Writer/Director: Laure de Clermont-Tonnerre
Co-writers: Mona Fastvold and Brock Norman Brock
Starring: Matthias Schoenaerts, Jason Mitchell and Bruce Dern
‘A Powerful Prison Drama’
Did you know that rehabilitation programs that involve training horses exist in prisons? If you’re surprised to find this out, you are not alone. Although not many people are aware of this fact, there are prisons in the U.S. that use horses for rehabilitation. As part of the Wild Horse Program, violent convicts are given a chance to train horses. It is commonly thought that horses form a strong bond with the inmates and help them overcome their struggles. Ultimately, the purpose of these horses is to give the prisoners one last shot at redemption in life.
Laure de Clermont-Tonnerre’s latest film “The Mustang” centers on this intriguing premise. A quiet yet superbly effective drama, it focuses on the relationship between a troubled convict and his horse. With her directorial debut, filmmaker Clermont-Tonnerre has crafted a powerful portrait of a prisoner’s journey through rehabilitation. With gorgeous cinematography and excellent performances from the cast, the film offers an eye-opening look at a prison rehabilitation program. Although it is undeniably well-made, “The Mustang” moves at a slow pace that tests the viewer’s patience. That being said, it delivers a profound message about human-horse relationships that deserves to be seen.
Set in the Nevada State Prison, “The Mustang” tells the story of a tormented convict named Roman Coleman (Matthias Schoenaerts). Roman is a violent man with serious anger issues who has been sentenced to 12 years of prison. All hope seems to be lost for Roman until he is given the chance to participate in a rehabilitation program that involves training horses. As Roman begins to train a wild mustang, he forms an intimate bond with the horse that drastically alters his life.
It’s a prison drama that is expertly crafted by writer/director Laure de Clermont-Tonnerre. Although “The Mustang” marks her first feature film, Clermont-Tonnerre shows considerable skill and talent behind the camera. Working alongside cinematographer Ruben Impens, she crafts a film that is visually stunning in every way. From intense close-ups to lush landscape shots, the cinematography enhances the film to another level. The evocative imagery draws the viewer into the setting of a prison and its confined walls, making them feel a part of it. There are times when the film is so visually sumptuous that it is hard to believe that it is the work of a first-time filmmaker. From a visual standpoint, “The Mustang” is a gorgeous piece of filmmaking and demands to be seen on the big-screen.
Aside from showing prowess behind the camera, Clermont-Tonnerre also proves to be an expert storyteller. With “The Mustang”, she tackles weighty themes such as loss, redemption and forgiveness among prisoners. In the hands of a lesser filmmaker, these topics could have easily been treated in an overly sentimental or heavy-handed manner. Thankfully, though, Clermont-Tonnerre manages to avoid these pitfalls with her first feature. Instead, she chooses to emphasize character development and realistic situations. Each situation in the film is believable and showcases the harsh realities of living in a prison. Moreover, the characters are flawed yet sympathetic. For instance, Roman is a violent man with anger issues but by the end of the film he earns the viewer’s sympathy. Although he makes questionable choices, it is hard to not empathize with his struggles.
While the cast isn’t made up of the most well-known stars, Clermont-Tonnerre still manages to get excellent performances out of them. In a talented ensemble, every actor gets the chance to shine and leave a lasting impression.
Matthias Schoenaerts is unforgettable in the role of a troubled convict that forms an intimate bond with a horse. This is the actor unlike you’ve ever seen him before: intense, quiet and understated in his most emotional role to date. Although there are times when he barely speaks, his expressions provide much more emotion than one would expect. With soulful expressions, he conveys the anger, desperation and guilt of a prisoner seeking redemption. The scenes in which he argues with his estranged daughter are particularly poignant, showcasing the actor’s emotional range. It’s a quiet performance, the kind that easily gets overlooked during awards season. Nevertheless, it proves that Matthias Schoenaerts is one of the finest foreign actors working today.
The rest of the cast is terrific and also worthy of recognition. Jason Mitchell is hilarious, bringing much needed comic relief as a cheerful trainer. Bruce Dern is amazing as the grumpy head trainer of the program. And finally, Gideon Adlon is heartbreaking in the role of Roman’s daughter.
Although “The Mustang” is undeniably well-acted, ultimately it is not a film without flaws. As is the case with most prison dramas, the film takes time to get going and suffers from a slow pace. With the help of gorgeous cinematography, director Clermont-Tonnerre keeps the film moving at an engaging pace during the first hour. However, once the film enters its final act it starts to lose steam and test the viewer’s patience. There are a few subplots in the final hour- such as a drug-dealing scenario- that are unnecessary and detract from the film. As a result, this is where the film gets slightly sidetracked and loses the viewer’s attention. Due to its slow pace, “The Mustang” is a film that may not appeal to mainstream audiences.
Despite its flaws, “The Mustang” is a powerful prison drama that is worth seeing for its profound message. As someone that had never heard of the Wild Horse Program, I did not expect to enjoy this movie.
Nevertheless, I left the theater pondering its message about the unbreakable bond between humans and horses long after the credits rolled.
4/5 stars
The Film Buff 
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