A coming of age tale in the beautiful western US and Mexico
Added 10/1/2009
The novel, All the Pretty Horses, by Cormac McCarthy is a superb literary work. Thus, those that love the book will be especially critical of the motion picture made from that great novel. But in all fairness, the film of All the Pretty Horses must not be compared to the novel but should be judged based upon its own merits. If this is the criteria, the film is extremely beautiful but feels rushed in all scenes that involve human interaction. An additional hour of character development would have greatly strengthened the film. That being said, the 2 hour version on this DVD is a good film and by no means a waste of time.
The film is the story of a young man, who experiences a host of challenges, and emerges from these challenging experiences a far more mature and seasoned man. A young cowboy who loses his grandfather, his grandfather's ranch, his freedom, his safety, his security, his first true love, his faith in mankind, has experienced a lifetime of forces that shape or break the human character. This is the story of a young man for whom these forces builds character and maturity and so despite the terrible events portrayed in the film, is really about the endurance of the human body and human character.
The story is actually more about the strength of young male friendship than it is about young lovers. The relationship between John Grady Cole (Matt Damon) and Lacey Rawlins (Henry Thomas) is put to the test repeatedly and endures beyond the last minutes of the film. Repeatedly we see in Lacey Rawlins the willingness to act in concert with Cole even if he disagrees with the actions they are taking or the motivations behind the actions.
Two older adolescents meet a wild young man of less than 14 years of age that Lacey Rawlins immediately and instinctively recognizes as major trouble. This set up in the plot is often used by McCarthy and these characters on the edge are wonderful as the catalysts for trouble and crisis and challenge for the other characters.
A first serious love affair can scar the heart as badly as a prison knife fight can scar the face. This is really not a romantic love story. It is about scars - how they are inflicted, how they heal. As one watches the move, the scars accumulate, even to the point that a judge asks a young man to drop his pants to display a scar. Life scars the body and soul, and we can let the scars fester or we can let the scars heal. When John Grady Cole goes to the home of the judge at night, it is to reveal more than the gunshot scars on this legs, it is to lance the other painful scars of commission and omission. Grady has killed a man and watched a murder. These scars are fresh but a wise old judge calmly tells him they will heal with time and it is the strength of character that determines whether the scars facilitate or hinder future life experiences.
The protective attitude that Cole takes toward the wild child Blevins is a central theme and is as strong as the linkage between Frodo and Golem for Blevins is Cole's shadow in the same way that Golem is Frodo's shadow. Cole recognizes that he could have been Blevins, an impulsive runaway abused child. Thus he protects Blevins when all logic would dictate to allow Blevins to experience the consequences of his actions. Jupiter is the god that imparts wisdom through pain and lightening is his instrument. Blevins comes from a family tormented by lightening and never gaining wisdom. McCarthy is a master of these type of classical associations hidden in the structure of his storytelling art.
Of all films, this one deserves a new Director's cut, expanding the film to its original intentions and depth. That is not to say that this product is bad, it is not, but a longer nuance version would only heighten the viewing experience.
1 out of 1 people found this helpful.
|
A reverse illegal alein story
Added 2/22/2009
This movies is sort of an allegory on reversal of roles: an American and his best friend set out to go to Mexico to be cowboys there.
They cross the Rio Grande river into Mexico illegally with a young tough run-away on a very valuable horse.
This story of star crossed lovers and a teenage run-away leads to a very strange story of the lack of justice in Mexico.
She says:"I saw you dead in my dream."
He tells his friend: " I thought you might like your horse back,"
What happens in between is what makes this a very good movie!
3 out of 4 people found this helpful.
|
Excellent Buy! Very Happy.
Added 12/14/2008
Super fast service! The movie arrived in excellent condition and plays well. If you're not familiar with this title, you really have to consider buying a copy. Never cared for Matt Damon until I saw this. AND the movie is really much better than the book By Cormac McCarthy.
0 out of 2 people found this helpful.
|
The Wild West moves to Mexico
Added 6/17/2008
I wanted to love this movie, but somehow the chemistry of the main characters didn't mesh.Cormac McCarthy is a fine writer and this is one of his better books, but unfortunately it did not translate to film with the same intensity.
All the Pretty Horses is a character study about a waning lifestyle. Similar to the Wizard of OZ, this story is about seeking what you want in a different location and then discovering that what you were after was right at home all along. The problem isn't with the story, the problem is trying to squeeze too much into a two hour format. Everything seems disjointed, even the relationships between the main characters. If you're a McCarthy fan, you might want to skip this one. No Country for Old Men is a far superior interpretation of his work.
The Shut Mouth Society
The Shopkeeper
1 out of 2 people found this helpful.
|
It could have been a much better film
Added 6/16/2008
All the Pretty Horses is a movie about a young Texas rancher played by Matt Damon, John Grady Cole, who upon hearing that the ranch his family has lived on for many years will now be sold by his mother sets out to find a ranch where to make his fortune.
