Buck is a great little documentary, see it if you can, in the cinema or on video.
I missed it at the MIFF last year but everyone who saw it loved it – one of the hits of the festival. I was disappointed because often these documentaries don’t get a commercial release. So I was happy when I got the chance to see it at the Nova.
Buck’s a horse whisperer, in fact, the character on which The Horse Whisperer (book and film) was based. Buck helped out on the film. Robert Redford’s in the documentary; describing how he was a bit skeptical of the faux cowboy who turned up at his office in Santa Monica, but who he subsequently engaged on the film. He discovered Buck had more to offer than advice about horse handling. However there’s a nice scene from the film showing how those horse handling skills were important, involving a very young Scarlett Johansson.
Buck was an abused child and speaks movingly, and honestly about what that means, how it has affected him and how it influences his attitude to training horses. This gives a moral centre to the film, lifting it above a simple story about horses and those who work with them. A damaged man has a special affinity with animals, taking care to treat them gently.
I couldn’t care two hoots about horses but I loved the scenes of Buck moving gently with his flags and breaking the horses in, more accurately leading them softly, patiently, deliberately to do exactly what he wants. I have, in the past, disliked dressage, seeing it as stiff, forced and unnatural. With Buck in the saddle, in the open green pastures, the horse looks as though it is dancing, and enjoying every minute of it.
There is a lovely scene where Buck talks a damaged horse into a float – after the horse has lunged at, and bitten, a man. The horse cannot be trained, even by Buck, so it is being taken to be put down. Others try to load it into the truck but can’t do it. They call for Buck. He comes and patiently coaxes the horse, taking all the time the animal needs. He will not beat it. Next day he explains what has caused the horse to behave like this. A beautiful demonstration of his skill and his approach.
Another moving scene has a man recalling the time when the abuse young Buck has been suffering comes to light. It’s in a football locker room. The coach insists the boy, Buck, take a shower – he doesn’t want to take his clothes off. The coach prevails and everyone in the room is shocked at the weals and bruises on Buck’s body. He was a child television performer, with his brother, trained by their father to jump ropes. Cute little boys in cute little cowboy costumes. There is television footage of their act. The father appearing to benevolently guide them through their performances. Looks are deceiving. Never good enough says the older Buck. They were beaten regularly, and emotionally abused. What a hero that football coach was. You’ll never go back he said. He’s not in the film, but two other heroes are: the Sheriff who came to the rescue when the coach called and the foster mother who cared for him thereafter.
Buck describes the fear he feels on being introduced to his foster father, a tall, lanky fellow like his father, strong enough to beat a boy. It’s a first hand account of what primal fear is like. Instead of beating him, this good man gives the young Buck a pair of work gloves and they spend time fencing, no words, just quiet working together. Buck wouldn’t dirty those gloves, wouldn’t wear them, they meant so much to him. A sad story beautifully conveyed with no self pity, no recriminations. Later Buck talks about his need to get over that past abuse, to chart his own life course and take responsibility for himself.
It’s interesting that his brother doesn’t appear in the film, although there are photos that indicate the two adults are friendly and in touch. There is another father figure, a legendary horse whisperer who taught Buck his craft, of whom there is some old footage. Then lots of examples of Buck showing off that craft to eager and appreciative audiences as he does his annual round of appearances – horse breaking demonstrations in private ranches in different States around the country, county rodeos and other horse competitions.
Buck has a family – although you are kept wondering about that for a good while. He seems the quintessential loner. Driving his horses from place to place. Entirely self sufficient, but welcomed by old friends at each stop. Eventually his wife and one of his two daughters join him, as they do from time to time we are told. The daughter has his way with horses. They perform together at one of the shows. It is nice to see that he has his own family, albeit he spends a lot of time apart from them.
This is an inspiring little film. Quite a man Buck and quite a story.
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