Film Review
Albert Lamorisse's short films
Crin
blanc and
Le Ballon rouge occupy a
special place in cinema, deceptively simple pictorial fables that evoke
the innocence of childhood and the cruelty of the adult world more
powerfully than perhaps any other film. These are two cinematic gems that
have a unique poetry which makes them as beguiling to adults as they
are enchanting to children, and it is strange how one's perception and
appreciation of them changes as one grows
older. There is a bleakness to both films that is probably
imperceptible to a child audience but which becomes increasingly
evident as you watch them in later years. The two films end with
a little boy apparently finding the happiness he desperately yearns
for, but he does so by fleeing far from the world of men into his own
private Idaho. What first appears to be a happy ending is, on
reflection, a grim admission of the fact that it is only in fairytales
that dreams can ever come true.
Crin blanc is the most
visually captivating of all Lamorisse's films, which is hardly an
accident as the film employs one of the most stunning natural
landscapes in France. The opening sequence of wild horses roaming
freely across the beaches and marshes of the Camargue is one that
will stay with you forever, as too will the sequence which closes the
film, one that is imbued with such poignancy that you can barely resist
the urge to weep. It may have a reputation as a children's film
but
Crin blanc does have a
dark side to it and it certainly does not keep from us the brutal
realities of life. In its most shocking sequence there is a
protracted full-on fight between two wild horses. It is hard not
to flinch as the duelling stallions lay into each other, biting and
kicking in a mad frenzy. Horrific as this is, it is a common
enough occurrence amongst wild horses and appears tame compared with
the mindless cruelty that the ranchers inflict on White Mane throughout
the film.
Le Ballon rouge deserves its
reputation as Albert Lamorisse's masterpiece but
Crin blanc comes a close second,
and it can be argued that you cannot fully appreciate either of these
films without having watched the other.
Crin blanc received mixed reviews
when it was first released but it won its director the Palme d'Or for
the Best Short Film at the 1953 Festival de Cannes and also the Prix
Jean Vigo for Short Film in the same year. Not only is
Crin blanc an exquisite piece of
cinema that can hardly fail to enthral an audience of any age with its
narrative simplicity and peculiar lyricism, it also encapsulates - with
a brutal succinctness - two of the great tragedies of human experience:
the transience of childhood and the cruelty of man.
© James Travers 2015
The above content is owned by filmsdefrance.com and must not be copied.
Film Synopsis
Across the vast expanse of wetland in the Camargue region of
south-eastern France, a herd of wild horses roam, led by their
indomitable leader White Mane. This fierce white stallion
attracts a party of ranchers who are resolved to capture and tame him,
so far without success. A little fisherboy named Folco watches in
admiration as White Mane evades his human tormentors. Sparing
little thought to the risks involved, he makes up his mind to capture
the horse and make him his
friend.
© James Travers
The above content is owned by filmsdefrance.com and must not be copied.