S4E44.5: Au Hasard Balthazar
Summary
Hosts November Kelly, Abigail Thorne, and Devin discuss Robert Bresson’s 1966 film *Au Hasard Balthazar*. They analyze the movie’s depiction of a donkey’s life, from childhood innocence to brutal labor, highlighting its stark naturalism and sound design. The episode explores themes of empathy, human cruelty, and the contrast between traditional rural life and modern technology.
Topics discussed
Intro: Hosts transformed into Bottom from Nova
Choosing Balthasar the Donkey as a truck film
Host recovery and previous existential film picks
Film analysis: Empathy and the opening scene
The donkey's baptism and naming by children
Theory: Baptism ensouls the donkey
Character dynamics: Marie, Jacques, and the land
Jacques leaves and the donkey's labor montage
The cart crash and return to the old farm
Marie's father modernizes with a tractor
Gerard's gang: Motorbikes and oil slicks
Listen ad-free on Castria