Rating of
4/4
Au Hasard Balthazar review
Daniel Corleone - wrote on 01/23/13
"Life is nothing but a fairground, a market place where even your word is unnecessary." One of the best allegorical and spiritually intellectual film. Sometimes a simple picture can be poetic, without extravagant stars, special effects or even a complicated plot. Marie and the donkey named Balthazar are the central figures. Balthazar is handled by various owners. Luckily, this reviewer garnering the Criterion Collection, the interviews (with the director himself) and commentaries proved how great a picture this was. A trained donkey may be ludicrous to think of it as the main attraction of the movie, it instills much more.
The score was touching, pace of the story perfect, direction was impressive and performances sincere. Screenplay was exceptional with lines: "You must forgive. Everyone." "I believe in what I own. I love money. I hate death. " and "God does not foresake forever. He may punish, yet he will have compassion." Simple, innovative, powerful, moving, dark and timeless. Themes of a cynical world, faith, innocence, love, human cruelty, pride, greed, temptations, life and death in general. A combination of Life of Pi (without the humor and spectacular effects), The Virgin Spring and Shawshank Redemption (human behavior). Au Hasard Balthazar may not have any awards or even enjoyed by particular viewers, in any case for this critic, it is a quiet classic on its own. Besides, being one of the most analyzed films makes it a cult favorite or even a good picture at that.
