Thowra returns in time to give a threatening head bob, oh, and to paw. The Brolga decides he’s out of here before he’s asked to bob his head or paw.* Some horses in this film would like to keep their dignity.
*To be fair, head tossing and pawing can be part of threat displays between stallions. Blondie just doesn’t quite get them right.
- Kate
There are three horses playing The Brolga, and let me tell you, trying to distinguish three dapple greys from each other, particularly when you’re trying to match summer and winter coats, is a business. Is that a sock or is it progressive greying? Is this the horse with the blaze which has greyed out? Did he even have a blaze or was it makeup? Are they dying their manes and tails???
Aaanyway, have the list of the three with their distinguishing features. Now have fun matching them to their scenes.
1. First Brolga introduced on screen. Dark dapple grey, mane falls to the left, dark cheeks but palest face, low socks on both right legs. Tail fades to white. Used for most of the fight scenes.
2. Another dark dapple grey, but with a long mane that falls to the right. No white on his feet. Looks like he has traces of a blaze on his face.
3. Blackford Santo Domingo, also known as Mango. Pedigree here. PRE stallion, heavy black mane that falls to the right, tail fades to red, patch of white on inside of left front foot. Overall furthest along in the greying out process, but has a dark nasal bone. No scenes with him in the snow because he refused to leave his trailer when he saw it for the first time.
- Kate
The Brolga adopts his Andalusian form to look more impressive as he runs away.
- Kate
Majestic slow motion galloping through water.
- Kate
When Thowra catches up with him, the horse playing The Brolga is about a year younger than he was on the mountain top. He’s also no longer an Andalusian.
- Kate
So Golden is foaling at night, and Thowra comes to check on her because he is an anxious dad (the shot through the leaves is reminiscent of the one at the very start of the film, at the Mitchell homestead in the thunderstorm, which is significant). We get more gratuitous whinnying (take a shot), and Golden reacts, because Thowra/Golden is the OTP of the film, but The Man is having none of that, because she is his and not Thowra’s.
Golden’s mane is a looot shorter in these shots and her blaze doesn’t look quite right. I’m tempted to say it’s Blondie, as she was the one who acted Bel Bel’s foaling scene, in which case the entire scene becomes even more hilarious, because that’s Thowra being lovingly hushed by The Man.
- Kate
So you’re telling me that’s Thowra/’s mom who gave birth to Thowra/’s babymamma giving birth to Thowra’s child while Thowra winnies in the distance?
Yes. And let’s not forget that Thowra’s foal is played by the same foals who played Thowra.
- Kate
Just leaving this here.
- Kate
Legit crying over the editing choices
Aren’t we all.
- Kate
The most unrealistic and bizarre fight of the film. Lots of dramatic rearing (justified, yes, but keep sipping at your drink), lots of displaying, no real attempts at biting or striking. Thowra also looks like he has a tail extension so that The Brolga can’t out-do him in the tail department.
- Kate
What.
- Kate
Thowra is wearing shoes, just like your average wild horse does.
Thowra is victorious. We know this not because we see him defeating The Brolga, but because we see him rearing, because victorious stallions always rear. Even when they are mares.
The Brolga is driven away, across a creek, because I suppose river crossings are symbolic of separation or something. Or it’s just an excuse to have more dramatic splashing through water.
Please note the way Thowra pops up from the water in the second gif, rather than entering from screen right.
- Kate
