Prince noir

For the horse lover, Black Beauty is a tragic tale in which the sensual beauty of horses is artfully depicted. It will pull at your heart strings, make you smile from ear to ear, cry honestly, and desperately want to take a trip to the barn.

For the music lover, Black Beauty is an emotional ride in which the music all too well toys with the human soul. The music is so delicately composed, performed, and chosen for the movie that it is worth seeing just to enjoy the soundtrack.

For the critic, Black Beauty is an endearing story laden with green actors and a plot directed toward the youth. The green actors allow the film to be honest and emotional, however. And the youthful plot allow the earnestness and sensuality to create an even greater effect upon audiences of all ages.

For the average viewer, Black Beauty is a film worth watching. It is a film that will make an impression. It will not go down in the Hollywood hall of fame, nor will it be recollected by high and mighty of movie making. It will, however, stand the test of time as a film loved and cherished by the few who have seen and loved it.

There are so many things to love about Black Beauty. It is a truly beautiful, moving film, and do I think it is underrated? Yes I do and unjustly so. For one thing, Black Beauty is just amazing to look at. The cinematography was just tremendous throughout and the scenery was magnificent. The costumes were lovingly designed, and on the whole the period detail was flawless. Caroline Thompson's screenplay also deserves credit. The book is a timeless literary classic, and out of the numerous adaptations of the book, this is the truest. The screenplay itself is enough to evoke tears, Black Beauty's inner thoughts especially were so beautifully written. And she does a remarkable job directing as well. Danny Elfman is one of my favourite film composers, his score for Edward Scissorhands is still one of the most beautiful scores I have ever heard in a film. His score here is just as effective, it never affects the quiet composition of the film, as a matter of fact the tone of it is just right. The acting from Sean Bean, David Thewlis, Peter Cook and Eleanor Bron is all top notch, but the real star of the show is Black Beauty himself, though all the horses look superb. I also thought that Alan Cumming's voice for Black Beauty was perfect, very sensitive and melodious as it should be. The film is so beautiful and has a lot of poignant moments and an unexpected soft centre. If I had one minor quibble, and it is ever so minor, it is that the film is too short. Other than that beautiful; I remember sort of liking the 1971 film, but it didn't have the emotional impact that this adaptation did on me. 10/10 Bethany Cox

I'm just a toasted marshmallow when it comes to this story. I've read the book many times and CRY every time. This movie and the earlier productions of it have the same effect on me. Needless to say, the book is ultimately superior to any of the movie versions but this movie does do justice to the book.

A movie about life from the animal's point of view will conjure visions of 'Mr. Ed' or 'Francis, The Talking Mule' in a few unimaginative folks but this story really puts the idea of 'walking in another's shoes' in perspective.

The novel and the movies helped me develop respect and empathy for all creatures at a very early age. See this movie with someone you love. You won't be sorry.

Yet another film-adaptation of Anna Sewell's popular 1877 children's book opens with a elderly horse looking back on his tumultuous life--narrating the story himself (with a British accent no less!). What might have been a twee gimmick turns out to be a surprisingly canny stroke of genius, as the screenplay, although prosy, is smart and direct and Alan Cumming's gentle voice-over is very sympathetic. Director Caroline Thompson is sensitive as well, getting terrific "performances" from all the horses involved; her film is a bit heavy on the sad farewells, yet it has lots of heart and works on its audience through pure emotion. Thin at 88 minutes, but beautifully photographed and with a tasteful score by Danny Elfman, fine acting by the humans. A must-see for horse-lovers, the movie is genuinely touching without being too manipulative. **1/2 from ****

This film is brilliantly made and enjoyable for anyone of any age.For horse lovers like me it is a wonderful film, I've seen it several times and even though I know the story well, it still never fails to move me to tears. Even my husband watched this film with me and the children and said that it was good and that he enjoyed it, so it can't be bad!! The music is incredibly moving as is the story and the acting is also very good. Their are several bits in the film that will amuse even young children and even my son who is not yet two enjoys watching Black Beauty running with his friends Ginger and Merry-legs.The bottom line is if you love animals at all, especially horses, then you will completely adore this film.