The story of a mistreated donkey and the people around him. A study on saintliness and a sister piece to Bresson's Mouchette.The story of a mistreated donkey and the people around him. A study on saintliness and a sister piece to Bresson's Mouchette.The story of a mistreated donkey and the people around him. A study on saintliness and a sister piece to Bresson's Mouchette.
- Awards
- 7 wins & 2 nominations
- Director
- Writer
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaBalthazar was an untrained donkey during most of the filming, which made Robert Bresson's work a real challenge. The only scene for which the donkey was trained was the circus math trick.
- GoofsIn the very last shot of the film the shadow of the camera man or someone else enters the picture from the bottom right.
- Quotes
Gerard: Lend him to us.
Marie's mother: He's worked enough. He's old. He's all I have.
Gerard: Just for a day.
Marie's mother: Besides, he's a saint.
- Alternate versionsRestored in 2014 from the original 35mm negative by the Éclair Group and L.E. Diapason.
- ConnectionsEdited into Histoire(s) du cinéma: Seul le cinéma (1994)
- SoundtracksPiano Sonata No.20 in A Major, II. Andantino (D. 959)
Music by Franz Schubert
Performed by Jean-Joël Barbier
Featured review
One of the most memorable endings in cinema
The film's ending is one of the most memorable in cinema, and achieves an eerie grace, consistent with its almost unique tone - allusively Biblical and allegorical, yet resistant to specific meanings and interpretations. The plot is a narrative of human cruelty and escalating despair, but always with enough mystery in the motivation to ward off easy condemnations; and perhaps even to indicate divine guidance. Throughout, Wiazemsky seizes on the donkey as a symbol of transcendence(her mother calls it a saint in the end); it's formally christened at the beginning and undergoes something approaching a formal funeral, all of which gives its life the contours of a spiritual journey of discovery. The narrative encompasses both revelations (the interlude in the fair; new tortures like the mean old man who starves and beats him) and retrenchment; both life's austerity, its roots in servitude, and its enormous potential dignity. Never was a donkey filmed so evocatively - but as always with Bresson, the simplicity is thrilling too - there's no false artistry here; no dubious anthropomorphism. A necessary film, and I'm amazed that I'm the first one to be commenting on it here.
helpful•11432
- allyjack
- Aug 24, 1999
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Details
- Release date
- Countries of origin
- Languages
- Also known as
- Zum Beispiel Balthasar
- Filming locations
- Production companies
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Gross US & Canada
- $45,406
- Opening weekend US & Canada
- $8,436
- Oct 19, 2003
- Gross worldwide
- $45,406
- Runtime1 hour 35 minutes
- Color
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 1.66 : 1
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