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White Mane
In the south of France, in a vast plain region called the Camargue, lives White Mane, a magnificent stallion and the leader of a herd of wild horses too proud to let themselves be broken by humans. Only Folco, a young fisherman, manages to tame him. A strong friendship grows between the boy and the horse, as the two go looking for the freedom that the world of men won’t allow them.
Release : | 1953 |
Rating : | 7.2 |
Studio : | Films Montsouris, |
Crew : | Director of Photography, Director, |
Cast : | Alain Emery Pascal Lamorisse Denys Colomb de Daunant Frank Silvera Peter Strauss |
Genre : | Drama Family |
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Lack of good storyline.
i must have seen a different film!!
The story-telling is good with flashbacks.The film is both funny and heartbreaking. You smile in a scene and get a soulcrushing revelation in the next.
One of the worst ways to make a cult movie is to set out to make a cult movie.
Apparently there are two versions of this shorty: a 47-minute version and a 38-minute version. But I can only find the one with 38 minutes, where is the other one, if it really exists? Plus, if there really is a longer version, I wonder what it contains that the shorter one doesn't.There is a lot to like about this short, especially for those who love horses. Without being a huge fan of horses, I like them and admire their formidable strength, imponence and pride.This small film is very well-made and filmed. The black and white suits it so nicely. The rural scenario is gorgeous, thanks to the natural beauty of Camargue.This is the story of Crin Blanc, a white stallion that is wild, fearless, carefree, runs like the wind, despises humans, refuses to get caught and doesn't let anyone ride him. In other words, the lead horse is wild like all the other horses seen in it, however it is the leader of the herd. It is a nice-looking stallion but behind its beauty and elegance lies a fearsome leader, a proud and suspicious horse which doesn't like and trust in people and doesn't hesitate to look down on them with arrogance, a stubborn and determined horse which, more than never letting itself get caught, doesn't let itself get caught by nothing in this world. That is, until the day he meets a brave kid. The task is anything but easy, yet the boy quickly wins the heart and confidence of the majestic stallion, after some initial resistance and despite the strength of its wild instincts. Though very different from each other, Crin Blanc, the boy and the ranchers have one thing in common: their determination. My description might sound a bit of a criticism, but it's not. Good thing it is like that, otherwise it'd become another victim of human cruelty. While we never know why those four ranchers wanted to capture it for, we can assume that they'd make money out of it somehow, possibly in inhuman ways.Everything feels authentic in this short. For good and for bad. As a matter fact, certain scenes are pretty violent and even creepy.As with 'Le Ballon Rouge' (itself by Albert Lamorisse either), this one is silent most of the time but not completely wordless because some lines are delivered. This one's even got a little more dialog than 'Le Ballon Rouge'. Still, there aren't many dialogs, which means that to understand it without subtitles is not much of a problem, although it's always better having subtitles in order to understand it better.The ending is something of a mystery: do the kid and the horse die? At least that's what strongly implied in the narrator's words: «Crin Blanc took Folco to a land where horses and children can be friends forever.» Alain Emery is superb as the boy and his face and eyes are so expressive that they speak more than the few words and sounds he ever delivers.This little movie is aimed at those who likes quality films but also to anyone who is into animals. To love, trust, take care and have a friendship and physical contact with animals (whatever the animal is) and win their heart in return is one of the best sensations in the world. Anyone who loves animals (no matter the animal in question) knows what I'm talking about. I should talk, because I'm a sucker for animals myself.Title in Portugal: 'Crina Branca' (the Portuguese really lack the skills to do translations, don't they?).
So, Lamorisse's (I'm just reading he created the game "Risk", now that's a piece of information!) WHITE MANE is older, and less famous (and less awarded. It's pretty unique the beginning of THE RED BALLOON with the listing of all of its awards [8 in total]. Here the listing is composed of only 2 awards), than his THE RED BALLOON (three years older, 1953 and 1956) but in the Janus Films DVD they don't come in a chronological order, as THE RED BALLOON is pretty much the main attraction. I, sort of, respected the order of the DVD and watched first THE RED BALLOON, so I was like, after watching WHITE MANE, "this is pretty much like a remake of THE RED BALLOON, only that here we don't have balloons but wild horses" yes, both are quite similar in terms of the plot. I think this could have been so much profound and touching with its same basic plot. One of the complaints of some other IMDb users about THE RED BALLOON is its thin plot for a whole half hour, but I didn't find in that a problem as the film is charming and funny with the simple adventures of a kid and his balloon, and for me it never felt overlong. However, I did feel that problem in WHITE MANE. It's even a bit boring at times, and I really think something is missing, I mean the thing is there with the kid (a fisherman from the south of France) who becomes the friend of a wild horse (this horse, White Mane, is a real definition of a wild horse. And is worth to mention that we have a sequence, like 3 minutes, of a horse fight... pretty strange) and the bullies (that certainly just won't stop in their way of, in this case, prove that no horse can be a "rebel" with humans) near them but like I said, something is missing, maybe something in the vein of its great, touching and meaningful ending.
I was introduced to Albert Lamorisse's wonderful The Red Balloon way back in grade school, and it's just something I never forgot. It was the first French film I ever saw, though I didn't know that at the time. It's too bad that Lamorisse didn't make this earlier film without dialogue, as well, because it would be just as well known as its brother. It has so little dialogue and narration as it is, it's just a shame Lamorisse didn't consider the universality that a lack of dialogue would give the film. I think I might even like White Mane a tad better than The Red Balloon. The simple story is about a wild stallion named White Mane who is being hunted by a gang of ranchers. The hunt is observed by a young boy (Alain Emery), who becomes fascinated with the horse. When the ranchers fail to capture White Mane, the boy goes after him. Lamorisse began his film-making career as a documentarian, and this film reminds me a lot of some of the faux-documentaries made by Robert J. Flaherty, particularly Louisiana Story. The black and white cinematography is some of the most gorgeous I've ever seen. If not for an abrupt and unsatisfying ending, this would rank among my favorite films ever.
In the mid-fifties, Albert Lamorisse produced two beautiful, but strangely distant films, "The RedBalloon" and "White Mane". "Red Balloon" has been available and remained somewhat popular, while "White Mane" all but disappeared. Its re-emergence is welcome, as it offers intensely compelling black and white imagery, cinematography that is a cross between Ansel Adams and Atget, in its rich tones, dramatic light, and epic feel.Red Balloon, offers an interesting contrast. Paris is all muted earth tones and grays, with the balloons offering the only vivid colors. It is also interesting to remember that World War II was less than a decade earlier.Little Pascal, the director's son, is seen in both films, always appealing never "cute", but somehow distant. We don't really know him except as "the little boy".The two films are wonderful artifacts from a time when film was more art than marketing.