Au hasard Balthazar (1966)Movies

It fails as a complete symbol of Christ because the donkey’s actions happen without his say; he does not choose the abuse that comes to him. It fails as a study of human nature because we don’t see humanism on the screen; these “actors,” if you can call them that, are not trying for genuine representation. It’s also not an animal picture because any personality or emotion we see in Balthazar is put there by our own minds. Maybe it’s not supposed to be those things. But it also kind of is those things. Au hasard Balthazar is more like a mirror—it only provides the frame that we have to fill with meaning. But a beautifully-crafted mirror it is.