L Sunaverse I had heard of the novel but was not familiar with the actual story and didn't know it was about a horse's life from his perspective. It is beautifully and authentically shot, and has neither contrived animal cuteness nor a plot with contrived drama and sentimentality. Rather, you see the animals in their natural beauty as well as in difficult situations that you are made to see from their perspective. Horse life is shown in its raw state, both the exhilaration and the brutality. I about balled my eyes out on this film. If you don't at least choke up a little, you may need to pinch yourself to see if you're alive. I did have some good laughs too. Honestly I don't know how they got many of the animal shots.

suzanneadvnc Black Beauty was so beautiful and moving. I recently saw it again - had not seen it for years. It makes me cry. It is so sad and moving. It even made my husband cry. And if you love horses as much as I do, it's the absolute best horse movie. So much more realistic than the other horses movies, even Secretariat. It was wonderfully authentic and so REAL - what a wonderful job these folks did of making a horse movie that I can believe. The scenes of Beauty and Ginger and Merrylegs and amazing and I loved them - my husband did too. If this movie doesn't get to you, then no movie can. The scenes of the countryside and I assume England are lovely. It's just a great movie. Thank you for this heartwarming movie.

TheLittleSongbird There are so many things to love about Black Beauty. It is a truly beautiful, moving film, and do I think it is underrated? Yes I do and unjustly so. For one thing, Black Beauty is just amazing to look at. The cinematography was just tremendous throughout and the scenery was magnificent. The costumes were lovingly designed, and on the whole the period detail was flawless. Caroline Thompson's screenplay also deserves credit. The book is a timeless literary classic, and out of the numerous adaptations of the book, this is the truest. The screenplay itself is enough to evoke tears, Black Beauty's inner thoughts especially were so beautifully written. And she does a remarkable job directing as well. Danny Elfman is one of my favourite film composers, his score for Edward Scissorhands is still one of the most beautiful scores I have ever heard in a film. His score here is just as effective, it never affects the quiet composition of the film, as a matter of fact the tone of it is just right. The acting from Sean Bean, David Thewlis, Peter Cook and Eleanor Bron is all top notch, but the real star of the show is Black Beauty himself, though all the horses look superb. I also thought that Alan Cumming's voice for Black Beauty was perfect, very sensitive and melodious as it should be. The film is so beautiful and has a lot of poignant moments and an unexpected soft centre. If I had one minor quibble, and it is ever so minor, it is that the film is too short. Other than that beautiful; I remember sort of liking the 1971 film, but it didn't have the emotional impact that this adaptation did on me. 10/10 Bethany Cox

PudgyPandaMan This is perhaps one of the most moving and beautiful films I have ever seen. I first saw it probably 10+ years ago when my daughter was little and crazy about horses. I had read "Black Beauty" as a child and it was one of my favorite books. So I was looking forward to seeing it but really wasn't expecting much - just a children's film about an old childhood favorite.Boy, was I surprised. This movie was such a moving film. I still remember it this many years later. (I did also recently watch it again). But from memory, the thing that stood out most to me was the superb narration by Scotish actor Alan Cumming as he brings Black Beauty to life. His voice lent so much charm and personality to the entire film. Usually I'm not a fan of accents as it can make the movie harder to understand. But his enunciation was so clear as to not be a problem. He truly MAKES the film. His voice is so rich, with layers and textures. An American narrator couldn't have possibly been nearly as effective. I'm glad this film didn't go with the special effects to make it look like the animals mouths moved when they talked - it would have cheapened the film and it is much more beautiful the way it feels like you are listening to Black Beaauty's thoughts.The other stand out feature is the musical score and sound effects. I can't believe they were overlooked for any awards. The film wouldn't have been 1/10th the experience without it - it is that integral to the whole atmosphere. Listen for how they use breathing and other sound effects to bring the horses to life - especially when Black Beauty was sick. Another time, when Beauty is teasing Jerry and steals his bread - listen when he brings it back to Jerry. I am almost certain Beauty laughs - in a horse whinny kind of way!Usually, I would comment on the cast - but here, the most important ones are the horses. So I guess kudos go to the trainers and director in getting such great footage of them on film. There are times when they are racing through pastures, or rearing up on their hind legs so that it appears as though they are dancing. And with the beautiful music playing alongside - it is truly magic.The film does great justice to Anne Sewell's original novel of BLACK BEAUTY (1878). It's unfortunate she never lived to see the great success her novel achieved - as she died just 3 months after it was published.This film will definitely pull at your heartstrings. Have the tissues handy, especially if you are an animal-lover. There are great themes of love and loyalty, trust and betrayal. The film will have you laughing, smiling with pure joy, and crying. It ends on a high note with more great scenes of Beauty racing through pastures, reflected in the pond like a dream. Don't miss this one!