Tuesday, July 28, 2009

some sweet day....














for years i have wanted to see robert bresson's 1966 film, 'au husard balthazar' but i fear it will break my heart. i have never seen such a sweet looking face as this animal. the film stars the russian born french actress anne wiazensky (daughter of a count, granddaughter of a nobel prize winner and for several years married to director jean-luc godard). here is a summary in case you would like to know more about the story:

The sad life and death of Balthazar, a donkey, from an idyllic childhood surrounded by loving children, through adulthood as a downtrodden beast of burden. His life is paralleled with that of the girl who named him, and as she is humiliated by her sadistic lover, so he is beaten by his owner. But he finds a kind of peace when he is employed by an old miller who thinks he is a reincarnated saint... Written by Michael Brooke

images: oil painting by pal shazar/balthazar/anne wiazemsky (the patti boyd of european cinema)

1 comment:

nipper said...

if it has the old yeller theme then count me out! i cry so easily when sweet animals suffer under unfair circumstances. can't even watch the x-mas show 'the little drummer boy' when the sweet lamb gets hit by the chariot.....that really had an affect on me as a young child.

love the tribute of sweetness in your painting though!