He travels to Mexico to look for work on a ranch with his friend, Lacey Rawlings, played by Henry Thomas and the two encounter many adventures. As the movie progresses, these two find another young man in search of a similar dream and they allow him to ride with them even though their intuition tells them it is not in their best interest and soon we find ourselves witnessing the result of poor choices that take these young men to imprisonment, fights, murder, assassination as they transform from idealistic souls into rugged and cynical individuals.
At times the scenes are horrible, the cruelty of imprisonment in Mexico, the lack of respect for the law add to tests of endurance and character.
Matt Damon falls in love with Alejandra, played by Penelope Cruz, a beautiful young woman who is the daughter of the Mexican rancher where they finally find work and the appearance of great opportunity. But this proves to be the catalyst to disaster for Alejandra dares to go against tradition, against the wishes of her family, and forgets that in Mexico... "a reputation is all a woman possesses."
By allowing herself to get involved with Matt Damon she angers her father and discovers that he "can stop loving her."
The movie is filmed beautifully and these actors are great but the story is not developed with the depth necessary to flawlessly go from one scene to the next and we find ourselves wishing they would offer another version of a movie that could have been an epic.
0 out of 1 people found this helpful.
|
A coming of age tale in the beautiful western US and Mexico
Added 10/1/2009
The novel, All the Pretty Horses, by Cormac McCarthy is a superb literary work. Thus, those that love the book will be especially critical of the motion picture made from that great novel. But in all fairness, the film of All the Pretty Horses must not be compared to the novel but should be judged based upon its own merits. If this is the criteria, the film is extremely beautiful but feels rushed in all scenes that involve human interaction. An additional hour of character development would have greatly strengthened the film. That being said, the 2 hour version on this DVD is a good film and by no means a waste of time.
The film is the story of a young man, who experiences a host of challenges, and emerges from these challenging experiences a far more mature and seasoned man. A young cowboy who loses his grandfather, his grandfather's ranch, his freedom, his safety, his security, his first true love, his faith in mankind, has experienced a lifetime of forces that shape or break the human character. This is the story of a young man for whom these forces builds character and maturity and so despite the terrible events portrayed in the film, is really about the endurance of the human body and human character.
The story is actually more about the strength of young male friendship than it is about young lovers. The relationship between John Grady Cole (Matt Damon) and Lacey Rawlins (Henry Thomas) is put to the test repeatedly and endures beyond the last minutes of the film. Repeatedly we see in Lacey Rawlins the willingness to act in concert with Cole even if he disagrees with the actions they are taking or the motivations behind the actions.
Two older adolescents meet a wild young man of less than 14 years of age that Lacey Rawlins immediately and instinctively recognizes as major trouble. This set up in the plot is often used by McCarthy and these characters on the edge are wonderful as the catalysts for trouble and crisis and challenge for the other characters.
A first serious love affair can scar the heart as badly as a prison knife fight can scar the face. This is really not a romantic love story. It is about scars - how they are inflicted, how they heal. As one watches the move, the scars accumulate, even to the point that a judge asks a young man to drop his pants to display a scar. Life scars the body and soul, and we can let the scars fester or we can let the scars heal. When John Grady Cole goes to the home of the judge at night, it is to reveal more than the gunshot scars on this legs, it is to lance the other painful scars of commission and omission. Grady has killed a man and watched a murder. These scars are fresh but a wise old judge calmly tells him they will heal with time and it is the strength of character that determines whether the scars facilitate or hinder future life experiences.
The protective attitude that Cole takes toward the wild child Blevins is a central theme and is as strong as the linkage between Frodo and Golem for Blevins is Cole's shadow in the same way that Golem is Frodo's shadow. Cole recognizes that he could have been Blevins, an impulsive runaway abused child. Thus he protects Blevins when all logic would dictate to allow Blevins to experience the consequences of his actions. Jupiter is the god that imparts wisdom through pain and lightening is his instrument. Blevins comes from a family tormented by lightening and never gaining wisdom. McCarthy is a master of these type of classical associations hidden in the structure of his storytelling art.
Of all films, this one deserves a new Director's cut, expanding the film to its original intentions and depth. That is not to say that this product is bad, it is not, but a longer nuance version would only heighten the viewing experience.
1 out of 1 people found this helpful.
|
A reverse illegal alein story
Added 2/22/2009
This movies is sort of an allegory on reversal of roles: an American and his best friend set out to go to Mexico to be cowboys there.
They cross the Rio Grande river into Mexico illegally with a young tough run-away on a very valuable horse.
This story of star crossed lovers and a teenage run-away leads to a very strange story of the lack of justice in Mexico.
She says:"I saw you dead in my dream."
He tells his friend: " I thought you might like your horse back,"
What happens in between is what makes this a very good movie!
3 out of 4 people found this helpful.
|
Excellent Buy! Very Happy.
Added 12/14/2008
Super fast service! The movie arrived in excellent condition and plays well. If you're not familiar with this title, you really have to consider buying a copy. Never cared for Matt Damon until I saw this. AND the movie is really much better than the book By Cormac McCarthy.
0 out of 2 people found this helpful.
|
