Long before his nature/animal-themed ventures like "The Black Stallion" and "Never Cry Wolf" among others, Carroll Ballard made this thrilling
short film following a house cat named Priscilla and her adventures in the streets of Los Angeles.
It's that kind of experience cat owners can only imagine in their hands, especially those whose cats tend to have night-outs of their own,
looking for something in the nature and/or their surroundings. It goes from the moment when Priscilla returns home after a trip, entering the house
to get her food and distract some family members: a teenage girl excited about a potential date; the little brother who bothers Priscilla as she
tries to eat; and the parents planning their weekend off (the mother is concerned about Priscilla as the boy keeps holding her). Family's out, and it's
time for Priscilla to have some fun outside until she gets completely lost in the turmoil of a big city, going to places she's never been before.
Ballard and the cameras of Stephen H. Burum ("Hoffa") and Joe Ravetz capture both Priscilla's frantic point of view moving through spaces and
streets, and also the outside view showing the places, the highways, and everywhere she goes. In the most tense moment, Priscilla is chased by a dog
at a supermarket parking spot. Cats are such independent creatures that it makes them one of the most difficult animals to be directed on a film,
which makes most of the action in the film feel like a very natural and realistic act, a sort of cinema verite style (but there was a trainer there).
"The Perils of Priscilla" hit me a soft spot related to memories on adventurous cats I had who used to go out in their own special moments
destined to themselves and always returned home, bringing some "presents" or being completely dirty. The director's work was really great to watch, it
makes us fully invested in the odyssey of the lead character, and the technical work was somewhat groundbreaking for the period. Didn't like much the
ending (relax, it's not a tragedy), but let's just say her journey goes on in a different way than expected. 9/10.
