a5c7b9f00b A gift of hope arrives on a very special dawn for a desperate Civil War cavalry struggling to survive in the midst of battle… It&#39;s May of 1864 and the First Michigan Cavalry is stranded in a Virginia forest called the Wilderness. Among them: the weary Sergeant Longacre; Covington, an illustrator enlisted to capture the Civil War in unerring detail; and a young trooper Jim Rabb who counts his brother among the casualties, yet still rides his beloved mare Jen with a true soldier&#39;s indomitable will to survive. Then one morning Jim discovers that Jen has given birth and by her side is a newborn colt, shaking and afraid, born to chaos, and clinging to his mother for life. Longacre orders Jim to shoot the foal, lest it prove a hindrance, but Jim - seeing the colta consolation and a reminder of the beauty of life - refuses. An omen of good fortune, Jen and her nursing foal join the team of men marching toward unknown horizons. However, the vedette is suddenly taken by Confederates, Jen and the colt are stolen, and Jim spurs a horse in a long, winding chase and shoots the fleeing soldier to retrieve the mother and baby. The incident has left him lost and separated from his bivouacked brigade, with a dying enemy on his hands. But honoring the rebel&#39;s last wish sparks in Jim a journey of remarkable honor and duty toward enlightenment and untold danger - one that will test the spirit and courage of a country at war and pay heartrending tribute to those of God&#39;s creatures who are blessedly innocent to the careless ways of man. During the heat of battle in the midst of the Civil War, a beguilingly innocent colt is born to Union Jim Rabb&#39;s beloved mare. Refusing the orders to shoot it, lest it prove a hindrance, Rabb keeps the colta consolation in these desperate times-a symbol of hope that leads the men of the First Cavalry on a journey of self-discovery and newfound brotherhood. THE COLT presented in a straightforward manner the tragedies of war from the individual soldier&#39;s point of view, on both sides. Important message for children to understand is that there are &quot;good guys&quot;, decent human beings, on both sides. (This reminded me of some of Tolstoi&#39;s scenes in WAR and PEACE where one sees other individual soldiers struggling with the horrors of war).<br/><br/>The interplay between this wonderful little animal and the soldiers was another effective way to teach children about caring for something more vulnerable and innocent than ourselves.<br/><br/>I found the cinematography very beautiful at times and would enjoy sharing this film with many other friends and family, preferably with commercials left to the end or presented at the beginning. The title is deceiving, this movie is much more than a tale about horses. Not being one for sappy animal movies, I was a bit skeptical at first. However, I was curious to see Merriman&#39;s performance after watching him years ago on the television series THE PRETENDER so I tuned in. With the Civil Wara backdrop, the story of the colt and men engaged in regiments was very moving. I laughed, cried, and even sat on the edge of my seat at times. It made me analyze history and human behavior. This story explored emotion and compassion that are often neglected in the history books. Suddenly, the Civil War becomes more complex and unnerving- leaving the viewer an opportunity to see humans at their best and worst. Merriman was superb and connected you to his plighta young Union soldier far from home, trying hard to protect the innocent colt. If you enjoy historical drama, action, and social commentary you will enjoy this film.
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