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Growing up, I was a genuine horse-freak, and considered myself a connoisseur of all-things-horse, especially movies. The Black Stallion has always been one of my favorites.

Of course, it doesn't hurt any movie to be executive-produced by Francis Ford Coppola (The Godfather I,II,III). But what really shines through in this film is the stunning cinematography and camera work, and the acting by Cass Ole ("The Black"), Kelly Reno (Alec) and of course, Mickey Rooney, who was nominated for Best Supporting Actor.

This film really captures the mood and feeling of the first "Black Stallion" book. There is virtually no dialogue for a good portion of the film, and it is not missed. The on-screen relationship between Alec and The Black is one that could not be expressed in words under any circumstances.

When I first received this DVD, I put it in to watch it with my father on Christmas night a few years ago. During the island scenes between Alec and The Black, I stifled tears; the scenes the photography is that stunning.

I was enthralled by this movie as a 13-year-old girl with a passion for horses, and I feel the same way as a 36-year-old.

Buy this DVD for your children, or buy this DVD for you, but buy this DVD. It will quickly become a favorite!

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It is with great pleasure I can tell you that I have sat through nearly every horse movie ever made and that "The Black Stallion" is still the best one I have ever seen.

Every aspect of the film is superlative; the casting, the acting, the adaptation to screenplay, the music, the sounds, the editing, the characterization and most especially, the cinematography. But the real genius of the film lies in director Carroll Ballard's exquisite ability to render his main character, namely the black stallion himself, on the screen.

Since I have experience with horses I am obviously very aware of how films use their equine actors. Errors are immediately apparent. This film does not have any. Every time a horse is onscreen, characterization in action and expression is perfect.

Credit, of course, goes to trainer Corky Randall, and also to the decision to cast Kelly Reno and Mickey Rooney, horsemen themselves, into the human roles.

Tremendous credit also goes out to the filmmakers for making the effort to secure animals who would fit the role so well actual black arabian stallions. Most would not have gone to the trouble, preferring to work with geldings, or with any breed of horse with the necessary color and training to make the role. Just look to other notable horse films, like Black Beauty, The Horse Whisperer and SeaBiscuit, to see how the horse is changed to fit the film.

One of the best examples of the film's genius with the horses is the scene in which Alec and "The Black" first become friends. The film shows the stallion who played that portion of the scene retreating each time the boy walks toward him, then advancing each time he walks away. By degrees of advance and retreat is Alec finally able to get close to the horse.

Such behavior mimics a horse's natural response perfectly. But it is not simply how it was it was choreographed; it is how the horse plays the part. The animal does not tamely walk forward and backwards he displays a spirit and impatience of a gorgeously trained animal being put through a difficult series of steps; obedient but with powerful character. On film, this highly charged personality mimics perfectly the anxiety and anger of a wild stallion trying to cope with coming close to a being he regards with suspicion.

Trivia for those interested; Cass-Ole, the stallion to whom lead credit was given, actually had 4 white socks and the star. In the close shots, you can see the white under the makeup. It was Cass Ole and Kelly Reno who did most actual scenes, such as galloping without bridle and saddle down the beach. Most films use doubles for such scenes.

Fae-Jur, the main double, was also a black stallion; it is rumored he was not even a true black, but a grey who had to be dyed extensively to play the role. He is said to have done many of the "wild" scenes, when no rider was required.

The film gets my highest recommendation for both adults and children. Some may be frustrated by the artistic slant of the story it rolls past like a dream, especially the island sequences. Children who have read the book may be disappointed by any changes they perceive in the story. But the film is a a masterpiece of storytelling for children or otherwise.

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This film would indeed by considered "slow" by contemporary viewers, and so much the worse for them. I saw it for the first time only a few weeks ago, knowing that Pauline Kael loved it, and hoping that my son would find it sufficiently engaging to give me a break from the Wiggles. I've seen it 5 times since then, and its beauty still startles me. There is no pandering in this film, either to parents or to children. There are no references to popular culture. Kelly Reno is a quiet, thoughtful boy who is never asked to play to the camera, and never does. No mood or action is unnecessarily underlined. The huge, spirited but dangerous stallion is never humanized or reduced to a toy; he remains a horse, and beautiful for that reason.

The interaction between the boy and the horse is superior to any I've seen on film. The animal wranglers belong in whatever hall of fame they have for that profession, and so do the director and cinematographer, for their brilliant framing of that interaction.

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This is by far one of the greatest horse movies ever made! It starts off when a boy named Alec (played by Kelly Reno) sees a gorgeous black stallion boarding the ship he is traveling on. The boat then sinks, stranding him and the stallion on an island. There is a 45-minute sequence where the boy and the horse are existing on the island together, getting to know each other and form a bond. Eventually they get rescued and Alec takes the black stallion home with him. He befriends a horse trainer played amazingly well by Mickey Rooney. They begin training the black stallion to race and eventually it ends in a climactic racing scene (as all horse racing movies do!).

The cinematography is just amazing in this movie.. the scenes on the island are especially beautiful. One of my favorites is where Alec finally rides the Black and they race down the beach...its beautiful. The racing scene was extremely well done also even though I've seen it a million times, my heart still pounds and I find myself cheering out loud for the Black. The acting is wonderful, the filming is wonderful, the story is wonderful... I can't think of anything I DON'T like about this movie!!

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Beautiful photography and a nice story make this an attractive movie for everyone. It isn's just a "kids' story." It's a safe film for kids of all ages and a good adventure tale. It also was nice to see Mickey Rooney again and young Kelly Reno was a likeable kid.

Now the bad news..... Unfortunately, the DVD didn't do the colors justice, nor was it a sharp transfer. In all, very disappointing in that regard. The audio also is disappointing. You have make adjustments with the center speaker to make it sound balanced.

It's a nice film but a horrible job on the disc, so beware.