by Hal Erickson
synopsis
Based on a popular novel by Pierre-Jakez Helias, Horse of Pride is set in a hardscrabble peasant community in Brittany. Covering the years 1908 through 1918, the film concentrates on the lives, customs and aspirations of the community's populace. The visuals are complemented not by dialogue but by "voice of God" narration. This is a wise stylistic choice, since the central theme of the film is the perpetuation of Brittany's culture via oral, rather than written, history. Horse of Pride is an unusually straightforward effort from the normally ultrastylistic director Claude Chabrol.
characteristics
- Peasant
- Life
- Community
