AU HASARD BALTHAZAR

| 1967 – 97′ – CLASSIC, DRAMA.
Written by: Robert Bresson.
Directed by: Robert Bresson.
Starring: Anne Wiazemsky, Francois Lafarge, Philippe Asselin, Nathalie Joyaut, Walter Green, Pierre Klossowski, François Sullerot, Marie-Claire Frémont.
Official Selection Cannes International Film Festival 1966.
In French with English subtitles.
A The Criterion Collection release. |

This thoughtful and unique French film reveals the surprisingly deep connection between Marie, a sensitive farm girl, and her cherished donkey, Balthazar. Though Marie and Balthazar are eventually separated when she gets older, the tale follows both the young woman and the donkey as they contend with the hardships of the world. Although Marie and Balthazar often encounter cruelty from the various people they meet, they also find small moments of beauty. This profound masterpiece from Robert Bresson–one of the most revered filmmakers in the history of cinema–follows the donkey Balthazar as he is passed from owner to owner, some kind and some cruel but all with motivations beyond his understanding. Truly a beast of burden, Balthazar suffers the sins of humankind and, despite his powerlessness, accepts his fate nobly. Through Bresson’s unconventional approach, this simple story becomes a moving parable about purity and transcendence.

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