The Colt
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Movie Reviews of The Colt
Movie Review: A very moving movie -- both for horse lovers and civil war buffs
Summary: 4 Stars
I had never heard of this movie but am always looking for new horse movies so on a sleep saturday afternoon decided to watch it.
The plot was engaging and the acting was quite good. I didn't notice the upside down sabers or anything like that. I was more caught up in the drama of the war juxtaposed by the presence of this little colt. The story line and the ending was not what you would have expected in a typical civil war movie but you got a good sense of what it must have been like to have Americans fighting Americans and the drain that took after 4 long years.
The movie showed you all sides of the war... the humanity, the inhumanity, and even sometimes, the absurd -- like all of a sudden, you have a baby horse on your hands and what the heck are you supposed to do with it. You saw the ambivalence in people who weren't sure what the real fighting was about -- particularly that far into the war but you also saw both sides who were committed to what they believed in and acting in that way. Even the reason the colt was saved was because ultimately, they believed it would not be the right thing to do to take the life of an innocent creature who had not asked to be part of that conflict.
The ending was surprising and compelling and not too satisfying. Suffice it to say, it was not a "happily ever after" ending despite what a previous reviewer would say. I would have liked to have seen a bit more "resolution" and have certain aspects of the movie tied up a little more neatly... but I guess that is the point -- war is not neat and there is often no good resolution even when there are moments of peace.
Overall, it was a movie that will stick with me. I don't know that I will watch it again simply because of the ending. But it definitely made an impact on me and made me think about that time in US history. It was entertaining as well. Overall, I would not hesitate to recommend but I definitely would not recommend it for family viewing with young children. It is too raw for that.
Movie Review: Worth a Look
Summary: 4 Stars
I spied this DVD at a local vintage stock store and thought ok..I'll give it a look. I had zero expectations and in fact expected that it would be too hokie to sit through. Wow...was I wrong. This little movie was really pretty good. The story is pretty basic, Union Cavalryman's horse has a colt and calamities ensue as the trooper tries to keep himself, his mare, and his colt alive and out of rebel hands in the maze of the Wilderness Campaign.
The production values are good (not great) but given the available budget very acceptable. Now I am a stickler for detail in my Civil War flicks and doggone it British Columbia won't ever be Virginia (and really no place will ever be as special as Virginia...but I digress). The uniforms and other aspects of the Union and Confederate troops are pretty good. I am sure some re-enactors would pick up on some flaws, but my untrained eye did not pick up on too many other than a Revolutionary War era cannon being pushed around in the opening scenes. For a movie taking place in 1864...this is a bit of a gaff. It's forgivable for 1861...but not in the 1864 Wilderness.
The story itself is a gem. It flows nicely and there are some surprises here and there, which keep you interested. As others have indicated it is a story filled with some sadness, but I enjoyed the way in which it was handled and the ending was satisfying for me.
So a movie that I gave so little hope...turned out to really impress me. So saddle up and keep low...there's rebs in the woods.
Movie Review: A great suprise
Summary: 4 Stars
The human story of this movie is very moving. My wife who HATES war related movies felt the film was compelling. I am not sure why someone would complained about the historical protrayal of this movie. It did not try to protray any specific battles, just small unit actions. If I want a history lesson I will read my books. This was an entertaining movie done in a historial context.Movie Review: Make me tear up dispite low bugit producion
Summary: 3 Stars
I was tempted to stop watching after 15 minutes but since I like civil war movies I stuck it out. The ending is a little bit of a tear jerker. This is not a big budget movie so cut it some slack.Movie Review: Lost Potential
Summary: 2 Stars
This interesting story is unfortunately marred by patchwork performances and a sophomoric knowledge of American history. There have been plenty of "low budget" films made over the years that prove you don't need lots of money or well-known actors to make a successful production ("The Duelists" comes to mind). The two essential ingrediants of a quality period film are this: good performances and a strong knowledge of the historical subject matter. "The Colt" has neither of these. Civil War scholars will be tempted to stop watching the film even before the opening credits stop rolling, so many are the obvious mistakes. That, of course, would be unimportant if the performances were up to par. Sadly, they are not. Each actor seems to be straining to deliver lines naturalistically, but always failing in the attempt.
It should be mentioned, however that the one bright ray of superior acting is exhibited by Richard Kahan who portrays Issac, a dying Confederate soldier. That brief performance almost makes up for the rest of this disappointing film. Almost.