War Horse

Equus ferus caballus: Horse. This remarkable animal has been the awe and amazement of human beings as early as 4000 B.C. and used in nearly every early war in recorded history. Yet, there are many types of battle, not just for land or politics but even at home between farmers and landowners, young and old, rich and poor. The new film directed by Steven Spielberg, based on the children’s book and stage play, released by Touchstone Pictures and DreamWorks Pictures, is an old fashioned war epic where even treasured pets have to make a difference in warfare.

The titular character is named Joey, an English thoroughbred born in the 1910′s who captures the amazement of young Albert, a starry-eyed Jeremy Irvine (Great Expectations). His father Ted is equally impressed with the foal, and is able to bid for Joey at a town auction and wins by spending everything he has. This is not well-accepted with Mum, a tough-as-nails Emily Watson (Corpse Bride, The Water Horse: Legend of the Deep). She knows that the horse they get has to be used for plowing to sell turnips to pay their landlord Lyons, played by David Thewlis (Black Beauty, Harry Potter III-VIII). He wants to throw Albert and his parents off the land, which all depends on whether Joey can plow the fields covered in rocks and seemingly barren. This is a lot to place on a young horse who is still being broken in, but with Albert’s parents, Lyons, and half the town watching the sight the boy and horse push through the cruel rain to finally strike rich soil! Yet even after the plants are destroyed by further rain, war breaks out between England and Germany. Since the family has no money for the landlord now, they have to sell Joey to the Army. Albert wants to go himself but he is just too young. Therefore, he is sold to Captain Nicholls, a sympathetic Tom Hiddleston (Midnight in Paris, The Avengers). He promises the boy he will try to bring Joey back as soon as possible. However, during the course of the movie and four long years or World War I he will pass to various owners such as two German deserters, a sick French girl and her grandfather, a German artillery troop, and finally ends up twisted in deadly barb-wire in No Man’s Land (is there a metaphor here?). It’s a brutal and harrowing journey that will claim many of his friends but ultimately lead back to where it all started.

Spielberg here creates a cross between his own “Saving Private Ryan” and “Black Beauty”, an odyssey of an animal having to change owners quickly in order to survive. The imagery is beautiful, some of the most majestic images we have ever seen in a Spielberg movie. The characters are hard-nosed, driven individuals who push through all barriers, especially Joey. Even John Williams’ score is at the top of his game. However, the only downsides are the clichés and sappy sentimentality that plague this movie, also the 2 1/2 hour running time that lurches forward at a slow pace. While I tried to overlook these flaws, they are unavoidable no matter how epic the movie is.

“War Horse” is a good movie, but it had so much potential to be GREAT. It’s shortcomings are going to deflect some viewers, but as for myself who grew up with horses it’s at least a nice change to see the horse be the real star of the film.