The Young Black Stallion

2003

Directed by Simon Wincer

Quick synopsis… When young Neera discovers her family is about to lose everything, she devises a daring plan to save it all by risking what she loves most–a young black stallion.

• I’ve never really been into movies about horses.
• I’ve never really been into horses.
• I’ve been horseback riding one time.
• It was a horrible experience.
• I think I don’t trust horses…
• Not sure I like the idea of a mode of transportation that has a mind of its own.
• I’m gonna be in trouble once cars start driving themselves.
• I did like one movie that was closely connected to a horse: Wild Hearts Can’t Be Broken.
• It’s a Disney movie… so I could’ve included it on this list.
• But since it isn’t spelled “Y-ld” I can’t use it for Y.
• Something interesting about Young Black Stallion is that it’s only 51 minutes long.
• I’m not sure what the rule is… how long does something have to be in order to be considered feature length?
• I looked it up… According to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, a feature length film must be at least 40 minutes long to be eligible for an Oscar.
• Okay… enough stalling… on to the short feature length film…
• Neera is a girl who is separated from her father when their caravan is attacked by robbers.
• She’s left to wander alone in the desert until she comes across the title character.
• The two form a special bond and the horse somehow returns Neera to her grandfather.
• But then the stallion disappears…
• Her grandfather once bred horses, but has fallen on hard times, thanks in part to all the local violence in the desert.
• He explains to Neera that he was forced to set free his last mare, named Jinah.
• Turns out, Jinah is the black colt’s mother.
• After a year passes, Shetan, the young black stallion, returns to Neera.
• She decides that her best chance of helping her grandfather restore everything and return to a life of breeding horses is to ride Shetan in a cross-country race.
• Spoiler alert: Neera wins and they all live happily ever after.
• Being shot specifically for IMAX, I can say this is a beautiful film.
• The cinematography is incredible.
• But the story and the acting… not so much.
• I’m glad it clocks in at under an hour.

Thanks for stopping in while I participate in this year’s A to Z Challenge. We’re in the home stretch now, with only one more Disney movie to go. So you’re welcome to come back for more if that’s the kind of thing you’re into.

Tomorrow’s Disney movie begins with a Z. The final film of the month is another animated one and takes place in a world where animals of all types live side by side in a society. Any guesses?