board a cruise ship off the coast of North Africa in 1946, a young boy named Alec Ramsey (Kelly Reno) – spelled “Ramsay” in the source material – spies a distraught black horse being forcefully corralled into an area on one of the higher decks. He’s awed by the beast’s magnificence, but his father (Hoyt Axton) is too busy playing cards to come take a closer look with him. And when Alec returns to feed the creature a few sugar cubes, he’s harshly scolded by one of its handlers.

That evening, a raging storm causes a fire to break out, while massive waves of water batter the ship. Total chaos ensues as panicked passengers run and scream; the very same handler from before even attacks Alec to steal his life vest, shortly before the boy and countless others are swept overboard. The following morning, Alec awakes on a beach, drenched but alive, having tied himself to one of the black stallion’s reins, moments before losing consciousness. Although he’s stranded on an island without food or water or even fellow survivors, Alec does eventually run across the Arabian horse once again, which has also miraculously persevered.

One year before “The Blue Lagoon,” this picture would set up a similar initial premise, though the focus isn’t about two teenagers growing up together in complete isolation. Here, the titular creature becomes the secondary companion, as Alec manages some exceptional skills to fend for himself – from locating edible seaweed to starting a fire. It’s intriguing that despite the eventual storyline shifting to training the horse for a professional race, a la “National Velvet,” the first half is dedicated to an against-all-odds survivalist tale, wherein an unlikely friendship – and dependence – between man and beast forms. A series of scenes in which Alec learns to ride the stallion, climbing upon its back by coaxing it into shallow waters, is absolutely triumphant, aided nicely by Carmine Coppola’s unusual orchestral score (featuring the alternation of percussion-prominent pieces with bold trumpets, almost horror-movie twangs, and more playful piano plucking).

It is indeed practically two separate films, as Alec is expectedly reunited with humanity (not unlike Tarzan), transforming the early comparison to Alexander the Great and Bucephalus into one of a sports-drama underdog and his seemingly unfit (un-papered) steed. The opening shipwreck cinematography is quite well done – a striking set piece considering that it’s just the setup – as well as many later shots that make superb use of silhouettes, waning sunlight, underwater photography, and various wildlife clips, before moving the camera’s attention to foggy cityscapes and lush farmlands. The care with which framing, angles, and the widescreen presentation are handled (as well as the editing of it all together) is surprising and impressive for what is ostensibly a mere children’s adventure picture (adapted from Walter Farley’s best-selling novel).

There’s actually a lot at work underneath the main plot, considering that Mickey Rooney’s former horse trainer has a considerable history; a concern that taming a wild animal limits its freedoms weaves its way through the formulaic conditioning; and Alec’s mother (Teri Garr) struggles with thoughts of losing out on bonding with her son and the unavoidable absence of her husband (concepts depicted almost exclusively through brief expressions and actions). Despite the engagingly unanticipated complexity, the pacing is still slightly off; there isn’t a wealth of unnecessary moments, but some of them are stretched out and conspicuously unhurried (at the end, there’s a documentary feel toward the preparations for the climactic race, while a speed test in an unforgiving downpour seems excessively silly – alongside a last-minute quarrel between rival horses). Even the nature of Alec being entirely too young and inexperienced to ride the black stallion brings about thoughts of inauthenticity. Fortunately, however, the finale is entertaining, regardless of its predictability.

– Mike Massie