In the dark of night, a limping racehorse, Seabiscuit, announced the dawn with his bright eyes. It ignited hope in the days of disillusionment, and remained an inspiration till today. The most refreshing antidepressant of the Great Depression, this movie brought energy, laughter, and tears. 
 
The film “Seabiscuit” (2003) was based on a true story. The lame, grumpy racehorse connected three disillusioned men, all of whom scarred by life. Businessman Charles Howard outlived his son; one-eyed, oversized jockey Red Pollard lost hope; and down-and-out trainer Tom Smith was unappreciated. Red and Seabiscuit saw each other eye to eye, as they were both underdogs rising up to challenges. Training as a team, they persevered in spite of a thousand reasons to quit. With injuries, they eventually saw the light at the end of the tunnel and defeated the strongest racehorse.
 
"The horse is too small, the jockey too big, the trainer too old, and I'm too dumb to know the difference." Charles Howard said in the war cry to the world's strongest racehorse. The movie advocated the message of embracing imperfection, inspiring the audience to discover the sparkle in every life. As the designated training partner, Seabiscuit had been expected to lose so as to build up the morale of others. Unexpectedly, he developed a competitive instinct – almost a super power - as soon as he saw others outrunning him, his eyes lit up and he would pull out all his strength. Seabiscuit won, although neither Charles nor the horse had ever been taken seriously before. "You don't throw a whole life away just cause it's banged up a little bit." By giving Seabiscuit and Red a second chance, Charles Howard and Tom Smith redeemed themselves.
 
The cinematography, especially the lighting and sound effects, gives a strong foothold to the theme. Several training scenes at night create a sense of nirvana through the scattered light sources in the darkness and the sound of approaching hooves. This adds to the texture of the movie, and builds suspense and foreshadows challenges and hope. Rapidly shifting scenes, eye level and low angel shots used in filming the races bring the audience into the tense and exhilarating game. In the final minutes of the movie, when the injured Seabiscuit went back and saw Red, who was also wounded, they limped towards each other and huddled. This was the externalization of their mutual redemption. The clever use of filming techniques underscores the theme of the story, subtle yet powerful.
 
The film “Seabiscuit” (2003) is a fusion of cinematic and spiritual aesthetics. It is a soul-touching story and each inspired viewer will cherish the memory of the bright-eyed racehorse.