Au Hasard Balthazar

Robert Bresson wrote and directed this 1966 French drama, which follows a donkey named Balthazar through a succession of owners. Baptized by two children, Marie and Jacques, the animal passes from a gentle childhood to harder circumstances, used at times as a beast of burden, at times as a circus attraction, and at times as a companion. Running alongside his story is that of Marie herself, whose life becomes increasingly difficult as she grows up. Though Balthazar cannot speak, his silent endurance mirrors the treatment he receives from the people around him.

The film stars Anne Wiazemsky as Marie, in her screen debut, alongside Walter Green as Jacques, François Lafarge as Gérard, Jean-Claude Guilbert as Arnold, and Pierre Klossowski as a grain merchant. Producer Mag Bodard backed the France-Sweden co-production, and the film runs 96 minutes. It occupies a central position in Bresson's filmography, arriving between The Trial of Joan of Arc and Mouchette, the fifth of the eight features he directed across his career.

Reception reflects its standing: a film critics' rating of 9.7/10 from 45 reviews places it well above its audience scores of 7.7/10 on IMDb from roughly 25,000 votes and 7.6/10 on TMDB from 526 votes. That gap suggests a work valued more by critics than by casual viewers.