Black Stallion, The (1979)

Composer(s):
Carmine Coppola, Shirley Walker (additional music)

Released in:
1979

Reviews

How this soundtrack changed my life
by Kim (March 19, 2006)
Can a piece of music truly change your life? Yes. This score has been dear to my heart since I first saw the movie at seven years old and is my lifelong favorite. In particular, two tracks changed my life in 1995.

I grew up in the country with horses, so it made sense to go back to that carefree girl galloping bareback on her pony imagining we were Alec and the Black in the big match race. As I grew older I put the horses away and settled down with a family. Listening to this one day after many years of having it in storage, I broke down in tears and realized I could not turn my back on that little girl..I was still her and the horses were what made me who I was. The horses returned to me in a year and I have never looked back.

Listening to this beautiful and elegant score the standout tracks are the opening credits (which beautifully sets up the mysterious desert heritage of the stallion Shetan), the magical "the legend"( in which Alec contemplates the Black playing on the beach at sunset against the statue of Buchephalus that his father gave him before he died )and "In Training", which truly evokes a down on the farm feeling of honest hard work and an impossible dream.

This film is a standout classic family film and the score is universally inspiring. Its message of following your dreams and believing that anything can happen are absolutely timeless. I cannot personally recommend this any higher than I am. Don't miss it.

Reviews on other sites:

Film Music Magazine (Intrada release)

suggested by:
Robert DiMucci

Films in Review (Prometheus release)

suggested by:
Robert DiMucci

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