THE STORY OF SPIRIT:

STALLION OF THE CIMARRON

By Diana De Rosa

Take a Wild Mustang born during the 1800s when the American West was the perfect frontier for a herd of horses. Combine that with a heartwarming story told through the eyes of a wild and rambunctious Mustang Stallion as he learns life's lessons. Add romance with a beautiful Paint Mare and friendship with a young Lakota brave. Spice it up with having his homeland threatened and his capture by the Cavalry. Now take all of this and make it into an animated film and you have the makings of one blockbuster movie called Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron, which debuts May 24, 2002 in theaters across the United States; the first ever animated film with a horse as its central character.

It was producer Jeffrey Katzenberg's love of the horse that was the inspiration behind this movie. "I just love horses. I think the horse is maybe the most beautiful animal on the planet," explained Katzenberg, a principal partner in DreamWorks SKG, a multi-faceted entertainment company co-founded by him, Steven Spielberg and David Geffen in October 1994. Katzenberg most recently produced DreamWorks' Academy Award winning blockbuster Shrek.

Katzenberg went on to explain that it was four years ago when he decided he wanted to tell a story through the eyes of an animal. Something that had not been done since the Lion King, He wanted to take our audience into a world they never had been in before - the world of a Wild Stallion at that most romanticized moment in time - the late 1800s. That was the time when the horse really was the King of his domain.

And so that's what screenwriter John Fusco did. As Fusco explains it, I opened up the canvas of the West, and took that horse on a journey that traveled from life in the wild to a captive life with the Cavalry, into the Native American world.

AS THE STORY UNFOLDS

The movie opens with an eagle flying through the American Frontier, unfolding all the many wonders of the world into Spirit's homeland to a beautiful medley of orchestral music. You then hear a whinny before Spirit begins to narrate his story. And then suddenly the pounding hooves of the Cimarron herd as they gallop straight toward you, and then continue on through water and over the land they call home. The opening scene is powerful and immediately invites you back to a time when wild Mustangs ran free.

"They say the history of the West was written from the saddle of a horse, but it's never been told from the heart of one, until now," says Spirit, in voice over narration by Matt Damon, as he brings the viewer into his world and his life: one of freedom, beauty, energy and the natural instincts to survive in a homeland that is filled with lush green grass, beautiful blue skies and fresh water.

"The land was ageless. It had no beginning and no end," he continues. "No boundary between earth and sky. Like the wind and the buffalo grass, we belonged here. We would always belong here."

Spirit continues on saying how the Mustang was the spirit of the West and how he remembered those times running in the herd. "The sun and sky and the wind calling my name in a time when we ran free. " I'll never forget the sound and the feeling of running together. The hoofbeats were many, but our hearts beat as one."

BORN IN THE WILD WEST

Once the tone is set it's time to tell the tale of Spirit's life. He was born in the open plains of the American West in the late 1800s to a Palomino mare named Esperanza, which in Spanish means hope. We see Spirit struggle to stand and walk just moments after he is born. Then we watch Spirit's inquisitiveness as he checks out the world he was born into. Esperanza is a patient and loving mother who keeps a cautious eye on her young colt. Spirit is a brave, noble, mischievous, bold, energetic, and proud Kiger Mustang. Here is where the animators make excellent use of their creative artistry to connect the audience with this young daring stallion early in this film. You can't help but fall in love with Spirit.

The story moves on to when Spirit takes over as leader of the Cimarron herd. Moments such as Spirit rearing and kicking out his front legs on the top of a mountain are so accurate in detail that you can just imagine what it must have been like for a stallion in a time when he was responsible for keeping his herd safe from predators, while also ensuring their health and well-being. You sense freedom and fearlessness as Spirit and his herd gallop across their homeland. Spirit takes his role as leader seriously. He is a proud, strong stallion who will stop at nothing to maintain the freedom of his herd.

Eventually things take a turn as Spirit's homeland is threatened and he must learn to fight for his freedom.

