Movies Reviews

War Horse – Movie Review

By Anne Brodie Dec 27, 2011, 15:24 GMT

The story follows the unique friendship between a boy and a horse whose fates intertwine over the course of World War I. ...more

Steven Spielberg’s War Horse is by far the best of the children’s films in theatres this season.  It’s not 3D, it’s not IMAX.  It is simply an excellent film and story, simply told.   It’s vintage Spielberg, all heart, measured, and set apart by his fine artistry, craftsmanship and uncanny understanding of the human condition.

The story starts in pre-WWI rural England, where a farmer (Peter Mullan) has foolishly squandered his money on a horse that is beautiful, not one that can plow his fields and save his family from financial ruin.  His wife (Emily Watson) and son (Jeremy Irvine) are respectively horrified and delighted, and in order to save the horse he has now named Joey, Albert promises to raise the new horse and teach him to plow the back field. 

Albert and Joey have bonded pretty fiercely by now and Joey has been recognized for his stately beauty throughout the area.

Joey pulls off a miracle and plows the field but it’s too late.  He must be sold to keep the family under their roof. Their sneering, vicious landlord (David Thewlis) has it in for them and there is little else to do.  An army captain (Tom Hiddleston) buys the horse to take to the front in Europe, where war has broken out. 

He is sympathetic to the horse and to Albert and Joey is given special, loving care.  But he is killed in battle and the horse is handed off once again into the first of many difficult situations.

One of his worst chapters is Joey’s time as an artillery hauling beasts of burden for the German army; he is expected to pull metal until he dies of exhaustion. A kindly German officer takes charge of him and saves his life. 

Along the way we meet a French man and his granddaughter who loves Joey and wants to keep him, and a couple of German boys spirit him way to save his life.   But war is war and very little good comes from any of it.  Meanwhile, Albert has signed up to serve to find his Joey.

An interesting cast includes Eddie Marsan, Tony Kebbell, Niels Arestrup, Robert Emms and David Kross.   But the outstanding character in all of this is Joey the horse and his massive black companion horse, they can move, fall down and die, nuzzle and move like the wind.  And they can also look pretty downtrodden when called for.

The dramatic journey of love and war is especially moving given Spielberg’s refusal to sugar coat things, and drive to preserve human dignity.  He handles the intense world of the trenches with tremendous compassion, but he doesn’t shy way from the horrors there. 

A scene in No Man’s Land is about as moving and important as any scene Spielberg’s shot.   War Horse is a masterpiece, pure and simple.  Thank God Spielberg didn’t fall for the 3D lure.

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35mm drama
Written by Lee Hall, Richard Curtis based on Michael Morpugo’s novel
Directed by Steven Spielberg
Opens: Dec 25
Runtime: 146 minutes
MPAA:
Country: USA
Language: English