The Horse is a sparse but touching short film by Charles Burnett. In a little under fifteen minutes we are introduced to the films five players and a beautiful black horse. The men are gathered for one reason: this horse is to be put down. The horse’s owners, a group of wealthy white men are indifferent to the loss but the horse’s care taker, a young black boy, is visibly shaken by the events that are about to unfold. The moments of him and the horse are so tender and heartfelt, it’s something he’s probably seen before but it never gets easier.
