Au hasard Balthazar (1966) poster6

France10 Essential French FilmsStop 6 of 10

Au hasard Balthazar

1966 · 96 min · Drama

The life of a humble donkey named Balthazar, passed from owner to owner and meeting kindness and cruelty alike, mirrors the sorrows of the girl who first loved him. Robert Bresson's austere, transcendent parable of innocence and suffering.

Why it’s here

Bresson’s severe, compassionate rural parable is one of the central achievements of postwar French cinema.

Runtime
96 min
Genre
Drama
Mood
thoughtful
Entry
some context
Best for
shorter watch · film history

Content notes: sexual content · suicide or self-harm · animal harm Non-exhaustive

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Part of 10 Essential French Films

This film is stop 6 of 10 in the hand-ranked native-cinema route through France. See the complete ranking or read the selection methodology.

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