War Horse did not make me cry. And after watching the movie, I must confess some surprise at all the acclaim and Best Picture nominations and stories of grown men reduced to tears. Even if Joey, the horse at the center of War Horse, is as relatable as any human soldier going into battle, this is a level of cinematic adoration that's beyond me.
The story is based on a children's novel by Michael Morpurgo and is fairly straightforward. We are introduced to Joey at the moment of his birth. He is purchased by an English farmer after a very rash auction bid, but his son Albert (Jeremy Irvine in his very first film role), persuades his parents that he can train this horse to be a serviceable plough horse. Albert has no equestrian experience but over the course of training Joey, the two develop a deep bond and love for each other. Unfortunately, 1914 dawns, bringing with it the Great War. Albert's father, without consulting his son, decides to sell Joey to a cavalryman, Captain Nicholls (Tom Hiddleston). Albert finds out and races to Joey's side but the sale is final and he has to say goodbye to his beloved horse.
As the movie progresses you follow Joey's dangerous and fateful journey through cavalry charges and barbed-wire trenches, as well as his encounters with German soldiers, French civilians, and a host of people who are just trying to make it through the war alive. Time and time again Joey is miraculously saved from death, and despite the allegiances of the people who take charge of him, they are all horse lovers who feel an instant affinity and protective instinct for this magnificent animal.
This is a tale of one good thing that happened amidst all the horrors of warfare. All the killing and brutality of World War I is present but mostly in the periphery where it could be missed by young viewers who are more concerned with the action that's right upfront. It barely merits its PG-13 rating and probably flies as PG in other countries. This is a great film for children, an age-appropriate introduction to one of the worst events of human history. And let's not forget, it's directed by Steven Spielberg, a master at setting the scene, relating a compelling story, and no stranger to making a war movie. The film is visually stunning, but it feels slow and consists of multiple set pieces to show how Joey gets from one place to another before he is finally reunited with Albert. There is one scene however that I genuinely loved. It takes place near the end and involves the No Man's Land between the English and German trenches. The soldiers from both sides spy Joey who is trapped in some barbed wire and what follows is one of those grand moments when soldiers recognize their common bond as human beings and put their political differences aside.
Most people I know loved War Horse much more than I did, so you could probably watch it and agree that it is a masterpiece. My ambivalence is due to the fact that I need my war movies to be slightly less sugarcoated. I have nothing against movies based on children's books (after all, I thought Hugo was one of the most stunning films of the year), but when your topic is World War I, it takes a little more than a story about a boy and his horse to really draw me in.
The story is based on a children's novel by Michael Morpurgo and is fairly straightforward. We are introduced to Joey at the moment of his birth. He is purchased by an English farmer after a very rash auction bid, but his son Albert (Jeremy Irvine in his very first film role), persuades his parents that he can train this horse to be a serviceable plough horse. Albert has no equestrian experience but over the course of training Joey, the two develop a deep bond and love for each other. Unfortunately, 1914 dawns, bringing with it the Great War. Albert's father, without consulting his son, decides to sell Joey to a cavalryman, Captain Nicholls (Tom Hiddleston). Albert finds out and races to Joey's side but the sale is final and he has to say goodbye to his beloved horse.
As the movie progresses you follow Joey's dangerous and fateful journey through cavalry charges and barbed-wire trenches, as well as his encounters with German soldiers, French civilians, and a host of people who are just trying to make it through the war alive. Time and time again Joey is miraculously saved from death, and despite the allegiances of the people who take charge of him, they are all horse lovers who feel an instant affinity and protective instinct for this magnificent animal.
This is a tale of one good thing that happened amidst all the horrors of warfare. All the killing and brutality of World War I is present but mostly in the periphery where it could be missed by young viewers who are more concerned with the action that's right upfront. It barely merits its PG-13 rating and probably flies as PG in other countries. This is a great film for children, an age-appropriate introduction to one of the worst events of human history. And let's not forget, it's directed by Steven Spielberg, a master at setting the scene, relating a compelling story, and no stranger to making a war movie. The film is visually stunning, but it feels slow and consists of multiple set pieces to show how Joey gets from one place to another before he is finally reunited with Albert. There is one scene however that I genuinely loved. It takes place near the end and involves the No Man's Land between the English and German trenches. The soldiers from both sides spy Joey who is trapped in some barbed wire and what follows is one of those grand moments when soldiers recognize their common bond as human beings and put their political differences aside.
Most people I know loved War Horse much more than I did, so you could probably watch it and agree that it is a masterpiece. My ambivalence is due to the fact that I need my war movies to be slightly less sugarcoated. I have nothing against movies based on children's books (after all, I thought Hugo was one of the most stunning films of the year), but when your topic is World War I, it takes a little more than a story about a boy and his horse to really draw me in.
No comments:
Post a Comment