LoWCW--Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron {review}

*UPDATE*  I have edited part of this review.  Additionally, I am not sure whether this movie is helpful or hurtful in its portrayal of Indigenous Americans.  I need to learn more. 


"The story that I want to tell you cannot be found in a book.  They say that the history of the West was written from the saddle of a horse, but it's never been told from the heart of one.  Not 'til now.  
I was born here, in this place that would come to be called the Old West.  But, to my kind, the land was ageless.  It had no beginning and no end, no boundary between earth and sky.  
Like the wind in the buffalo grass, we belonged here--we would always belong here.  
They say the mustang is the spirit of the West.  Whether that West was won or lost in the end, you'll have to decide for yourself, but the story I want to tell you is true.  I was there, and I remember.
I remember the sun and the sky and the wind calling my name, and a time when wild horses ran free."


BEHOLD THE GLORY

Darlin's, I don't even know where to start.  (But be prepared for a lot of gifs and pictures.)

I suppose with a plot summary?  Very well, I shall try my best.  This movie follows the adventures of a stallion who is captured by the cavalry of the Old West at the time when they were trying to settle the wilderness.  The cavalrymen who take Spirit (as we call him, though he's really nameless throughout the majority of the movie) aim to 'break' him and transform him into the automatons they 'needed' in order to conquer the West.  But Spirit is fiercely loyal to his homeland and his herd, and fiercely protective of independence, and thus he refuses to bend, earning punishment and the General's anger.  However, another captive is soon brought into the outpost--an Indian named Little Creek.  He helps Spirit to escape, and brings him to his tribe's camp, where he meets the mare Rain ( = love interest), and for a while, everything's fine and dandy.  But soon the General comes calling with his troops, determined to overpower this stallion…

…Okay, I am officially butchering this description, but you get the idea.  It's more compelling than it sounds.  


There's really not much of anything negative I can say about this movie; I'm that in love with it.  It is such a sociopolitical commentary (seriously, it can be legitimately interpreted that way)--it's more than a goofy love story about two horses, or even a drama about the friendship between an Indian and a horse both struggling for freedom.  It explores the triumph and the tragedy of the Old West as a whole--not just the individual stories with which it primarily deals.  

Ohhhhhh, yes.  I am so feeling this now.  New OTP!  Haha, just kidding.  But seriously.  They would be perfect.

There are so many things one could talk about concerning this movie, but right now I'm not feeling very eloquent.  Basically, all I can say is, watch this movie.  It's so powerful.  I know it might seem strange that an animated movie could be as epic as I'm putting it up to be, but I honestly think it is.  However, I grew up with it, and sometimes when one grows up with a particular movie or book, one loses something of objectivity.  

FEELS

Simply in the way it's animated, the emotions (very real and deep emotions) are so clearly expressed through the characters that you might find yourself tearing up.

It's really quite an emotional movie, if I haven't emphasized that enough, haha.  

For instance, this part, when Spirit has been captured again after saving Little Creek and Rain, and he's loaded onto the train, is "the low point" in the story.


The song that plays at this part is sooooooooo saaaaaaaaaddd but at the same time hopeful and inspiring and powerful and PEOPLE I JUST CAN'T.  

*breaks down and cries like a baby*

When Spirit is trying to escape from the forest fire the train started...and his chain gets caught over the tree limb...and OH THE FIRE'S GETTING CLOSER!...and then Little Creek is there and frees him and they're running for their lives as the forest burns behind them and heart-pounding music and animation and...wow.

Or when they're both being chased by the cavalry, and THIS PART


(okay, yes, I know it's unrealistic, but I like to think of it metaphorically, thankyouverymuch) and then this guy's all, "Respect"



and then they look at each other like, "so are we done yet?"


and then…gaahhh it's just too beautiful:D

BUT.  The MOST emotional part, possibly, is the part when Little Creek bids Rain and Spirit farewell--when, in fact, he gives our protagonist the name 'Spirit.' 




#sonotemotionallyequippedtohandlethathug

Now, people, Hans Zimmer composed the score for this movie, and LET ME TELL YOU.  So. Flipping. Amazing.  Behold:



That track, "Homeland," is my favorite, I do believe, but they are all so beautiful.  And the lyrical songs hold a lot of memories, hehe ("Get Off of My Back", anyone?) ;)  My favorite of those would probably be either "You Can't Take Me" or "I Will Always Return".  

Anyway, drawing a very rambling and inadequate review to a close, go watch it.  Just do.  You won't regret it. 

 

"I've seen every sunset, and with all that I've learned…oh, it's to you, I will always…always return."














Comments

  1. Aaahhhhh you had me from that first line!!! "I remember the sun and the wind calling my name..."?!?!! Wow. This looks like the greatest animated movie ever. Why have I never seen this anywhere, I wonder??? Haha, it DOES sound really emotional. Horse movies usually are. ;-D

    Yeah, I feel like there are a lot of movies that portray the Indians as the Good Guys and the frontier soldiers as Horrible. Dances With Wolves is like that; though, come to think of it, there were bad Indians and peaceable Indians in the movie. But the Cavalry guys were shown as all bad. They really got a bad rap.

