The Imaginarie

Yes, our villain is so villainous his first acts are fixing a neighbour’s fence in a storm, and rescuing a drowning calf.

At least two horses, maybe three, play the adult Thowra.

1. Blondie, who has the most screentime. Blaze with occluding spot, mane falls to the right, pink lower lip, no socks. Mane and tail both white. Used for galloping, jumping and rearing scenes, and all close-ups. Is shod. 2. Gelding used for just this one scene in the snow. Short off-white mane, tail with dark streak, low sock on left forefoot. 3. Horse used for fight with The Brolga. Split mane, tail extension, very crooked blaze, no socks but shell colouring on the outside of the left front hoof. This horse could be Blondie with make up - it is certainly expressive enough - but I’m doubtful. Blondie is also shod, and this horse is barefoot.

The Brolga returns to challenge Yarraman for the rule of the Cascade brumbies. Much rearing ensues, with plenty of inhibited bites and no real blows. Thowra apparently learns of their fight from the cockatoos and comes at a gallop, because he wants to watch? To help his father? Who knows. 

So, how sober are you at this point, anyway?

An old behind the scenes interview of Evanne Chesson, the horse master for The Silver Brumby, which looks briefly at the training of the horses and shows how some of the shots were accomplished; it also has Elyne Mitchell herself talking about the mare who inspired Bel Bel. 

This scene as a whole is a gem. We have:

heavy chanting

dramatic slow motion jump

Russell Crowe falling over his dog

gratuitous neighing and head bobbing

more slooow motion jumping

Russell Crowe’s growly “No”

warp speed exit

the Big No

the face of a man who has watched £200* run away.

*£200 in the 1940s comes out to between AU$10 000-16 000 today.

And now we meet Thowra’s equine nemesis, The Brolga. Even his own mares dislike him. 

Hope those grey mares aren’t shod behind.