Friday, June 1, 2012

9 of My Favourite Scenes with Horses

This post is inspired by Ruth, who posted her seven favourite scenes to do with horses earlier this week as part of a Horse-a-Thon, which I totally missed the deadline for. However, I couldn't let this opportunity slip. As you may know, I'm really a horse girl deep down. No, it wasn't one of those phases that every girl has. I couldn't help but love horses because, well, my family trained racehorses. I mean, I've been riding horses since before I was born (seriously). Here's a chance to put my two greatest loves together. Here are my favourite scenes that have horses in them - in no particular order:

The opening scene of The Fall.



The opening scene of Tarsem's wildly underseen and underrated beauty is pretty much the most amazing opening sequence I've ever seen. Okay, so there isn't a lot of horsey action for the large majority of the scene, but with that black and white and dripping slow motion, it manages to make the horses look even more amazing. Just watch it - I don't know how any words could possibly do it justice.

Bonnie Blue dies in Gone with the Wind.



Gone with the Wind is one of my most favourite films (and apparently I'm the only person on earth who still loves it), and it is also heavy on the horses. One of the most prominent scenes featuring a horse is when Scarlett and Rhett's daughter, Bonnie, decides to jump quite a high fence on her pony even though she's not so used to riding side saddle yet. Silly girl. I had the exact same thing happen to me (minus the side saddle) and I only ended up breaking both of my arms. And it was a bigger fence and a bigger horse. So I have to question the integrity of what happens to poor Bonnie...

Julie arrives late to her own party in Jezebel.



It is ironic that I'm following up Gone with the Wind with Bette Davis' little seen 1938 drama Jezebel, since they're extremely similar. Julie Marsden is just as hot-headed as Scarlett O'Hara: she arrives late to her own party because she "had trouble with the colt....So sorry, but you know, when a colt gets high-handed, teach him his manners right now or ruin him." Then she proceeds to join her party wearing her riding clothes and carrying around her whip. Too cool.

Justine's horse Abraham in Melancholia.



Justine's horse Abraham pops up quite a lot in Melancholia. He's seen in the opening sequence collapsing in slow motion, he wouldn't cross a bridge which leads Justine to hit him repetitively - in fact, he's so cool that he knew that Melancholia was coming. However, my favourite scene in the film is when Justine insists on going to see Abraham before her wedding reception, even though she's hours late. It may sound cheesy, but I wish I could do that in future, which is unfortunately not going to happen.

Schindler sees the Kraków Ghetto liquidation in Schindler's List.


If I had to choose my favourite scene of all-time, it would probably have to be the liquidation of the Kraków Ghetto in Schindler's List. Just the way it is put together by Steven Spielberg is so amazing that I cry every time I see it. In amongst all the horror, we see Oskar Schindler and his assistant Ingrid riding down to see what is going on. The look on Oskar's face is absolutely devastating. I actually think the horses add something to this scene, in a way, because even though the horse is moving around, you see that Oskar can't take his eyes off the horror and realises that he has to do something.

Maximus in Tangled.



Because Maximus is awesome. He's the best thing about Tangled.

Going to get help in True Grit.



Despite the fact that I love horses, I'm not a huge fan of westerns. In fact, True Grit is about one of the only ones I've seen. I know, I'm awful. Anyhow, True Grit is an immensely entertaining film, filled with lots of horsey adventures. The scene where Rooster and Mattie mount the extremely small Little Blackie in order to get Mattie help for her snake bite is particularly great. Sure, scenes of horses running against the sunset is totally clichéd, but it is so pretty. How Roger Deakins doesn't have an Oscar yet is beyond me.

The reunion scenes in War Horse.



Yeah, my beloved War Horse had to make it into this list, regardless. The whole movie could factor into this list, but I'm going to highlight the latter part of the film. I love it when Joey and Albert finally reunite. I even like the music that accompanies in it (even though it is a fraction to loud). I mean, I wish that was me. And then I love it when Albert and Joey return home. That final, glorious shot. Excuse me while I go and cry for the next hour...

That horse in The Wizard of Oz.



It changes colour! This was seriously the trippiest thing in my world when I was a little kid!

How about you? Got any favourite horsey adventures?

17 comments:

  1. I am so glad you included the colour-changing horse in Wizard of Oz. Seeing that horse change colour so conspicuously and subtly actually had me rolling on the floor with laughter and I don't really know why. Usually that only happens when I watch a film drunk or with mates, but I was just hysterically shrieking with laughter at that Wizard of Oz horse. A weird memory for me, but a hilarious one. It remains one of the funniest things I've ever seen. Great list Stevee!

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    1. Haha, I just used to get so tripped out by it. I would like, run around the house screaming. What a strange child I was.

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  2. Yay! I'm so glad you decided to do your own list, Stevee! I also have the Bonnie Blue one on my list, it's just soooo heartbreaking and you just can't forget that scene. Lots of awesome ones in here, I forgot about the one in The Fall but yeah that is a great scene. I might do a contemporary list (instead of the classic ones) of great horse scenes, and that one from Tangled will likely make the list :D

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    1. It is quite a heart-breaking scene, poor Bonnie. And you should do a contemporary list!

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  3. You forgot the horse scene from The Ring!

    Kidding aside- great list!

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  4. Might not be a film you'd enjoy, but the opening scene of Bela Tarr's The Turin Horse is pretty amazing.

    Off topic: Do you think I'll Have Another will pull off the first triple crown win in 34 years next weekend?

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    1. I would like to see that film. I'll try and track it down.

      And I don't know - its a big ask, but the horse sure has the capability to do it.

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  5. One scene with a horse that I love is in Barry Lyndon although if you haven't seen the film. I can't really tell since it involves something that becomes a plot-point late in the film.

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    1. I've not seen that film but I've heard horses play a big part in it.

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  6. Who could forget the horse of many colours from the Wizard of Oz? :D
    Maximus = best Disney sidekick in a long time.
    I will admit, even though I really disliked Melancholia overall, the slow motion at the beginning of the film was quite beautiful (although by the end, even that started to feel overlong to me...)
    Oh my god, you broke both your arms at once!!?? Ouch!!!! :O Gone with the Wind is a magnificent film, it just doesn't inspire a lot of love from me...if that makes sense? That scene is just heartbreaking though. Poor Rhett..

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    1. Maximus is awesome!

      And yeah, I did break my arms once. I don't recommend it. And that does make sense!

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  7. At the beginning of Gladiator, Russell Crowe escapes from the soldiers who are trying to execute him. He yells "PRAETORIAN!" at an unsuspecting soldier who then charges him on his horse. Yea I like that scene.

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    1. I still haven't seen Gladiator...apart from the little bits I saw when I was in social studies :/

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  8. My favourite horse scene is so random, but it's the moment in THE PHILADELPHIA STORY where Kate is riding her horse and her priggish fiance comes dressed to the nines to ride and does so badly.


    (Of course, I don't ride, and would be just as awful as he, but it still amuses me.)

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    1. *That's* the scene I was trying to think of! I clearly need to watch that film again. I love it.

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  9. preview of the movie in the form either of a short extract or the official trailer. سيما 4 يو

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You mustn't be afraid to dream a little bigger, darling.

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