    I just might have to watch this one. :-) I enjoyed your review!

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    1. I know, right?!?!?! I really kinda think it is. I'm a wee bit biased, but it is truly epic. Haha, yeah, they are, that's true;-P

      Yup:-/ I think filmmakers make an effort to balance their portrayal of the Indians, but not of the Cavalry, unfortunately.

      YES. Watch it:D And thanks! I'm glad:)

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    2. OK, so I just looked up the movie and discovered that MATT DAMON IS THE VOICE OF SPIRIT. I cannot do this. Must watch immediately!!!

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    3. OH, yes, I meant to mention that. I KNOW, RIGHT?! Haha, funny story--I didn't actually know that until the last time I watched it, and my cousin said, "Is that Matt Damon?" She googled it, and then we were all joking about meeting Matt Damon someday and saying, "I loved your work in Spirit" as opposed to one of his other more well-known works :D

      YES YOU MUST. And then tell me;)

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  2. hahah! See? Exactly why I don't do horse movies! WAAAAY to stressful and emotional for me! (But my niece loves this movie! Which means at some point, I'll probably end up seeing it when she shows it to my nephew.)

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    1. But-but-but it's worth it!!!! Haha:D But again, I do understand. Sometimes horse movies just ARE too intense. Probably why I don't watch them all that often XD

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  3. The intro was fab, the ending was fab, the entire thing was fab, and this movie is fab. I have decided to re-watch it again after a time period longer than six months (shameful, I know). This is one of my all time favoirte movies, and the review made me want to watch it even if I wasn't obsessed with it.
    Have you ever seen Prince of Egypt? Because I feel like it is something that you would enjoy. It's the closest movie I have ever found to an actual biblical account. And it is amazing.

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    1. Aww! Thanks, Laura! YAY! I'm so glad you're re-watching it! Well, I'll confess--when I watched it recently, it was the first time in, I think, YEARS. *cringes* 'T'is awful. BUT it made it that much more emotional and satisfying:D

      Ohhhhh myyyyy worrrrrd, don't even get me started on the glory that is The Prince of Egypt. So. Good.

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    2. Haha, I'll just assume that you like Prince of Egypt a lot. ;)

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  5. I'll have to add this to my to-watch list. :)

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    1. Oh, and I'm thinking of writing a review of The Apple Dumpling Gang. Should I paste one of the buttons to my post?

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    2. Yes, do, Meredith! I think you'll like it:)

      Ohhhh, HAPPIES! Can't wait to read it:D As to the buttons, that is totally up to you! But do by all means remember to leave a link on Emma's original post (or I suppose mine) so that other people can read your review, too!:)

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    3. Alright, I just published it. :) I love that movie way too much.

      Okay, I won't forget. :D

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    4. You did?! Yay! I'm off to read it, then:)

      Awesome, thanks!

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  6. Wow... I haven't seen this movie in YEARS!! (All I remember is that the horses would just run non stop, and that slightly silly "Get off of my back" song...) Maybe I should re watch this though..

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    1. You should re-watch it, Abby!:D Haha, yes, there is a lot of horse-running, and "Get Off Of My Back" is definitely on the silly side;-P But at the same time there is so much else going on!

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  7. You know, I have a feeling I've seen this somewhere before . . . a long time ago . . . Nope, actually I haven't. I'm getting it confused with that other movie about John Smith and the Indian girl. Y'know the one I mean.

    But . . . seriously, this one looks AMAZING. Isn't it cool how an animated film--which everybody thinks is "just a cartoon"--can end up being so profound and incredible?

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    1. Haha, 'Pocahontas'? I tell ya, that film gets such a bad rap because of historical inaccuracies, but honestly, it is SUCH a good movie. Obviously, they weren't actually trying to provide a real-life account of Pocahontas, and when you realize that, it is SOSOSO awesome:D

      It IS amazing! Yes, definitely! I even find it strange, haha:D

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  8. I absolutely adored this movie growing up, and while I don't watch it nearly as much as I did then I still love it. The music is soooo beautiful! And the characters.....wow. So many emotions! I need to watch this again. :)

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    1. Exactly! I haven't watched it as much, either, but yes, it's still wonderful:D Oh my goodness, the MUSIC. Yes. Soooo many emotions:) Yes, do watch it again!!

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  9. Ha! This is SUCH a coincidence. :-) On the way to Switserland this Monday, we had a bit car problem and we had to wait for HOOOUUURS at a car garage (dead boring.) My siblings were hanging around doing nothing, and one of my sisters asked on of the car-garage-men to put something on the television. And voilà! This came up. (My siblings absolutely loved it. I didn't as much because I don't enjoy animated movies and because I was busy reading. :-)) I just thought this was a coincidence - had to tell ya. :-)

    ~ Naomi

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    1. Haha! That IS such a coincidence! Oh, wow, that must have been pretty awful:-P Haha! That's so cool that it came on! Hee, well, reading is awesome, too:D

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  10. I always thought this movie was a beautiful story. For me, one of those movies I forget about and rarely remember, but when I do I always think about how beautiful it was!

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    1. It really is! I know, isn't it nice when that happens? You sort of forget something, and then something reminds you and you think of how beautiful it actually was/is?

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