The Real Horse Whisperer
Joel Hoglund
17.10.2011 - There's a long and proud
tradition of horsemanship in the Middle East dating back to ancient
times. One of the hardiest and most desired breeds in the world, in
fact, is the Arabian. But while legends of the Arabian often
involve its role in wars, the horses were also bred through the
ages to be good-tempered and quick learners. In this day and age,
when the only "horsepower" most of us experience is in our cars,
it's easy to forget that humans and horses are hardwired to go
together.
I'm not a horse guy, never been a horse guy, never ridden a horse.
But watching a man like Buck Brannaman communicate with horses, I'm
reminded that there's something primal in our human nature - Arabs,
Americans, Europeans, all of us - that is intertwined with
horses.
Premiering at ADFF Tuesday in the
Our World section, Buck is first-time director Cindy Meehl's documentary
on a living legend among horsemen. And you don't have to be a horse
guy to appreciate it. (In fact, it won the Audience Award at
Sundance in January.) After suffering fierce abuse at the hands of
his father during childhood, Buck found solace in animals. "Abused
horses are like abused children," he once said. "They trust no one
and expect the worst. But patience, leadership, compassion and
firmness can help them overcome their pasts."
Rising above his own potentially devastating past, Buck now
travels the world as the foremost expert in caring for mishandled,
unruly and untamed horses. His Zen-like approach even inspired the
novel The Horse Whisperer and a close friendship with
Robert Redford, who hired Buck as a technical advisor when he
directed the hit film adaptation.
You can say Brannaman is a celebrity in his own right, but
director Cindy Meehl isn't interested in all that. Filmed with as
much gentleness and grace as Brannaman himself displays,
Buck focuses fully on the man and his work, not his
brushes with fame. Watching him in the ring is mesmerizing. With a
touch he can soothe a hostile bronco that only moments before had
rammed and bloodied another trainer. And then begins the trying
work of teaching the horse's owner to do the same. Interviews and
priceless insights from Buck, especially when he opens up about his
childhood, deepen the rich character at the core of the
quintessential "strong, silent type" and, hopefully, inspire us to
want to be better, kinder, more tolerant people. This tender
portrait of an extraordinary man proves that a relationship with an
animal can be a mirror of the human soul.
Buck screens Tuesday, October 18 at 6:30pm at Marina
Mall's VOX Cinemas and Friday, October 21 at 6:45pm at VOX.