Au hasard Balthazar
Directed by Robert Bresson
Written by Robert Bresson
1966/France/Sweden
Argos Films/Athos Films/Parc Film/Svensk Filmindustri
First viewing/Netflix rental
One of 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die
[box] Gerard: Lend him to us.
Marie’s mother: He’s worked enough. He’s old. He’s all I have.
Gerard: Just for a day.
.Marie’s mother: Besides, he’s a saint. [/box]
Visually stunning film but sad film that chronicles the suffering of a young girl and the donkey she adopted.
Marie and her family seem to live an idyllic life in rural France. The children come upon a nursing donkey colt and beg to adopt it. Father is eventually agreeable and he is brought home, where the children dote on him. The donkey is baptized Balthazar. When he is old enough, he is put to work hauling loads on the farm and pulling the donkey cart that the family travels in.
The family becomes increasingly impoverished, Years later Marie has the misfortune of meeting and falling in love with a thorough delinquent named Gerard. Gerard runs with a gang of teenagers who are constantly up to no good. He finds malicious ways of exploiting Balthazar. Balthazar falls into various hands, all of which mistreat him. But he is stoic to the end. Not so Marie, who has by now become corrupted.
This movie is about saintliness with Balthazar being the true saint – faithful and long-suffering. Humans pale in comparison. This is not an easy film to watch as there is a fair amount of animal cruelty. I can see why it is considered a masterpiece though. It is visually stunning in that slow Bressonian way and the music is exquisite. Amateur acting can at times be a drawback.
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