Criniera selvaggia

In case you are wondering, I have not (yet) read the famed Anna Sewell novel that this movie is based on, though I know a little about it, that being that it was written with the horse's point of view as well as carrying a message that humans should be kind to horses. However, this movie does not manage to do any of those two things, and I think that's the problem with the movie. Despite being titled "Black Beauty", the movie's primary focus is on the human characters in the movie instead of the horse. In fact, the horse is often an afterthought, and we certainly never get a feeling of what the horse is feeling or thinking. While the movie has these major flaws, the movie isn't awful - it looks nice, the human drama is sometimes interesting, and there are no slow spots. But viewers who think they are going to get a story about a horse will likely be somewhat disappointed. By the way, while the movie got a "G" rating back in 1971, some mild language, violence, and some mature themes would earn the movie a "PG" rating today.

I don't think a horse has seen so much violence.

Black Beauty, the name of the horse and the movie, is a horse that lived a very full life. He (I believe it's a he) was passed from owner to owner where he was witness to man's worse behavior. He suffered abuse and witnessed about three battles of varying sizes. Fortunately, at times, he was treated to some tender care.

The movie is really a series of mini-movies compiled into one feature length film with the horse as the only constant. Each time Black Beauty moves on we're privy to a new plot, new climax, and new resolution. I think the mini-episodes were simply OK on average. Truly, the only thing going for this movie would be the beautiful horse. Besides, t's not like the horse had any say in the script. Shoot! He didn't even have any say on whether or not he wanted to be in a movie!

Set in 19th Century England , about the fates of horses , and the people who own and command them, are revealed as Black Beauty narrates the circle of his life and seen through its own carefree life . It deals with a horse's trials as it passes from an owner to owner . When farmer Evan's mare (Eddie Golden) has a good son called Joe , he promises the black stallion to his child Joe (top billed Mark Lester only worked three weeks) . The youngster enjoy growing up as playmates . Alas , once the good squire is buried , his nasty heir (Patrick Mower) , who abuses animals , turns the screws on till pa Evans is forced to leave and abandon even Black Beauty , but Joe is desperate to get him back . The unfortunate black stallion reminds his life through from his birth through his existence as a colt , and the many hardships , passing several owners both good and bad and suffering hardships after achieving maturity . As the beloved horse experiencing from benevolent guardianship to ignorant abuse by a mean aristocrat . An owner soon loses everything in a cards game , so the stallion ends up in the Hackenschmidt circus whose two proprietaries (Walter Slezak and his daughter Úrsula Glas) show brilliant spectacles and both of whom confronting another circus owner (José Nieto) .

Exciting life of a horse named Black Beauty is here expanded to include the adventures of the humans who surround the horse . Handsome take off of the Anna Sewell family novel but sometimes fails to capture qualities that make Sewell's book a classic . The animals in this film were in no way harmed or mistreated , and all scenes in which they appeared were under strict supervision with utmost concern for their handling . Developed quite energetically and starred by the marvelous horse , as the story is told of the horse's life and through its profound and wizened eyes . The impressive scenery , photography and music enhance the story of ¨Black Beauty¨ and its adventures , sufferings and adversities . The tale is treated in good sense and high sensibility ; environment , horses , landscapes combine to enhance the glories of nature , one of which, after all, is silence . Good cast full of fine British actors as Patrick Mower , the prodigy child Mark Lester , Germans : Peter Lee Lawrence , Maria Rohm who married to film producer Harry Alan Towers and a lot of Spanish secondaries such as Jose Nieto , Fernando Bilbao , Ricardo Palacios , Daniel Martin , Luis Induni , Jose Canalejas and Chris Huerta . Colorful and glamorous cinematography by Fernando Arribas and the Oscarized Chris Menges , being shot in La Pedriza , Manzanares Del Real , Colmenar Viejo , Madrid , Spain and Irreland and Ardmore Studios, Herbert Road, Bray, County Wicklow, Ireland . Furthermore , a sensitive as well as emotive soundtrack ; as Lionel Bart worked on the musical score , working again with Mark Lester as both were involved with Oliver . The motion picture was professionally directed by James Hill . He was an expert on children films and serials for showing at schoolboy cinema . Hill designed his acquaintance with amusements for the young generation and costume adventures blending with Lions (Born free , The lions are free , The lion at world's end) , Horses (Black Beauty) , Foxes (The Belstone Fox) , Elephants ( An Elephant called Slowly) and sea animals as Sharks and Squid like ¨Captain Nemo and underwater city¨. ¨Born Free¨ remains his triumph in which the way the protagonists romp with three lionesses who play Elsa at several stages of growth is near-miraculous . Forever in search of a similar movie to equal this hit , he never quite found it . James Hill best movie turned out to be ¨Studio in terror¨ a Sherlock versus Jack Ripper terror thriller with lurid killings .

