Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron is a 2002 animated film that was released by DreamWorks Pictures. It follows the adventures of a young stallion.
After a brief introduction featuring an eagle and the mustang's homeland (which resembles Yellowstone National Park, and is likely to be Cimarron County), there is a scene showing the birth of a buckskin dun Kiger Mustang, who is the main protagonist, Spirit. His mother is known as Esperanza - a beautiful palomino mare. His father, Strider, is never shown in the actual movie. Although he is seen in photos to be pure black (as his mother is yellow and white mixed with black, creating yellow and black). He grows into a stallion, and assumes the role as leader of the herd. As leader, he defends two foals from a cougar.
Spirit is a good leader. However, at times his curiosity gets the better of him. Spotting a camp ahead, the stallion is unable to control his curiosity and moves towards it, as he's never seen humans before, and against his mother's wishes, he investigates. After a long chase, he is captured and sold to the United States Army, who at the time of the movie are fighting the Indian Wars. There he encounters a Colonel (based on Colonel Custer; in the film he is known simply as "The Colonel"). He sees the stallion as a symbol of the West, which he is setting out to conquer. Naturally, he attempts to conquer the mustang, too. Spirit is not tamed easily, and manages to outwit all who attempt to ride him. Not pleased with this, The Colonel orders the horse to be tied to 'the post' for three days, without food or water.
Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron is a 2002 animated film that was released by DreamWorks Pictures. It follows the adventures of a young stallion.After a brief introduction featuring an eagle and the mustang's homeland (which resembles Yellowstone National Park, and is likely to be Cimarron County), there is a scene showing the birth of a buckskin dun Kiger Mustang, who is the main protagonist, Spirit. His mother is known as Esperanza - a beautiful palomino mare. His father, Strider, is never shown in the actual movie. Although he is seen in photos to be pure black (as his mother is yellow and white mixed with black, creating yellow and black). He grows into a stallion, and assumes the role as leader of the herd. As leader, he defends two foals from a cougar.
Spirit is a good leader. However, at times his curiosity gets the better of him. Spotting a camp ahead, the stallion is unable to control his curiosity and moves towards it, as he's never seen humans before, and against his mother's wishes, he investigates. After a long chase, he is captured and sold to the United States Army, who at the time of the movie are fighting the Indian Wars. There he encounters a Colonel (based on Colonel Custer; in the film he is known simply as "The Colonel"). He sees the stallion as a symbol of the West, which he is setting out to conquer. Naturally, he attempts to conquer the mustang, too. Spirit is not tamed easily, and manages to outwit all who attempt to ride him. Not pleased with this, The Colonel orders the horse to be tied to 'the post' for three days, without food or water.
During this time, a Lakota American Indian named Little Creek is also brought into the fort and tied to the human post. In the night, one of Little Creek's friends throws him a knife, which he quickly hides just as the bugle sounds. This marks the end of the three days, and the Colonel rides the mustang. After tricking the Colonel into believing that he has been broken, Spirit manages to escape and Little Creek escapes with him. The rest of the horses are intentionally freed in the process. Distracted by a paint mare, Little Creek and his allies capture Spirit.After failing to tame the mustang, Little Creek ties him and the paint horse (his own mare named Rain) together. Rain shows the mustang her world of the Lakota village. Spirit begins to understand their ways and grows close to the mare. His affections for Rain, however, do not soften his yearning to be free.
During an attack on the Lakota village by the Army regiment led by the Colonel, Rain is shot by the Colonel and falls into a river. Spirit is determined to save her, and falls over a waterfall with her in his attempt. They survived, but Rain is injured and is unable to stand. Spirit is captured, yet again, by the Army. After finding Rain just as they lead Spirit away, Little Creek is determined to free the mustang once and for all, and follows the men who captured the stallion.
The mustang is used as a workhorse for the Transcontinental Railroad. As he and many other horses are dragging the locomotive up a mountain, the mustang realizes that if the track extends along its present course, it will infringe on his homeland. Spirit tricks the humans once again and, with the aid of the other horses, breaks free from the steam engine and causes it to fall down the steep incline they had been moving on. The engine explodes. As fire erupts, the chain that had remained around Spirit's neck catches on a log, but he is freed by Little Creek.When the mustang wakes in the morning, he spends short time playing in a lake and on the grass with Little Creek before the Colonel and his men find them. In desperation, Little Creek sends the mustang running. Realizing Little Creek is in danger, the mustang runs back and pushes Little Creek on his back.
During the climactic chase scene between and on canyon walls, the two get trapped on a plateau. As the Colonel and his army get closer, there is no way to go except to jump over a large gorge. In a spectacular leap of faith, the mustang and Little Creek jump across to the other side. The soldiers do not attempt to follow. The Colonel stops one of his men from shooting the two, and exchanges nods of respect with the mustang before they part.The mustang races back to the rebuilt Lakota village with Little Creek still on his back, where he finds Rain still alive. The horses share a happy moment, and Little Creek finally gives the Mustang a name: Spirit-who-could-not-be-broken. Little Creek sets Spirit and Rain free, and they back to Spirit's herd. As they race back, the song "I Will Always Return" is played. Eventually, they meet up with his herd and Esperanza. The whole herd gallops across the plains, with Spirit and Rain the leaders of their new herd.
