The Horse of Pride (1980)

Synopsis: The severely codified and strict lives of the rural poor in pre-World War I Brittany are the subject of Claude Chabrol's lyrical and elaborate film, THE HORSE OF PRIDE. Told through a series of... The severely codified and strict lives of the rural poor in pre-World War I Brittany are the subject of Claude Chabrol's lyrical and elaborate film, THE HORSE OF PRIDE. Told through a series of flashbacks and vividly recalled impressions, the culture and customs of the Breton peasants are vividly evoked, as the narrator recalls his parents wedding, his own birth, and the village's subsequent struggles against superstition and poverty--all filled with the elaborate costumes, religious fervor, ritual dances, special foods, sacred ceremonies and storytelling that make up the very essence of Breton life. As the world races towards industrialization, the small community clings to their beliefs, even as Pierre's own father is drafted to fight in the Great War. Chabrol's usual tendency for extreme psychological drama and stylization give way to a gentle and compassionate vision of a community with traditional, complex, but also compelling ways. Beautifully photographed and exactingly told, the stories within THE HORSE OF PRIDE evoke the complexities of old-world cultures and sensibilities as they shift, however reluctantly, into the modern world. [More]

Starring: Jacques Dufilho, Bernadette Lesache, François Cluzet

Starring: Jacques Dufilho, Bernadette Lesache, François Cluzet

Director: Claude Chabrol

Director: Claude Chabrol
Story: Pierre-Jakez Helias

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