It is then that Spirit encounters man for the first time when he is captured by the United States Cavalry and defies being broken as he bucks off one cavalry officer after another in their attempt to ride him. His biggest adversary is a stern, determined and strong-willed Colonel. This rodeo-bucking scene is an incredible work of animation. Spirits body twists and turns within the limits of true horse movement wildly portraying his defiance and refusal to be ridden. Academy Award winning songwriter/singer Bryan Adams appropriately sings Get Off My Back, during this animated sequence. The music, combined with the animation, and the powerful message this part of the movie represents is a key element in the film.

At the same time Spirit develops a friendship with a young, strong and compassionate Lakota brave named Little Creek, who was also captured. Little Creek recognizes that there is something very special about Spirit and they help each other in their attempt to flee. Along the way they must escape a train wreck and massive forest fire. The animators blend fiery orange to set the backdrop for their daring escape as fire rages through the forest.

At last free from the Cavalry Little Creek takes Spirit to the Lakota Village where he and the stallion begin building a friendship based on trust and respect. Little Creek also owns a beautiful and gentle Paint mare named Rain, who is totally devoted to her owner but is intrigued by Spirit's strength and conviction. Spirit eventually falls in love with Rain. The movie ends with Spirit and Rain returning to his homeland and herd. Throughout the many trials and tribulations that Spirit encounters it is his mother's strength that keeps him grounded and focused on returning to her and his homeland.

A TRUE WORK OF ART AND A STRONG MESSAGE

As we take the journey across the American frontier with Spirit we learn that with strength, dignity and courage, our spirits cannot be broken and we can all overcome adversity and challenges that are thrown our way. It is the premise that Katzenberg developed this movie around and it is the message that is maintained throughout the movie.

This will be the first time such a huge audience will have the opportunity to appreciate the hidden treasures that make horses so special to humans - from the way they express themselves through their ears, the way they move their head and tail and the suppleness of their body to their keen sense of smell and danger. Horses are truly royal animals with a prowess about them that is self-evident.

Unlike other animals horses are notoriously difficult to animate and surely this is why it has taken so long for such a film to come to fruition. Horses have long bodies with an inflexible spine and a complex musculature, which is evident in their every move. Horses have long muzzles with a wide separation between the eyes and mouth, making animating facial expressions very difficult. Horses eyes are also located more to the sides of their heads and they don't have true eyebrows. Animators rely on eyes and eyebrows to convey a variety of emotions.

Before setting out to create this film an extensive learning curve was needed to understand the structure, movement and anatomy of the horse, and not just one horse but many horses as each horse takes on its own personality; some are quiet and others more rambunctious; some or devilish and others angels. Horses like humans, each have their own distinct traits that give them their own identity.

The creators also visited eight of America's treasured National Parks: Yellowstone National Park, Monument Valley, Glacier National Park, Grand Tetons National Park, Bryce Canyon and the Grand Canyon. The excursion provided limitless inspiration for capturing the natural beauty of the landscape setting. They mixed and matched the various traits of these parks to create the mythic American frontier, which became the ideal background for each particular scene of the movie. Setting the story against different backdrops was a way to pay homage to the land and helped depict Spirit's emotional journey as well.

Throughout the film both music and color are used as an emotional palette to tell the story - both help the audience to feel the story. All the horse sounds heard are authentic. They were recorded at a variety of stables and used where applicable in the movie. Even the footfalls (hoof beats) were obtained by recording horses moving across grass, dirt, rocks, etc. and were then augmented by the artists, of which there were over 300.

While Spirit never speaks but rather narrator Academy and Golden Globe Award winner Matt Damon takes on that task, nowhere in the film do you not feel the depth of Spirit's despair, the height of his happiness and the warmth of his love for Rain, his mom and his herd. The producers, directors, artists, consultants and the real Spirit, a 15.1 hand, 900 lbs. Kiger Mustang purchased to serve as a model and an inspiration, all helped to bring to life a story of a horse who stays true to his spirit. A Cimarron Stallion who sets an example we all should follow and a storyline that each person watching this film wont soon forget.