Director Monika Treut has painted an idyllic picture of ranch life in the German countryside with her film Of Girls and Horses. Though beautiful, the film is very quiet, and while there is something to be said about tranquility in gorgeous scenery, it proves difficult for an audience to connect to the characters and learn to care for them.
Alex (Ceci Chuh) is a sixteen-year-old high school dropout who is sent by her adoptive mother to a horse ranch to work off the angst. While there, she is mentored by resident horse whisperer, Nina (Vanida Karun). Alex is getting into the swing of things when another young girl, Kathy (Alissa Wilms), comes to the ranch with her own horse on holiday. Kathy and Alex strike up an immediate friendship, which turns into something a little bit more.
Of Girls and Horses deals with two couples. In addition to Alex and Kathy, there is also Nina and her girlfriend, Christine (Ellen Grell), who have a long-distance relationship that's hard on both of them (Christine lives in Hamburg while Nina lives with the horses in the country). They reunite in the film with much passion and love, but when morning breaks, Nina is gone with just one phone call from the ranch about a horse with a minor injury. You may get the idea that Nina has more of a commitment to the equine then her human lover. Nina and Christine may be a future reflection of Kathy and Alex, who become smitten with each other. Kathy promises Alex a job at her father's ranch so they can be together, but whether or not she can deliver on that promise is as sure as Nina staying the full weekend in Hamburg with Christine.
Like most European film, the action in Of Girls and Horses is slow- paced and the characters react to their lives with a kind of nonchalance. When Nina realizes Alex has stolen her prescription pills to buy weed, she goes out and looks upon the grassy fields for a bit of reflection and then calmly tells Alex she is disappointed by her actions. Then the two sit in silence while Alex rests her head on Nina's shoulder. In another scene, Alex and Kathy wake up after a night of drinking and realize the horses have gotten out of their pen. What follows is a slow methodical search with the two girls acting like they are searching for a lost pencil and not four living creatures they were tasked to look after. In an American film, these sequences would have involved fast cuts, frantic music, and overt emotional reactions. In this German film, all action is dealt with with little to no fuss.
You'd have to be in a certain mood to truly enjoy Of Girls and Horses; it's methodical and at times almost boring. In the last beautifully rendered shot, Alex and Kathy ride off together on the beach. The horses seem to show more urgency and emotion than their human counterparts.
Alex (Ceci Chuh) is a sixteen-year-old high school dropout who is sent by her adoptive mother to a horse ranch to work off the angst. While there, she is mentored by resident horse whisperer, Nina (Vanida Karun). Alex is getting into the swing of things when another young girl, Kathy (Alissa Wilms), comes to the ranch with her own horse on holiday. Kathy and Alex strike up an immediate friendship, which turns into something a little bit more.
Of Girls and Horses deals with two couples. In addition to Alex and Kathy, there is also Nina and her girlfriend, Christine (Ellen Grell), who have a long-distance relationship that's hard on both of them (Christine lives in Hamburg while Nina lives with the horses in the country). They reunite in the film with much passion and love, but when morning breaks, Nina is gone with just one phone call from the ranch about a horse with a minor injury. You may get the idea that Nina has more of a commitment to the equine then her human lover. Nina and Christine may be a future reflection of Kathy and Alex, who become smitten with each other. Kathy promises Alex a job at her father's ranch so they can be together, but whether or not she can deliver on that promise is as sure as Nina staying the full weekend in Hamburg with Christine.
Like most European film, the action in Of Girls and Horses is slow- paced and the characters react to their lives with a kind of nonchalance. When Nina realizes Alex has stolen her prescription pills to buy weed, she goes out and looks upon the grassy fields for a bit of reflection and then calmly tells Alex she is disappointed by her actions. Then the two sit in silence while Alex rests her head on Nina's shoulder. In another scene, Alex and Kathy wake up after a night of drinking and realize the horses have gotten out of their pen. What follows is a slow methodical search with the two girls acting like they are searching for a lost pencil and not four living creatures they were tasked to look after. In an American film, these sequences would have involved fast cuts, frantic music, and overt emotional reactions. In this German film, all action is dealt with with little to no fuss.
You'd have to be in a certain mood to truly enjoy Of Girls and Horses; it's methodical and at times almost boring. In the last beautifully rendered shot, Alex and Kathy ride off together on the beach. The horses seem to show more urgency and emotion than their human counterparts.
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