Wild Horses (1995)

Wonderful character development!

Excellent, Without a doubt!!

There are moments that feel comical, some horrific, and some downright inspiring but the tonal shifts hardly matter as the end results come to a film that's perfect for this time.

This is a gorgeous movie made by a gorgeous spirit.

A road movie that begins when a man tries to rob a bank and the bank's clerk, a yuppie, pretends the thief has kidnapped him to help him run away. While they're running away, they meet a girl who becomes part of the team.While I may not know much about Argentinian cinema, I do know that this is a strange adventure. It gets increasingly hectic as it goes, with the second half being far more high-intensity than the first. The initial bank robbery and "kidnapping" are the least of the plot points.Luckily this never devolves into complete madness. Possibly semi-madness, but nothing quite like "Mad Max" though it does have elements of a world that is beyond saving.

Caballos Salvajes is about an older looking man who steals a large sum of money from the bank and then goes on the run with a bank worker who decides to help him out. Although the relationship between both men was very hostile right from the start, throughout their trip to the south of Argentina both men begin to talk through their problems and grow close. During the trip the men realize that they are involved in something bigger than just a bank robbery and they are faced with different circumstances which they resolve together. The movie includes serious circumstances surrounding the main characters, but is also filled with comedy in the way in which they handle their business and in the dialogue. Towards the end of the movie we are faced with the revealing of some facts and the mood of the movie switches to a much more tender and loving one. Overall the movie is very comical and exciting, and the acting very much entertaining.

Corruption exists on many levels. While Argentine cinema is certainly full of films about exposing institutional corruption, what makes Caballos Selvajes so moving is its focus on the personal choices of individuals in contributing to or avoiding corruption. The decision a young banker instinctively makes when confronting a life, death and money situation sets him on a path which irrevocably veers him away from becoming like his corrupt boss at the bank. Likewise that of an ambitious young journalist contrasts him sharply with his calculating and corrupt boss at the network.Protecting human life, human expression, human freedom, and the truth is a theme which runs through this film. The consequences of making choices based on these priorities are often not easy, and that is reflected in the outcomes for these characters. The wild horses of this film are a metaphor for human freedom, and what must be done to insure their freedom, an example of hard but worthwhile sacrifice.

An idealist movie as there ever was, "caballos salvajes" (Wild horses), truly captures an specific feeling in argentinian cinema.Similar in spirit to the movies of Adolfo Aristaráin, it is the story about an old suicidal anarchist (Hector Alterio) who recovers his soul, and yes, it is a very soulful movie. Not a movie made to win festivals or to make well deserved cash, Caballos Salvajes is political at times, but also poignant and inspiring, nonetheless it's a road movie, with trepidant action and a heart of gold.A life affirming flick for anyone who feels a little lost (although not a septuagenarian myself, I can relate), but also a great portrait of Argentina in the 1990s. A must see, anyway.