Au Hasard Balthazar (1966)

Really Surprised!

In other words,this film is a surreal ride.

This film is so real. It treats its characters with so much care and sensitivity.

The movie is made so realistic it has a lot of that WoW feeling at the right moments and never tooo over the top. the suspense is done so well and the emotion is felt. Very well put together with the music and all.

Au Hasard Balthazar (French) (1966) Adorable self-abnegating donkey that serves as a symbol to mankind's hardships, Paralleling acquiescent Marie's coming-of-age with abusive and delinquent lover Gérard, But with Bresson's dedication to no acting or emoting, Without really seeing the significance as a religious parable, Ultimately an overrated solemn ode to Christianity, nature, life and death. Gogyohka translates literally to "five-line poem." An alternative to the tanka form, the gogyohka has very simple rules. Five lines with one phrase per line. What comprises a phrase? Eye of the beholder- or the poet, in this case. #Gogyohka #PoemReview

The pace of this movie--both of the PLOT and of the physical movement of the characters and the action of the scenes is very slow--like audiences needed more help to "catch up" with what's happening in 1966 when this film was released. It reminded me of another "classic" but dreadfully-paced foreign movie--Dreyer's "DAY OF WRATH"--ugh! Beyond that, the film seems to have an "instructional" storybook quality to it--like it's saying to the audience: "This is what you're supposed to Think!!" And then the Dread that hang's over the whole movie because you think someone is going to mutilate or kill the donkey. Robert Bresson is supposed to be an important and classic film-maker, but I've never "gotten" him. I tried very hard to stay awake during "Lancelot du Lac" and thought it was stupid and felt ripped off. It is possible to be artful and "symbolic" and metaphorical in good films! For rural French life--there are all the writing of Georges Simenon and the many movies made from them. For provincial life and aimless, cruel youth there is Fellini's I Vitelloni.

The main character in this harsh movie is an animal, a donkey (Balthazar), whose fate lies in the hands of his masters. In a world full of naked violence, economical exploitation, cheating, sadism and rape, only one family treats Balthazar correctly. Its members will pay the price for it. The donkey is the only really innocent living being in this world; indeed, a saint.Robert Bresson's main obsession was not to shoot 'theatre' scenes. The element 'actor' in his movies was turned into a kind of set piece. All sorts of emotion had to be suppressed, because being 'theatrical'. But, his view was too rigid. Slightly more emotion, more lively dialogues or more passionate gesticulation would have made his movies 'warmer', more human, more moving. Notwithstanding this, his film is still an astonishing masterpiece. A must see for all movie buffs.

When I read about this French/Swedish film, that featured in the book 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die, I assumed from the description it would be like a War Horse style movie, only with no war and stuff, but it turned out to be nothing like that, LOL, from director Robert Bresson. Basically this film follows the life of a donkey named Balthazar, as he grows up and passes from owner to owner, all treating them differently, either with kindness or cruelty, and making him go through happiness and sadness. Throughout the film Balthazar is surrounded by loving children, beaten by the lover of his owner, forced into carrying heavy and painful loads, until he finds peace with nice people and dies a natural death. Starring Anne Wiazemsky as Marie, François Lafarge as Gérard, Philippe Asselin as Marie's father, Nathalie Joyaut as Marie's mother, Walter Green as Jacques, Jean-Claude Guilbert as Arnold the tramp, Pierre Klossowski as Merchant, Jean Rémignard as Notary, Jacques Sorbets as Police Officer/Captain, Tord Paag as Louis, François Sullerot as Baker and Marie-Claire Fremont as Baker's wife. The performances of the film are fine, but the obvious creature that steals the show is the cute donkey who lights up the screen in all his scenes, good and bad, I will admit I did not pay the fullest attention to what was going on, but I suppose it is a drama to see. Very good!