Other films based on this classic novel written by Anna Sewell are the followings : First silent version , 1921 , titled ¨Black Beauty ; first sound rendition of 1933 by Phil Rosen ; ¨Black Beauty¨ 1946 by Noel Nossek with Mona Freeman and Richard Denning ; ¨Courage of Black Beauty ¨ by Harold Schuster with Johnny Crawford ; ¨Black Beauty¨ 1994 by Caroline Thompson with David Thewlis as Jerry Barker , Jim Carter as John Manly , Peter Davison as Squire Gordon , Alun Armstrong as Reuben Smith , John McEnery as Mr. York , Eleanor Bron as Lady Wexmire , the notorious Sean Bean , Peter Cook , James Cosmo and ¨Black Beauty¨ 2015 with Luke Perry , Bruce Davison , Sarah Schultz , Jennifer Mckenzie . In addition , various TV movies and TV-series . This equine melodrama for grown-up adolescents and children will appeal to horses lovers ; resulting to be one of the best filmization of the classic story to date.

Back when there were no computers, long hours when there was often "nothing on" television worth watching (still true, by the way) made you search the library to look for some interesting books to read. My mother had Anna Sewell's "Black Beauty" on the shelf, but it didn't appeal to someone more interested in Tolkien and Twain. Horses were fun to ride, but could you do that in a book? Teenage boredom finally forced open the pages of "Black Beauty", and the horse was out of the barn. The story was immediately captivating because Ms. Sewell creates a wonderful animal character, and tells the story from the horse's point-of-view.

And, you believed it.

Now, you don't. In this adaptation, the all-important personality of the horse "Black Beauty" is almost non-existent, and the story is altered extensively - it really only vaguely resembles the original novel. Paramount filmmakers might have tried a "narration" to evoke some of the original's "first person" narrative, but they didn't. The animal's personality could still come through (as it does with "Lassie" and other animals), but it doesn't. So, we are left with a human protagonist, cute Mark Lester (as Joe Evans), who doesn't seem all that engaged in the role, and doesn't horse around for long. Chris Menges' photography is quite nice, though.

***** Black Beauty (4/71) James Hill ~ Mark Lester, Patrick Mower, Uschi Glas, Peter Lee Lawrence

I'm slightly shocked at a few reviews who imply that this film remains in any way faithful to Anna Sewell's excellent book. It absolutely does NOT. Nothing remains of the book but a few character names and the fact that Beauty is black with a white blaze on his forehead. It's misleading to even associate Sewell's name with this movie. It's quite obvious that several reviewers have either forgotten everything they ever knew about the book, or (more likely) never read it at all. If you are looking for a movie version of the book to watch, look elsewhere.

So, it's just a film about the life of a horse, and as such, it is so-so. The beginning of the movie does have some beautiful shots, set as it is in the British countryside somewhere. But it pretty much goes downhill after that, becoming a series of vignettes about Black Beauty's various owners, with little in the way of real depth, and even less focus on the horse himself.

It's reasonably entertaining for a rainy day. Older children would likely enjoy it most. I am personally unlikely to watch it again, and will be checking out the other versions in the hopes of finding something resembling a reasonably faithful adaptation.