Rather, the film presents a slow, careful revelation of the difficult lives of Tibetans, with emphasis on the vital role of religion in their lives. Practically every action taken by anyone in Horse Thief is directly related either to survival or religion. The land is harsh, and only constant effort permits people to live there. The characters only take time away from this struggle to worship their god. Gradually, as one watches the film, one realizes that the constant attention to worship is an intimate part of survival.
Life is so hard that only sacred intervention can save the characters from death.
Every turn of the prayer wheel, every ceremonial dance, every sacrifice and devotion has the practical aim of supplicating for the divine intervention that alone can ensure survival. The greatest disasters of the film stem from unluckily angering the deity. One of the most surprising things about this film from the People's Republic of China is that the peasants' attitudes about religion are taken completely at face value. Perhaps Buddha does not exist, and does not intervene in the daily lives of Tibetans, but Horse Thief offers no evidence that he doesn't, and seems to suggest that he does. But even the unexpected theme of Horse Thief does not capture the importance of this film.