The Horsemen (1971)
In the poor, desolate northern provinces of the mountainous feudal Sunni kingdom of Afghanistan (before the Soviet-engineered republican revolutions), the status of the proud men and their clans is determined less by wealth or even military power (both rare) then by victories in the ancient, though game of buskashi, a vicious form of polo dating back to Genghis Khan, in which the chapendaz (participating horsemen) use their horse-whips on both mounts and rivals in a ruthless fight for a heavy 'ball', a dead calf, which must be carried a long way, almost impossible with all the others mercilessly assailing. Tursen, a former champion, now holds the status of village notable thanks to his position as stable-keeper of the regional lord Osman Bey, and has finally bred a horse without equal, the white stallion Jahil, in time for the royal tournament on the plain of Bagrami, just outside the capital Kabul...
This movie had the same feel as Seven but not as clever. The acting was average on the whole, though the performance by Ziyi Zhang was multidimensional; unfortunately she was more of a supporting actress. The ending should be predictable if you pay attention; they give you too many clues it just becomes obvious who is the pale horsemen. The film does project an message and a good one that many of us overlook.
an average movie for quaid but more disturbing then usual. not for the light hearted or the squimesh. wierd storyline but keeps you hanging until the end where it ends too sudden and is a dissapointment.
