The Black Stallion is a 1979 American adventure film based on the 1941 classic children's novel of the same name by Walter Farley. The film starts in 1946, five years after the book was published. It tells the story of Alec Ramsey, a boy who is shipwrecked on a deserted island with a wild Arabian stallion that he befriends. After being rescued, they are set on entering a race challenging two champion horses.

The film was adapted by Melissa Mathison, Jeanne Rosenberg, and William D. Wittliff. It was directed by Carroll Ballard in his feature directional debut and stars Kelly Reno in his film debut, Teri Garr, Hoyt Axton, Michael Higgins and Mickey Rooney with the Arabian horse Cass Ole playing the eponymous Black Stallion. The film features music by Carmine Coppola, the father of Hollywood producer Francis Ford Coppola, who is credited as executive producer.

In 2002, The Black Stallion was included in the annual selection of 25 motion pictures for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".

Reception

The film was positively received by critics. On Rotten Tomatoes, it holds a 91% approval rating based on 32 reviews, with an average rating of 7.8/10.

Janet Maslin of The New York Times praised the "humor and humanity" of Rooney's performance, but otherwise dissented from the critical consensus, finding that Ballard's too-painstaking cinematography came at the expense of storytelling, resulting in a film, that, though based on "a story designed to excite the viewer's imagination and curiosity, instead stifles these feelings by emphasizing the cosmetic value of every frame."

Awards and honors

Academy Awards

The film received two nominations for the Academy Awards:

  • Mickey Rooney was nominated for Best Actor in a Supporting Role.
  • Robert Dalva was nominated for Best Film Editing.

In addition, Alan Splet was awarded with a Special Achievement Award for sound editing.

Golden Globe Awards

Carmine Coppola was nominated for Best Original Score at the Golden Globe Awards. He later won the award in this category for his score of Apocalypse Now.

British Academy Awards

Caleb Deschanel was nominated for Best Cinematography by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts Awards.

LA Film Critics Awards

The film received two awards from the Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards for Best Cinematography (Caleb Deschanel) and Best Music (Carmine Coppola).

Others

The film also won the 1979 National Society of Film Critics award for Best Cinematography.

In 2002, it was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".

Also, the film is recognized by American Film Institute:

  • 2006: AFI's 100 Years...100 Cheers – #64

Music

In August 2009, Intrada Records released a three-disc special edition of the soundtrack containing the entire score from the film plus bonus material, including unused cues and alternate takes of some tracks as well as a restored re-issue of the original 1979 soundtrack album. This release was limited to 1,500 units.

Home media

The film was released on RCA SelectaVision VideoDisc (CED) in 1981. The film was released on Laserdisc and VHS by Magnetic Video in 1985. It was re-issued on VHS as part of the MGM/UA Family Entertainment Collection in 1994 and the MGM Family Entertainment Collection in 1997. The film was released on DVD by MGM Home Entertainment in 2004 and re-issued in 2013. A restored print of the film was released on Blu-ray by 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment in 2013. The Criterion Collection released a special edition of the film on DVD and Blu-ray in 2015. This release features a new 4K transfer supervised by Caleb Deschanel, five short films directed by Carroll Ballard, new interviews with Deschanel, Ballard, film critic Scott Foundas and photographer Mary Ellen Mark as well as an essay written by film critic Michael Sragow.

Legacy

The film was followed in 1983 by a sequel, The Black Stallion Returns, which also starred Kelly Reno and Teri Garr. There was also a television series called The Adventures of the Black Stallion, which aired from 1990 to 1993 and starred Mickey Rooney and Richard Ian Cox. In 2003, a 50-minute prequel called The Young Black Stallion was shot and released for IMAX theaters.

See also

  • List of fictional horses
  • List of films about horses
  • List of films about horse racing

References

;Further reading

  • The Black Stallion essay by Keith Phipps at National Film Registry. [https://www.loc.gov/static/programs/national-film-preservation-board/documents/black_stallion.pdf]
  • The Black Stallion essay by Daniel Eagan in America's Film Legacy: The Authoritative Guide to the Landmark Movies in the National Film Registry, A&C Black, 2010 , pages 758-759 [https://books.google.com/books/about/America_s_Film_Legacy.html?id=deq3xI8OmCkC]
  • The Black Stallion: Nirvana on Horseback an essay by Michael Sragow at the Criterion Collection