alec and the Black leave the world (a death of sorts falling into the dark sea) and enter a realm of timelessness on the island. No indication of when the story takes place is found on the island once Alec cuts the Black free from his ropes and Alec's pajamas deteriorate to little more than a lion cloth. On the island, they enter the realm of timeless myth where Alec, like Alexander (in Dad's story) tames the wild Black Stallion (we even see from Alec's point of view the Black passing behind the figurine of Bucephalus). When Alec tames and rides the Black he/they is/are now master of the island. Once Alec/Alexander has tamed the Black/Bucephalus, they now return to the world of 1946.Once home, Alec must again train/tame the Black as a racehorse, with the help of his mentor, Henry Daly. However, to win the race, the Black and Alec must retain some of their wild island nature (Alec casts off his helmet, lets go of the rains and grabs the Black's mane during the final race). (The racetrack is like the arena of Dad's story at the movie's beginning.) Also, Alec's connection to the Black is part of his coming to terms with his own father's death. An important scene is the one with his mother before she agrees to let him race. In this scene he makes the connection between the Black and his father ("I was in the water. I couldn't breathe. It was dark. I called out for dad. I looked up and there was the black, and I grabbed on to him.")With a mind for mythology, I saw this film on many levels that are consistent with a typical mythological story. The Dad's story of Alexander and Bucephalus slingshots you through the rest of the film, in which the story, links the island and "home" sequences to the story told at the beginning of the film.

One of the great geniuses of the cinema, Carroll Ballard, bring us a story about a boy and a horse. Big deal, you say. There's lots of stories and movies about horses, and the people who love them. But here we have an intimate tale of two living beings bonding with one another. Both are innocent, and come to terms with one another on a deep soulful level.Any human who's ever cared for another living creature and has experienced the joy of unconditional love from that creature, will be moved and relive those days. The incredible shot setups from Ballard energize the film with tenderness and a level of intimacy that is very difficult to catch on visual medium. But here we are given glimpses and gazes of a friendship between two very different souls by Ballard. His cinematography, in my opinion, is unsurpassed by any contemporary. Ballard shows us the development of the relationship between boy and horse, and makes us feel as if we are witnessing something special, which we are. Each shot is almost voyeuristic, as if we're seeing something that most people don't ever get to see, and should feel privileged upon witnessing it.The second half of the film is a bit more prosaic, but we're still witnessing the tale of adventure and friendship, as the two face challenges of the real world, and how they ultimately overcome obstacles presented by that very same world.I wish I had more to say, but the film speaks for itself. It is predominantly a "children's film", so to speak, but incredibly high caliber of film making that Carroll Ballard brings to every project he lays hands to, elevates the genre from a wink-and-a-nod G-Rated kids' film, to a movie that's truly meant for all "General Audiences" of all ages.It is superbly crafted and executed by one of the all time great cinematographers of our time.Do not miss this one with your young ones.

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.