[first lines]

Alec Ramsey: Dad... you know what I saw? It's the most fantastic thing... come look!

Mr. Ramsey: [to the other poker players] My son.

Mr. Ramsey: Hey! Look, son, I'll tell you, I'm really busy, but... I'll tell you what I do need. I need some good luck.
[last lines]

Veterinarian: This horse has got a leg like iron; he's gonna be all right, son.

Alec Ramsey: Henry!
Mr. Ramsey: [picks up a small carved statue of a black horse] You know, I'll bet this is the most valuable piece here. It's Bucephalus, the magic horse of Alexander the Great. A long time ago, this King was gonna kill Bucephalus; because he was so wild, the King couldn't ride him. He had Bucephalus brought into a big arena and people came from all around; because they wanted to see this horse that was the biggest and the blackest and the strongest, the most beautiful horse that ever was. King Philip goes walkin' out der and he looked out on some of his men and he said, "Kill that horse." Just then a voice called out from the edge of the crowd and said, "I can ride that horse." Everybody looked around, they said, "Who said that?" Looked over and it was a little kid - just about your size, just about your age. And King Philip looked over and he said, "Son, if you can ride that horse, you can have that horse." So, Alexander walked out in the big arena and standing in the middle of the arena was Bucephalus. He was *big* and he was *strong* - and he was pawing the ground. And there was *fire* in his eyes. And there was smoke comin' out of his nose. And he went: Mmmmbbbbbb. And Alexander walked up and quick-as-a-cat he jumped up on his back, and he grabbed hold of that long black mane - and away they went! Just like lightening! And they jumped right over the crowd, right over the stands, and went ridin' out over the hill. Everybody said, "Whew!"

Alec Ramsey: [disbelievingly] Smoke comin' out of his nose.

Mr. Ramsey: Fire in his eyes!

Alec Ramsey: Fire in his eyes.

[chuckles]

Mr. Ramsey: Well, that's the way I heard the story.
Girl Reciting Poem: Ode to Alec Ramsey: I think that I shall never see, A boy as brave as Alec Ramsey. Hunger and thirst, And fear and pain, He lived because his heart had aim. A horse! As black as night to day, A beast, A god, With whom he did stay. They slept on the sand, And played in the ocean, And rode over the island, In a singular motion. Now, here he sits, A hero among boys, With the love of a horse, Much more than mere toy.
Snoe: Hey, what happened to you?

Alec Ramsey: Everything.

Snoe: Everything? That's a whole lot. It can't be everything.
Alec Ramsey: Henry, is the Black fast?

Henry Dailey: He's fast.

Alec Ramsey: Fast enough to be a race horse?

Henry Dailey: Alec, that Black is a desert horse. He's fast, alright. Sure, he's fast. But, he hasn't got any papers. Fast or not, I don't think they'd ever let him run.
Henry Dailey: Lookin' this way! Not lookin' this way and lookin' down on the ground. Lookin' straight ahead. That's right. You want to see what's comin' in back of ya, look underneath your arms. Not over here. Not over shoulders. Down under here. See, in here? See what's goin' on. Down there, all around you. And you can scoot and boot. Understand?
Henry Dailey: Look ahead. Down the lane. Down the lane. No, no. Now, you don't jump straight up and down. Now, look, just try and - try and keep your body as still as possible. Cause, he'll be movin'. See. He'll be movin'. He'll be makin' that rhythm. You just go on with him. See. No. No, you don't have to pump him. Just, just, just kinda go straight ahead with him. Huh? Just like you're throwin' away. No, no, like you're throwin' it away. Like this. Throw it away. That's right. That's right. Throw it away. That's right.
Henry Dailey: Now, look it, when a horse starts out of that gate, too, you've got to remember this, got to remember it: you don't want him to out break you. You know what that means? That horse starts to settle, they open that gate, wham! Like that and someone just: scap! Wap! Well, you can't do that. So, you grab a handful of mane. Just before he says go, hold on, so he don't out break you. You know what I mean? Because, you open that gate, you just be sittin' in mid air. You understand? And this Black can out break you, you know.
Alec Ramsey: We're gonna show everybody that he's the fastest horse in the world.

Snoe: You think you know that animal?

Alec Ramsey: Yeah, I know him.

Snoe: Well, I don't know. I get a funny feeling. I feel right now that you better let that horse stay wild, Alec. It's his soul.
Alec Ramsey: Did you know any good jockeys? Real good, famous jockeys?

Henry Dailey: There are a lot of 'em. George Woolf, the Iceman.

Alec Ramsey: Iceman?

Henry Dailey: Oh, now, that's just what they call him. Georgie Woolf - and they call him in the newspapers the Iceman. Because, he - he sits chilly on a horse. That means he sits there and he can wait. He knows what to do. He's studyin' a horse. Now, he's up there ridin'. He's up there ridin', goin' on with him. You know what I mean? He's sittin' up there goin' on - studyin' him! He's just studyin' him! Studyin' him! Just studyin' him - and when it's time to make his move, they say, "Ah, here comes the Iceman."

[laughs]
Alec's Mother: You're not supposed to keep secrets from your mother.
Alec's Mother: What kind of dreams are you filling up his head with?
Alec Ramsey: I was in the water. I couldn't breathe. It was dark and I - I was yelling out for Dad, but, I looked up and there was the Black. And I grabbed onto him.

Alec's Mother: And he saved your life, didn't he?
Henry Dailey: Jake, that horse has got speed he ain't even tapped yet!

Jake: Well, if you ask me, you're nuts. You are outta your mind. That monster has no more business bein' out on this track with class...

Henry Dailey: He's fast.

Jake: But, he's wild! You saw him zigzaggin' all over the course.

Henry Dailey: Well?

The Black Stallion Quotes

Extended Reading

The Black Stallion short comments

Frieda 2022-03-27 09:01:19

A child develops pure trust and affection with animals. Indulge in the director's pursuit of light and shadow and the description of beauty. The control of the perfect lens language makes these emotions so delicately displayed in front of the eyes. The dance-like chase of the beach and the shallow sea mobilized all my feelings. The drum music was so beautiful in that scene! Only a pure soul like a child and an animal can establish such a beautiful relationship.
Erick 2022-03-25 09:01:19

The picture is beautiful, and the long-form MV looks and feels. Strayed on the Deserted Island thought it would be the children's version of Robinson Crusoe, the children's version of survival in the wilderness, or the centaurs version of the juvenile faction, but in fact it was just the establishment of the relationship between humans and horses. The little boy is not pretty, nor is he cute, but he is calm and smart, and he is amazed when he gets on a horse in the water. I don't like the process of horse training so much, it's a bit more conventional. The percussion background music from start to finish should be a metaphor for the sound of horse hooves.