- “Leader. Hero. Legend.”
- ―Tagline
Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron (also known as Spirit) is a 2002 American traditionally-animated Western film produced by DreamWorks Animation and distributed by DreamWorks Pictures. The film was directed by Kelly Asbury and Lorna Cook (in their feature directorial debuts) from a screenplay by John Fusco, based on an idea by Jeffrey Katzenberg, who produced the film alongside Mireille Soria.
Synopsis[]
Follows the adventures of a wild and rambunctious mustang stallion as he journeys through the untamed American frontier. Encountering man for the first time, Spirit defies being broken, even as he develops a remarkable friendship with a young Lakota brave. The courageous young stallion also finds love with a beautiful paint mare named Rain on his way to becoming one of the greatest unsung heroes of the Old West.
Plot[]
The beginning of the film features a bald eagle gliding over the homeland of mustangs (wild horses), which resembles several of the USA's National Parks. A mustang mare gives birth to a colt and he grows up to become the stallion leader of the herd (Matt Damon provides the stallion's narrations). One day, the stallion rescues two foals from getting killed by a mountain lion and the herd is grateful.
One night, the stallion notices something unusual in the distance and decides to check it out. He comes across a group of humans and their horses camping in the forest. The stallion has never seen humans before, and when he sticks his nose in a boot, he throws it off, which lands on one of the campers, awakening him. He awakes his comrade, and they tend to capture the stallion. However, the stallion runs off, and the humans follow pursuit on their horses. The stallion leads his herd to safety and runs off to lead the riders in another direction. Unfortunately, the stallion gets captured and is taken to a US army cavalry fort in the desert.
The ruthless Colonel decides to break the wild stallion, but this proves to be harder for the soldiers, as the stallion easily bucks them off his back. The Colonel orders that the stallion is tied to a post with no food or water for three days. The next day, a Lakota native is captured and is tied to a post next to the stallion. The Lakota is called Little Creek and later in the night, one of his comrades throws a knife to him to help him escape.
That morning, the Colonel decides to break the stallion. The stallion tries his best to buck him off but cannot due to starvation and dehydration, and the Colonel believes he broke the wild horse. However, the stallion tries again to buck him off and succeeds, breaking the fence in the process. The army horses give whinnies as if cheering to the stallion. The Colonel decides to kill the stallion, but Little Creek cuts free and saves the horse. With Little Creek hanging onto his neck, the stallion breaks free from the fort, along with the army horses. Then, a paint mare comes with Little Creek's friends, and they rope the stallion, taking him back to their tribe.
Little Creek decides to break the stallion himself, but the wild horse still refuses to be ridden. Little Creek then ties a rope around the stallion, connecting with the paint mare, Rain. The mare shows the stallion the Lakota tribe and they soon fall in love. However, the stallion is homesick but does not want to leave Rain. Little Creek decides to let the stallion go. The stallion wants to take Rain back to his herd, but then, they hear a noise and discover the US cavalry, attacking the Lakota tribe. Rain heads off to find Little Creek but is shot by the Colonel and she falls into the river. The stallion rushes and knocks the Colonel off his horse, preventing him from shooting Little Creek. The stallion hurries to save Rain, but the two plummet over a waterfall. The stallion stays by Rain's side throughout the night, but some cavalry scouts discover the two and rope the stallion. They leave Rain behind, believing she will die, and the stallion is taken away. Little Creek comes to his mare's aid and sees the stallion being taken to a train station.
The stallion is loaded into a boxcar with some of the Lakota's horses, but he is heartbroken over the loss of Rain. During the trip, the stallion sees the apparitions of his herd, and he joins with the other horses. The train arrives at the Transcontinental Railroad work site, where the stallion and numerous other horses are put to work in pulling a steam engine over a mountain. Once the stallion reaches the top, he realizes that the railroad is heading towards his homeland, and he stops, causing the other horses to stop. He then pretends to be sick and collapses. When he is taken away, he frees himself and kicks the chains that hold the horses to the engine, freeing them. However, the engine starts to tumble, and the stallion hurries off back to the worksite. The engine crashes, and an explosion rips through the worksite. The explosion causes a forest fire, and the stallion rushes to safety. The chain around his neck gets caught in a stump, but Little Creek arrives and frees him.
The next morning, the stallion and Little Creek play in the brook, rekindling their friendship. Then, a group of cavalrymen, including the Colonel, discover the two and chase after them. The stallion rescues Little Creek by pushing him on his back, and they rush into a canyon. A climactic chase scene ensues on winding rock passages where the two again outsmart the cavalry. However, they become trapped atop a rock tower, and the stallion walks to the end. Little Creek realizes that the stallion plans to jump to the other side of the canyon. The stallion then makes the incredible "leap of faith" over the canyon, and they safely make it to the other side. The Colonel is amazed and decides to let the two go and leaves. The stallion lets Little Creek ride on him, and they return to the Lakota camp.
The stallion discovers that Rain is actually alive, and the two rejoice over their reunion. Little Creek bids farewell to Rain and to the stallion, named "Spirit-Who-Could-Not-Be-Broken". Spirit and Rain return to the herd, and they celebrate his return. The last scene features Spirit and Rain on a hill, overlooking the herd as they graze.
Voice Cast[]
- Matt Damon as Spirit
- James Cromwell as The Colonel
- Daniel Studi as Little Creek
- Chopper Bernet as Sgt. Adams
- Jeff LeBeau as Murphy, Railroad Foreman
- Richard McGonagle as Bill
- Matt Levin as Joe
- Robert Cait as Jake
- Charles Napier as Roy
- Zahn McClarnon as Little Creek's Friend
- Michael Horse as Little Creek's Friend
- Donald Fullilove as Train Pull Foreman
See full cast at IMDB here
Home Media[]
- Main article: Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron/Home Video
Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron was released on VHS and DVD on November 19, 2002. It was re-released on DVD on May 18, 2010. The film was released on Blu-ray in Germany on April 3, 2014, in Australia on April 4, and in the United States and Canada on May 13, 2014. The film was re-issued by 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment on Blu-ray and DVD on October 19, 2014. It includes a movie ticket to Penguins of Madagascar.
Gallery[]
Trivia[]
- This is the third (or second-to-last) DreamWorks Animation traditionally animated film to be produced at their Glendale Studio, after The Prince of Egypt and The Road to El Dorado.
- All the horses in the film were recorded by real horses instead of human vocalizations.
- The second DreamWorks Animation film to be rated G by the MPAA, after Chicken Run.
- This is also the only DreamWorks Animation traditionally animated film to have this rating.
- This is the first DreamWorks Animation film to be produced in a 2.35:1 widescreen aspect ratio; all of the company's previous films were produced in 1.85:1.
- This is also the only DreamWorks Animation traditionally animated film to be produced in this aspect ratio.
- This was the first DreamWorks Animation to have separate widescreen and pan-and-scan DVD releases.
- This was the first DreamWorks Animation film directed by a woman.
- This is the second DreamWorks Animation film to premiere in theaters during May, first one being Shrek.
- This is the only installment in the Spirit franchise to use traditional animation.
- This is the first DreamWorks Animation film to be promoted by mentioning Shrek in the advertisements.
External links[]
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