John Wayne hated horses Andrew Betzer

If a father tries to raise a child in his own image, perhaps he feels disappointed when his son turns out to have another vision of the world. This is what happens in John Wayne hated horses, a short film by American director Andrew T. Betzer which challenges the notion of what it means to be a man.

While the father works out military style, cultivates his land and takes care of his house, the son plays around the fields, having a different connection with his environment. Suddenly, the father discovers his son’s games, which put his toy soldiers in homosexual situations.

The father’s reaction is very interesting: he is shocked by this view, but he decides to “fix” the situation by putting the soldiers in war poses, before tenderly taking care of his son, helping him to take a bath with a manly energy.

This film shows humour in a sober way, forming a deep portrait of its characters which is filled with empathy. The laughter at the father’s shock is mixed with a contemplative view of the landscape and a touching father-son relationship in this complex film.

Natalia Ames