The Black Stallion

Featuring extraordinary cinematography that imbues the classic Walter Farely horse story with the hues and feeling of a great painting and telling the touching (without undue sentiment) yet truly exciting tale of a boy and his horse, The Black Stallion is truly a classic family film. The story begins on a storm-tossed sea in a large steamer heading west from the Middle East. Among the passengers are young Alec and his jovial father. Also aboard is a dangerously wild, but glorious black stallion. Alec is fascinated by the almost outworldly creature and gingerly slips him some sugar cubes. That night a terrible storm overtakes the ship and it sinks, killing everyone aboard but Alec and the horse, whom he manages to free before the ship goes down. Caught up in the horse's lead rope and floundering in the rough seas, Alec nearly drowns. But with Alec towed along behind the strongly swimming horse, the two make it to the safety of a tiny desert island. It is here, as boy and horse struggle to survive, that a great bond is formed. Initially theirs is a relationship formed out of necessity, but eventually the two become the best of friends so that when a rescue ship finally comes, Alec refuses to leave without the horse. Once back in his urban American home, Alec must face new challenges and figure out what to do with his still half-wild friend. Once again it is "the Black" who provides the solution when he escapes and ends up at the barn of a former jockey who sees in the steed great potential on the track. With his help, Alec and "the Black" enter an important horse race and this leads to the story's exciting and suspenseful conclusion.