Why It Worked: Spirit: Stallion Of The Cimarron
Introduction: Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron is an animated western film produced by DreamWorks Animation and distributed by DreamWorks Pictures. Directed by the late-great Kelly Asbury with Lorna Cook serving as co-director, the film stars the voice talents of Matt Damon, Daniel Studi, James Cromwell, Chopper Bernet, Jeff LeBeau and Frank Welker; with musice provided by Hans Zimmer and Bryan Adams. The film was released on May 24, 2002 and while it didn’t do great at the box office (only making $122.6 million worldwide on a budget of $80 million), it recieved fairly positive reviews with 69% out of 127 reviews aggregated by Rotten Tomatoes giving an average rating of 6.4/10. In the 20 years since its release, it has gain a cult following as well as a spin-off show on Netflix called Spirit Riding Free. The show became so popular that is spawning a standalone sequel to the film called Spirit Untamed, released on June 4, 2021. I’ve always really liked this film and it stands as one of my favorite films by DreamWorks Animation. I’m so glad to talk about why I adore this film and what makes it stand out from animated films before or since its release.
The Plot: Set in the American old West, this film follows the journey of a yellow mustang who’s taken from his herd and must find his way back home. Along the way he meets a young Lakota man called Little Creek, an American Paint Horse called Rain, and a calm yet authoritaritve Colonel. Right away the film hooks the audience with an amazing 3 minute shot of an eagle flying threw a canyon with Hans Zimmer’s score beautifully caputring the majesty of the West. This is just the tip of the iceberge as this film as it maintains that majestic tone throughout the film. Even though the film is 84 minutes long, it makes every second count by having scenes devoid of any dialogue and just let the moment speak for itself. Scenes like Spirit and Rain getting to know each other and Spirit and Little Creek making a mighty jump across a canyon are all the more powerful due to the lack of dialogue. In addition to that there are a good number of funny moments, which feel natural and also really funny. Spirit messing with Murph, the blacksmith, and Little Creek getting doused in face paint are amoung the funniest moments in the film due to how well timed and executed they are. The animation plays a crucial role in making the story so grand. The horses are designed wonderfully with strong builds, accurate anatomy (without drawing any of the undercarriages due to this being for kids) and very expressive faces. The humans all have natural yet appealing and distinctive designs, with the military having strong blue uniforms that makes them distinct from the native Lakota tribe. The characters have natural movements to them with excellent running and trotting animation on the horses and more subtle movements from the humans. I also really like the backgrounds as they make the film look like a painting. The colors are bright and vibrant, the textures are well detailed and the 2D and 3D elements complent each other beautifully. The story of this film can best be described as awe inspiring because of how well they made this world feel timeless.
Cast and Characters: There’s really only 4 characters that play key roles in the film, but their lack in numbers does not negate their importance. Starting with our titular hero, Spirit is a curious, brave and determined horse who want to get back to his herd after he’s captured. While on his journey, he shows that he’s unselfish and caring by freeing military horse whenever he gets the chance. Little Creek is a young, clever and determined Lakota man who Spirit meets at the military camp. They don’t get along at first, but Little Creek’s determination impresses Spirit and they eventually grow to respect each other. Rain is a smart, stubborn and well mannered mare who has a good relationship with Little Creek. Her and Spirit start off at odds, but the more time he spends with her, the more they fine that they were mean to be. Then there’s the Colonel, the main antagonist of the film and the antithosis to Spirit’s ideals. While Spirit values the beauty of freedom, the Colonel is all about order and control. The Colonel is calm and collected, yet he’s full of authority and his men obey his whim without question. The supporting cast is even fewer than the main cast, but they still have their importance in the story such as Spirit’s Mom, Esperana, taking care of the herd while Spirit is away, the eagle that Spirit races with, and Murph who Spirit messes with much to the audience’s amusement. The characters are brought to life by the stellar acting and sound design on display. While Spirit himself doesn’t speak, his narration is provide by Matt Damon, who give his voice a brash yet wise and honest tone. Daniel Studi did a great job voicing Little Creek, making him sound so confident and clever. James Cromwell did an excellent job voicing the Colonel, making him sound calm yet fully of authority. They did a great job implimenting real horse noises into the film as they give Spirit and they other horses such a wide range of emotions. Jeff LeBeau, Chopper Bernet and Frank Welker also did really good jobs as Murph, the Sargent and the eagle respectively. I’d be remissing myself if I didn’t give credit to young Meredith Wells (daughter of Prince of Egypt co-director Simon Wells) for her adorable delivery of “Bye Bye horsey!” as the little Lakota baby. That was so adorable that it was used in trailers to promote the film. The cast may be small, but what they lack in numbers they make up for in great importance.
Songs and Music: Hans Zimmer and Bryan Adams made an absolutely killer soundtrack with this film. Hans’ score incorperates some great piano cues and heavy uses of brass instruments and a string orcastra, Bryan Adams sings 6 songs in the film that act as a secondary voice for Spirit. Here I Am perfectly introduces Spirit as a curious young colt who’s so amazed by the world around him. You Can’t Take Me captures his worry as he’s captured and his longing to go home. Get Off of My Back is a banging rock song that capture’s Spirit’s cocky attitude towards the soliders trying (and hilariously failing) to break him. Sound The Bugle is a somber track that describes Spirit’s defeated state when he’s captured again. Then there’s I Will Always Return, which serves as a celebratory ballad of Spirit returning home with a newfound appreciation for his freedom. The final song that plays during the credits is a beautiful duet with the late Sarah MacCallan called Don’t Let Go, which is a love ballad describing hanging on to this tender moment between lovers. The soundtrack really makes this film standout and it would feel empty without it.
Where It Falters: 👆 Yeah this one comment is this only critque I have with the film. Casual sexism is not okay and we shouldn't excuse comments like this. This is yet another example of what NOT to say to/about a woman. Scoffing at a woman for being protective and impling all women are like this is definitely sexist and should not be tolerated. I'm glad we're smarter now and are putting in more effort to respect women.
Conclusion: Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron is an absolutely fantastic film that holds up really well after 20 years. With an epic story, fantastic soundtrack, wonderful animation and a really strong cast of characters, this film remains one of the highlights of DreamWorks Animation's history. If you haven't seen it yet, definitely check it out. And if you're a fan of Spirit Riding Free or Spirit Untamed, then you should definitely check this out. Thank you so much for reading and I'll see you soon ;)
