"Horse Whisperer" is a warm and healing life film produced by American director Robert Redford in 1998. There is no tense storyline or a collision of exciting emotional sparks in the film. Some are just tensions in peace, but the philosophy of life endowed by them is like a stream that silently flows into the hearts of the audience with the development of the film, triggering profound thinking.
The story is told by an accident. Grace lost her best friend in a riding accident, and her right leg was amputated. And her horse "Pilgrim" was seriously injured, and she had fear and even hatred for Grace, becoming a crazy horse, and Grace was depressed from then on. Mother Annie finds Tom, known as the "Horse Whisperer", to get her daughter back on its feet. In the village far away from the hustle and bustle of the city, like a paradise, Tom found the key to communicate with the horse, so that the "pilgrim" gradually recovered, Grace also became cheerful, and Anne and Tom fell in love.
Robert Redford added symbolic imagery in the film, which made the plot and characters of the film appear very natural. For example, against the dark blue background of the opening chapter, a strong and vigorous horse is galloping freely. This picture immediately brings the audience into Grace's dream, free and splendid. Such an opening cleverly not only brings the viewer into the film quickly, but also contrasts with the accident that follows. The horses in the opening chapter are free and unrestrained, and the girls are also happy and innocent, but the accident made these scenes really only appear in dreams. Another example is the fast-passing truck on the highway and Annie's cell phone ringing, which all symbolize the cold and cold mechanical age of human beings. Compared with Tom's natural and peaceful village, the impact on people or horses is also obvious. The least noticeable thing is that after a few close encounters, there seems to be a faint passion rising between Tom and Annie, but no one breaks it, until that bonfire party. The director selected a pile of dry wood and the fire was dying, and then the camera gradually advanced, and the fiery red flames at the bottom continued to run up, burning the dry wood that was completely black above. The place used here is a kind of symbol. The black dry wood is used to symbolize the old Tom, and Annie is the fire that is about to rekindle below. On the surface, it seems that the love between the two is doomed to end, but no one can resist the needs of human nature. After that, the two confessed and kissed by the pool. This transition made the delicate love between the two develop very naturally, and also left room for suspense and conjecture for the audience.
The method of cross montage in the film is also quite skillful. Through the comparison, the audience can easily see that the fate of the little heroine Grace and her beloved horse "The Pilgrim" is closely related. For example, after the accident, Grace was seriously injured but was fortunate to save his life, and the pilgrims were similarly bandaged. After seeing the pilgrim's serious head injury and his attitude towards himself turning hatred and fear, Grace's hopes for her and the pilgrims were almost dashed, so she expressed her desire to end her life to Annie. While at the farm, Tom was both physically and spiritually healed. Let the pilgrims run and cross the river to strengthen the vitality consumed in the accident, while Jean Grace was arranged to go to the stable to brush the horse and wash things. These seemingly physical tasks are easy, but they are especially important to the person being healed. Because when we feel that a person can't do anything, we should start with the simplest things to accumulate confidence and courage. It is not difficult to find in the healing of the soul. The director first arranged a small accident. The pilgrims were shocked by the ringing of Annie's mobile phone, and then rushed out of everyone's sight and returned to the peaceful and harmonious grassland. Tom always upholds the principle of letting nature go, never forcing it. As a horse whisperer, he knows how to give pilgrims some alone time to comfort himself. Facts also prove that the pilgrims finally let go of their burdens and return to Tom's side. In the same way, under Tom's perseverance, Grace gradually spoke up. The catharsis that night had meant rebirth for Grace. The director always insists that the healing process of the two go hand in hand, and the technique of living and dying together also assisted the phrase "I am just helping the horse to solve the human problem" once understated by the film "The Horse Whisperer"!
The successful configuration of vocal music in "Horse Whisperer" also adds a lot to its overall rendering of the theme of communication and healing between people and nature, and between people. For example, in the first stage, Grace hid in the harbor of home after being wronged by the strange eyes of classmates. However, the background music after that is not depressing and quiet, but the passionate and high-pitched horse racing music. This is completely opposite to Grace's mood, but it is just right to point out that people tend to recall happy times when they are negative, and it is easy to cause The audience's compassion for Grace. The same thing happened when Annie insisted on taking her daughter and pilgrims to Montana to meet the Horse Whisperers, but the estrangement between mother and daughter broke out unreservedly. Among them, Grace is self-enclosed and listened to the loud rock and roll with a headset, and the two heroines face the unpredictable future of the unpredictable mood, and the vastness of the United States forms a strong contrast. For another example, the music entering the second stage of the film is the cowboy country music of the violin concerto, which indicates that the protagonists will start a life of hope in this brand-new region. The concerto of the violin always appears when the story moves towards the positive plot. On the one hand, it praises the comfortable and leisurely life of the farm, which is enviable. On the other hand, it makes the plot move forward naturally, giving people hope. For one, the background music of Anne and Tom galloping in the grassland and jungle is performed by the orchestra and the violin. The soothing and energetic background music guides Tom to let Annie get rid of the stress of urban life and enjoy the charm of nature. The relaxed, comfortable and happy scene is depicted like a song of youth. Annie's radiant spirit and beautiful posture made the audience still in the city eager to try. Pipeline music gives people a solemn and quiet feeling, and the violin is the best instrument to express the emotions of the protagonist slowly. Deepening, it can be seen that the feeling of the composer has a degree of strength.
It is also worth mentioning that the composition of the shots in the film is remarkable. 1/3 of the shots are as distant and clear as oil paintings. On the way from New York to Montana, Annie took Grace across the mountains and rivers. The director shot from the sky, followed and moved at a high speed, followed and zoomed away. The blue sky landscape, or the snow-capped gentle slope, or the winding mountain road, make the audience stay away from the complicated urban life with the protagonist and find a new life entrance. After entering Tom's farm, the feeling of sweetness and relaxation became stronger and stronger. The clear stream, the white hut, the sound of horses and cows and the happy faces of everyone in the farm seemed to be in a medieval farm, far away and hazy. If you observe carefully, you can find that the director's composition often adopts the rule of thirds, 1/3 of the clear sky + 1/3 of the endless mountains in the distance + 1/3 of the grassland, and then use the big vision to present, a picture of idyllic countryside The pictures are vivid and fascinating.
"Horse Whisperer" is director Robert Redford's autobiographical work, which brings to the screen what he has seen and heard when he was in nature, and unfolds a pilgrimage for everyone to unravel the soul. The combination of picturesque scenes and just the right vocal music configuration slowly tells people the secret words in it, and the techniques used are skillful and not artificial.
View more about The Horse Whisperer reviews
