Corral (film)
Encyclopedia
Corral is a 1954 National Film Board of Canada
documentary by Colin Low
, partly shot in the Cochrane Ranch in what is now Cochrane, Alberta
.
In the film, a cowboy
rounds up wild horse
s, lasso
ing one of the high-spirited animals in the corral, then going on a ride across the Rocky Mountain Foothills
of Alberta.
, also a former farm boy, if he would like to come to Alberta to make a film about a cowboy
. Low's father provided his top hand, Wally Jensen, and the horses.
Corral was shot in 1953. Koenig was in the NFB Animation Department and this was his first live-action shooting using a new Arriflex and a tripod with a gyro stabilizer. Low had written a script but Wally Jensen re-wrote it as they filmed.
The film has no narration, though Low had been initially worried that he would need extensive narration to explain the process of horse breaking. Producer Tom Daly edited the film. Eldon Rathburn
wrote the score for two jazz guitarists, based on well-known cowboy songs.
The film represents a break in tradition for the NFB, which had until that time relied heavily on narration in its documentaries. Its gentle guitar score and use of handheld camera also breaks with Hollywood's traditionally epic portal of the cowboy
.
series, would play theatrically across Canada in April 1954 and in some American cities, including Washington, D.C. It received the Best Documentary award at the Venice Film Festival
.
National Film Board of Canada
The National Film Board of Canada is Canada's twelve-time Academy Award-winning public film producer and distributor. An agency of the Government of Canada, the NFB produces and distributes documentary, animation, alternative drama and digital media productions...
documentary by Colin Low
Colin Low (filmmaker)
Colin Archibald Low, CM, RCA is a Canadian animation and documentary filmmaker.Born in Cardston, Alberta, Low attended the Banff School of Fine Arts and the Calgary Institute of Technology, now known as the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology...
, partly shot in the Cochrane Ranch in what is now Cochrane, Alberta
Cochrane, Alberta
Cochrane is a town in the Canadian province of Alberta. The town is located 18 km west of the Calgary city limits along Highway 1A. With a population of 15,424 , Cochrane is the second largest town in Alberta and one of the fastest growing communities in Canada...
.
In the film, a cowboy
Cowboy
A cowboy is an animal herder who tends cattle on ranches in North America, traditionally on horseback, and often performs a multitude of other ranch-related tasks. The historic American cowboy of the late 19th century arose from the vaquero traditions of northern Mexico and became a figure of...
rounds up wild horse
Wild Horse
The wild horse is a species of the genus Equus, which includes as subspecies the domesticated horse as well as the undomesticated Tarpan and Przewalski's Horse. The Tarpan became extinct in the 19th century, and Przewalski's Horse was saved from the brink of extinction and reintroduced...
s, lasso
Lasso
A lasso , also referred to as a lariat, riata, or reata , is a loop of rope that is designed to be thrown around a target and tighten when pulled. It is a well-known tool of the American cowboy. The word is also a verb; to lasso is to successfully throw the loop of rope around something...
ing one of the high-spirited animals in the corral, then going on a ride across the Rocky Mountain Foothills
Rocky Mountain Foothills
The Rocky Mountain Foothills are an upland area flanking the eastern side of the Rocky Mountains, extending south from the Liard River into Alberta. Bordering the Interior Plains system, they are part of the Rocky Mountain System or Eastern System of the Western Cordillera of North America....
of Alberta.
Production
Low's father had worked as a foreman at the Cochrane Ranch. Low got the idea for the film after attending a cattle auction with his father. The following summer he asked NFB colleague Wolf KoenigWolf Koenig
Wolf Koenig is a Canadian film director, producer, animator, cinematographer, and a pioneer in Direct Cinema at the NFB.-Early life:...
, also a former farm boy, if he would like to come to Alberta to make a film about a cowboy
Cowboy
A cowboy is an animal herder who tends cattle on ranches in North America, traditionally on horseback, and often performs a multitude of other ranch-related tasks. The historic American cowboy of the late 19th century arose from the vaquero traditions of northern Mexico and became a figure of...
. Low's father provided his top hand, Wally Jensen, and the horses.
Corral was shot in 1953. Koenig was in the NFB Animation Department and this was his first live-action shooting using a new Arriflex and a tripod with a gyro stabilizer. Low had written a script but Wally Jensen re-wrote it as they filmed.
The film has no narration, though Low had been initially worried that he would need extensive narration to explain the process of horse breaking. Producer Tom Daly edited the film. Eldon Rathburn
Eldon Rathburn
Eldon Davis Rathburn was a composer from the community of Queenstown, in Queens County, New Brunswick, Canada....
wrote the score for two jazz guitarists, based on well-known cowboy songs.
The film represents a break in tradition for the NFB, which had until that time relied heavily on narration in its documentaries. Its gentle guitar score and use of handheld camera also breaks with Hollywood's traditionally epic portal of the cowboy
Cowboy
A cowboy is an animal herder who tends cattle on ranches in North America, traditionally on horseback, and often performs a multitude of other ranch-related tasks. The historic American cowboy of the late 19th century arose from the vaquero traditions of northern Mexico and became a figure of...
.
Release
The film, part of the Canada Carries OnCanada Carries On
Canada Carries On was a series of short films by the National Film Board of Canada, which ran from 1940 to 1959. The series was initially created as morale boosting propaganda films during World War II...
series, would play theatrically across Canada in April 1954 and in some American cities, including Washington, D.C. It received the Best Documentary award at the Venice Film Festival
Venice Film Festival
The Venice International Film Festival is the oldest international film festival in the world. Founded by Count Giuseppe Volpi in 1932 as the "Esposizione Internazionale d'Arte Cinematografica", the festival has since taken place every year in late August or early September on the island of the...
.