All the Pretty Horses Directed by: Billy Bob Thorton All The Pretty Horses is about two young farmhands who seem to bask in the dreams of owning their ranch, and working the land. John Grady Cole (Matt Damon) plays a young cowboy who almost gets the opportunity to do just that when his grandfather passes away and leaves behind a fairly large size ranch in Texas. Cole had been working that ranch since he was a young boy, and is deeply saddened when he discovers his mother's plan of selling the ranch so she herself can pursue a different lifestyle. Cole's best friend is Lacey Rawlins, (Henry Thomas), who also works his family's land as a cowboy. Together they decide that they need to do what any smart cowboy would do after his land has been taken away, go to Mexico. Or so the fable goes. The two have a romantic vision of riding across the border on horseback into Mexico, and that's about all they need to guide them. There's a spiritual reawaking for the two young men as they ride across the Rio Grande, as they cross into a foreign land that up until now they had only seen in picture shows or heard about from older folks. It's funny how Mexico doesn't look any different from Texas, but somehow feels more open and free. You can sense this overbearing feeling on the faces of John and Lacey. The two meet up on their journey with a wild young cowpoke named Jimmy Blevins (Lucas Black, who also was the kid in Thorton's Sling Blade). Blevins himself has an agenda, and it involves stealing other people's horses and guns. His agenda doesn't exactly fit into John Grady Cole and Lacey's plans, but they let him come along for the ride since he's so young, and naïve. Blevins eventually gets into some serious trouble with some of the locals, and all three end up as wanted men because of it. Blevins, upholding an inherited cowboy code of honor, gets caught in order so that John Grady and Lacey can escape. The two eventually find work on a ranch breaking mustangs for the wealthy Mexican ranch owner Don Hector Rocha y Villarael (Rueben Blades). The guts of the story start at the ranch, as John Grady falls in love at the first glance with Reuben's beautiful daughter Alejandra (Penelope Cruz). The film is based on the novel of the same name by Cormac McCarthy, and the film has a great grasp on character development thanks to the adaptation. All the characters in the film seem to have a story, all told in their actions or their faces. Witness this especically in scenes set in prison. Billy Bob Thorton has the ability to take simple, almost one-dimensional characters and animate them two-folds on the screen. He's very good at telling a story; just look at his screenplay for A Simple Plan. All The Pretty Horses evoked a sense of wonderment in me at moments, especially when Thorton lets the camera take over in wonderful wide shots of the landscape. It's probably the most beautiful film I've seen since The Thin Red Line, and it's a breath of fresh air knowing that a great story accompanies the visuals. Damon and Thomas really got into their roles as two cowboys looking for adventure, Damon especially. I enjoy the presence of Damon on the screen, they way he values silence and involves himself in the character. I was reminded of another film when watching this that came out a few years ago called The Hi-Lo Country, which also tackles the same themes of All The Pretty Horses. That film started out great, and reminded me a lot of one of my favorite films set in this time period, Hud, starring Paul Newman. The Hi-Lo Country lost its sense of story though half way through, and ironically also starred Penelope Cruz as the love interest. All the Pretty Horses isn't all about just being a cowboy though.
It's about being young, about having nothing to hold you back and the only
thing that guides you is your horse and sense of tradition. I grew up as
a kid in Dodge City, KS, which has its fair share of western tradition and
folklore in the soil. The ways of the Wild West are no longer followed there
despite the stereotypes most have when the name is mentioned. One girl once
asked me if the malls in Dodge City are under a tent when I told her where
I was from. It never ceases to amaze me how ashamed some people seem to
be of cowboys. Nowadays they are naturally labeled "hicks" and
there's a false sense of shame associated with a man wearing a cowboy hat
and boots. I've always felt you can admire tradition without playing the
part, and people can do what they want to keep a tradition going. The days
of real cowboys are over, but the roots they planted hopefully will never
be forgotten. All The Pretty Horses is a great film about holding
on to this past, but at the same time never forgetting how wide open the
world is. |
Page Created and maintained by
Dave Gunn ©®