How long do you think a champion racehorse would last in the desert? A lovely story, but he (the horse) would have little chance of being accepted by a wild herd, a smaller chance yet of forming his own herd. He would probably die of starvation and loneliness. Big hero you are, Robert Redford.
"I have been one acquainted with the night..."
(Robert Frost)
I was thinking EXACTLY the same thing mate! Not only that, he absolutely flogs the hell out of the horse when the police are chasing him, the poor old horse would burst it's heart being pushed like that. And all the while he talks about all the sh!t they put the horse through!? It's nothing compared to the way he treats the poor thing. What a hypocrite.
The horse NEVER breaks a sweat, which I also found ridiculous.
It all comes acroos as being for his 'own' self image and vanity.
This is on UK telly right this minute by the way.
It's just a movie guys, get over it.
shareThink about it; it's pretty funny. He did the same thing with Jane Fonda's character. She's pampered and apparently pedigreed in the role; he puts her on a bus and says sayonara. And she thanks him on t.v.! Perhaps the horse, even dying at the clutches of cruel Mother Nature, would thank RR for his kindness at having saved him from advertising and marketing - after all, where was he headed but for Jell-O or Alpo next? God, a.k.a. Robert Redford, the white knight on the horse, saves everyone in the film - even the Pharisees (those evil corporate people).
shareGuys, I beg of you... Go back and watch this fun late 70's movie, and enjoy watching the beautiful and seemingly HAPPY horse run freely with his brothers.....And while watching it, try your hardest to remember....IT IS A MOVIE!!!!!! No need to take pot shots at what a lousy "hero" Robert Redford was, whom I might also mention is an actor....there is a "pretend" world and a "real" world. Consider joining the LATTER!
"The guitar is fine as a hobby, John, but you'll never make a living at it."
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hey openstorage.... have you actually SEEN the movie?
I just watched the whole chase scene and not only does he NOT "flog the hell" out of the horse, he never even lays a hand on it- just has both hands on the reigns and never takes them off.
Poor thing? horse are made to run- and he helped to rehabilitate the horse BEFORE asking him to put out such an effort.
Horse DOES break a sweat. Once again I wonder if you've seen the movie.
and one final point- IT'S A MOVIE. don't ever forget that- it's not supposed to be reality.
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I concur...
:)
Though I agree, the "it's only a movie" argument is rather lame and quite often missed the point, 'cause not all movies are just meant to be mindless entertaining.
But movies (or certain things/scenes in it) aren't always meant to be taken literally, aren't supposed to be realistic. Sometimes directors are more concerned about aesthetics, psychology, metaphors, a certain idea they want to convey, subplots, etc.
In this case there's clearly an analogy between the horse and Sonny, so the horse's story basically is his story. When he is talking about what the horse has been going through and wanting to set the horse free (he also does say something along the lines that he knows that there's a risk that the horse might not make it, but that it's still better to at least have a chance and try it, and he seems convinced that it's strong enough that it could make it), he is clearly talking about himself, the former champion, who can't stand his current situation (he too is leading a "pampered" life, but is no more than a trained horse, used to sell some rubbish products, sedated by some kind of drug - in his case alcohol - and having no sex/family life) and wants the chance to be free and to start a new life, even if he doesn't know what it will bring or whether he'll make it.
Well said Moscoso; very insightful. Thank you.
My 150 (or so) favorite movies:
http://www.imdb.com/list/ls070122364/
OK Robert Redford, the actor and director, bought this horse and kept it for eighteen years until it died.
Sonny Steele, the fictional character, let the horse loose in the wild.
Definite distinction here guys. That is why it is called fiction.
The movie is just a lovely fairy tale, possible only on film, not in reality.
"What we need here is more cowbell!"...Christopher Walken
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Terrific piece of feel-good escapism - a fable, much like The Natural. That's why we love such movies. Anyone expecting realism shouldn't pick up a title called the Electric Horseman.
share"How long do you think a champion racehorse would last in the desert?"
That didn't look like a desert to me - he turn the horse loose where there were lots of green grass, water and trees.
I just finished watching the movie. I believe if you listen closely to the dialog, Robert Redford's character admits it would be a difficult transition for the horse, but he feels that Rising Star deserves the chance to try to make it on his own.
And of course, it's just a fictional story that's merely symbolic of someone's quest for redemption, and not meant to be taken so literally.
Shows what you know about horses.
Yeah, that's simply silly and apparently thinks that viewers won't know better. Anyone who knows a thing or two about horses knows you couldn't, or shouldn't ever do that!
shareIt's just a movie, folks, a very good movie to boot. Reality is that a domesticated horse turned loose in the wild will not be accepted by wild horses and would probably be killed by them. It has happened here in Nevada, people who can't afford to keep their horses have been turning them loose, hoping they might survive. One miserable POS even cut the brand off his horse before setting it loose.
I spend my money on dope, sex and cheap thrills.
The rest of it, I waste.
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"How long do you think a champion racehorse would last in the desert?"
99.9% of the movie-going public has not the faintest idea what horses can & can't do, nor the distinction between racehorses vs. "wild herds" (or socialization habits of either).
"Horses like (and want to be with) other horses" is perfectly plausible to Joe FilmFan. If/when Joe FilmFan gets inspired (by TEH) to take up horse ownership himself, he'll figure out those distinctions.