We had enjoyed Franju's "Judex", but I should have done some research before buying a copy of this one. There is no amount of "cinematic art" or art of any kind that could justify setting fire to the mane of a living horse. And yet, here, in a scene of WWI destruction, comes a madly galloping horse through the rubble with its mane on fire. This was made in France in the mid-1960's before they could fake such a thing with CG. I was aware that an early film by Franju was a documentary in a slaughterhouse, which included, among other things, a horse being killed. But that would presumably have happened with or without a camera around. Here, Franju was making an "artistic" statement about the horrors of war. The fact that he couldn't make the same statement without torturing an animal only diminishes his talent and his humanity.
(And, yes, I'm well aware of Hollywood's long history of animal abuse. I grew up on Errol Flynn movies, but I can no longer watch "Charge of the Light Brigade", just for one example.)
(And, yes, I'm well aware of Hollywood's long history of animal abuse. I grew up on Errol Flynn movies, but I can no longer watch "Charge of the Light Brigade", just for one example.)