Caution, does contain spoilers. Beautifully filmed, emotional and very horse-centered, this is a terrific movie that will draw you into Black Beauty's thoughts and experiences. It will probably evoke tears, and certainly anger as the abuse of these horses is taken so casually by the human characters. The scenery, props and atmosphere are all lifelike and it feels as though you have really been transported back to old England. I think this is better than the book, as it provides visuals of these glorious animals in a way that Beauty's first-person narrative could not. Also there is a stronger and more "spiritual" connection between Beauty and Ginger in this movie, so her death is much more sad than in the book. Some scenes are just breathtaking, especially for anyone who likes horses. It only suffers in pacing, devoting too much time to some periods of Beauty's life, and not enough to others. (The last part of the film is a little too quick, as several years pass with not enough explanation of the circumstances.) Some parts of Beauty's dialogue may seem trite or overly simplistic, but this is the horse perspective -a view of the world without an understanding of human ways.
This is a great movie for anyone who likes animals or has even a passing interest in equines. It isn't necessary at all to have read the book to enjoy this film, which is very well done and sure to please people of all ages. My score: 8
This is a great movie for anyone who likes animals or has even a passing interest in equines. It isn't necessary at all to have read the book to enjoy this film, which is very well done and sure to please people of all ages. My score: 8