Movie Review by Vivienne Messenger
Starring: Richard Romanus, Biana Tamimi, Patrick Elyas, Gérard Rudolf
Director: Simon Wincer
A prequel to the 1979 motion picture THE BLACK STALLION, YOUNG BLACK STALLION is quite a gripping, feel-good and delightful film about a young teenage heroine, Neera (Biana Tamimi), who finds a young, black stallion, orphaned and alone in an inhospitable desert just like herself. They befriend each other, learning to share a trust that ultimately saves Neera’s life as the stallion helps her finds her way back home.
Neera and the stallion both have strong personalities and it is through sheer determination that they both help each other to succeed – Neera in helping her grandfather re-establish his business and the stallion in being reunited with his mother whom he was separated from soon after birth.
The main highlight in this film is not only the gripping race towards the end of the movie but the panoramic scenery. The cinematography of the dramatic desert and mountainous landscapes is shown to full effect in this film specially shot for the IMAX theatre format. The sheer size of the IMAX screen certainly enhances the cinematography and director Simon Wincer uses the format to full effect which dominates the movie to some extent. The fast action sequences, mainly of galloping horses, almost leave you feeling as if you are there as the camera zooms in for close-ups and back out when the ground drops dramatically away almost giving the viewer a slight feeling of vertigo.
At only 45 minutes running time though the film follows a fairly simple, uncomplicated storyline of our heroine and her young black stallion as they defy the odds to succeed. It is still an appealing tale for its target audience and the race sequence gets quite intense and riveting, but the story is quite emotive and it will be tugging at your heartstrings as it closes.
