The Black Stallion

Rating:
Summary: Not Farley's Black Stallion
Review: If you have never read the book, you may like this movie. It is good...as a movie. But as an adaptation it fails miserably. Aside from having the same name and the same characters and the basic story line (boy gets marooned on desert island with wild horse, takes horse back to NY, horse is fastest in the world) this film has nothing to do with the book. Having just read the book with my son I found that the changes made in the film to the story were not only bad but unnecessary. Most of the things we liked best about the book were taken out and exchanged for Copolla's vision.

Rating:
Summary: Decent adaptation of Farley's classic children's story.
Review: The story of "The Black Stallion" first appeared in 1941, the first of a series by Walter Farley, and has become a staple in children's literature. In 1979 the classic book was adapted to the screen and since then the movie has endeared itself to the hearts of horse lovers almost as much as the book. It tells the story of Alec Ramsay (Kelly Reno) and his partnership with a remarkable horse, referred to only as the Black. While returning from a trip to India, Alec's ship is wrecked in a storm, leaving he and the Black as the only survivors, washed up on a small, deserted island. The two must struggle to survive on the barren island, and during this time Alec takes it upon himself to win the trust of the wild stallion. As the days pass, a strong bond is formed between boy and horse.

At last the two are rescued, and the story takes a different turn. Back home, Alec teams up with former racehorse trainer Henry Dailey (Mickey Rooney), who recognizes the Black's potential for speed and agrees to help train him in hopes of eventually racing him. But the Black has no registration papers, and is therefore not eligible to enter official races. Nevertheless, boy and man refuse to give up and Dailey comes up with a plan. At this time the racing world is abuzz about an upcoming match race between two champions, each touted as the best in the country, but who have never run against each other. If Dailey can convince the owners of these horses to allow the Black to run in the match, then perhaps the Black will have his chance to prove himself.

Though the movie is good, it does not live up to the book. The backbone of the story is still there, but some inexplicable plot changes were made that neither improve the story nor aid its adaptation to film. Perhaps most obvious is the fact that the Alec of the movie is much younger than the Alec of the book. Child actor Kelly Reno was 13 when he played the roll, but looks even younger. We are not given a specific age for the movie Alec, which leaves the impression that he's probably in his latter years of elementary school. The Alec of the book was supposed to be in high school. The other major change is the fact that, in the movie, Alec's father is killed in the shipwreck. In the book, Alec was traveling alone and both his parents are there to greet him when he gets home.

The other changes are more minor. The knife Alec receives from his father before the shipwreck was, in the book, a gift from his uncle in India. The Bucephalus figure did not exist at all. The movie introduces us to Henry Dailey by making him look like a would-be thief when he captures and hides the Black after the horse escapes from Alec's yard. In the book Alec was already acquainted with the Daileys and approaches them himself, asking to stable the Black in their barn. The movie also fails to convey a true sense of the story's timeline. Alec and the Black were trapped on the island for 19 days, but in the movie it seems less than a week. We don't see much of the struggle against starvation preceding their rescue. Also, in the book, Alec and Henry spend months preparing the Black to race, but the movie makes the process appear much more accelerated.

Nevertheless, taken as a movie in itself, "The Black Stallion" is a success. The story, albeit changed, is a good one, and is conveyed very well. The cinematography is beautiful, and the sequence on the island is absolutely breathtaking. With very little dialogue in this early part of the film, we are left to concentrate on the physical beauty of the Black and the dance of wills between the two as their relationship develops and grows. The Black, played by Arabian stallion Cass Ole, is one of the most charismatic equine characters ever to grace the screen. His interactions with Alec on the island are mesmerizing. The only part of the film that really equals this early sequence in its captivation of the viewer is the thrilling race scene at the end.

The human casting decisions were also well made. Despite the incongruity in Alec's age from book to movie, for the sake of the movie Kelly Reno was an excellent choice. Reno was chosen largely for his riding ability, having been around horses from a young age. It is not often that you find a child who can ride a stallion bareback at top speed and look entirely at ease. I do wish that they'd dyed his hair red, to match the book Alec, but this is a minor quibble. Mickey Rooney, also a horseman, does an admirable job as Dailey. The scenes in which he coaches Alec on riding feel particularly genuine and are very satisfying to watch. The entire supporting cast comes through as well, and I cannot think of a single weak spot.

The DVD itself is minorly disappointing. The only "Special Feature" is the theatrical trailer, nothing else. The paper insert does provide a little background on the production, but I would much rather have seen a featurette on the process. I'm sure even after all these years they could have dug up enough material to put together a nice "making-of" bit. I hope that someday a special edition might be released with such a feature included. In the mean time, if you're interested in learning more, there is plenty of information to be had at the Black Stallion website (www.theblackstallion.com), which covers all the books and each of the movies based on them. Overall, I'd still recommend purchasing "The Black Stallion" as an addition to your DVD collection, as it's a very good film for any horse lover, child or adult.