National Velvet (1944)

 Clarence Brown's "National Velvet"


Based on the 1935 novel by Enid Bagnold, "National Velvet" is a simple sports drama for the whole family. It stars an adolescent Elizabeth Taylor in her breakout role. What the film also represents is the national temperament that the United States would be taking on for the next decade. 

The film centers on the character of Velvet, a 12-year-old horse lover. One day, she meets an ex-jockey turned drifter named 'Mi.' Mi wows about a horse that can jump over tall structures and muses that the horse could compete in competitions. Velvet enters a raffle to win the horse and winds up winning. She names the horse 'Pie' and begins to train her. Mi, whose original intentions were to steal the family's money, has a change of heart and decides to help Velvet train Pie. Nobody believes an anonymous horse with an unprofessional 12-year-old girl will win anything, but Velvet believes in herself. After pretending to be a boy to enter the competition, Velvet and Pie end up coming in first. However, their win gets removed as they get disqualified on a technicality. 

Throughout the film, Velvet believes that she can win the competition simply because she believes in herself. She has no experience training or riding horses, and yet through sheer belief, she accomplishes her goal. The theme of exceptionalism permeates the narrative of the film. For the decade and a half following the war, American Exceptionalism was a recurring theme found in the media. Sure, believing in oneself and trying your best despite your shortcomings is an exceptional mindset to have. But it is clear that hope was something the American public needed after such dark and despairing times. 



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