Movie War Horse (12A)
Jenness Mitchell • Published 13 Jan 2012 08:00
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Based on Michael Morpurgo's 1982 novel and the 2007 stage play of the same name, War Horse tells the story of a young boy who embarks on a dangerous mission to bring his much-loved colt home from the front lines of World War I.
After Ted Narracott (Peter Mullan) stubbornly returns with a thoroughbred foal instead of a plough horse for the family farm, Devonshire youngster Albert (Jeremy Irvine) vows to raise and train Joey the colt to tend to the fields. During the outbreak of the First World War, Joey is sold to the British cavalry and shipped to France where he gets caught up in enemy fire and ends up serving both armies alongside a black beauty named Tophorn. As Joey faces death and disease, Albert encounters his own extraordinary adventure after enlisting underage with the purpose to find and bring him back home.
War Horse sees the return of Steven Spielberg behind the camera for a second time in the past 12 months following his direction of The Adventures of Tintin. Over the years the Academy Award winner has produced a lot of great movies (True Grit, The Goonies, Super 8, Memoirs of a Geisha, The Money Pit, Gremlins) and directed even better (The Color Purple, Jaws, Jurassic Park, ET, Indiana Jones & The Temple of Doom, Schindler's List, Saving Private Ryan). I have stated previously that I was beginning to question Spielberg's abilities after the mess that was Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, but with War Horse he has delivered a children's Saving Private Ryan. Although I don't feel as if the film is strong enough to run away with many wins this award season, it's beautiful looking in parts.
With the certificate a 12A the battle sequences are less gruesome than what they could have been and the deaths of several characters we come to care about are implied and mostly unseen. However, for those (like me) who have yet to get over The Neverending Story horse death, there is one bit in particular that will open up old wounds.
There were plenty of heart-wrenching moments - for me, when Joey runs through barbed wire and when he is cruelly taken from Albert and then little Emilie (Celine Buckens). It was also difficult to watch horses being coldly shot due to collapsing with exhaustion. During the Great War over a million were used as cavalry and as draught animals - pulling guns, ambulances and other vehicles. Only 62,000 returned - the rest dying or slaughtered in France for meat. During such a horrific time it is easy to see how they became a soldier's best friend.
My only issue with War Horse is the fluffy script. Writers Richard Curtis (Love Actually, Four Weddings and a Funeral) and Lee Hall (Billy Elliot, Pride and Prejudice) adopted a very 'luvvie' approach to the story, but given that it is based on a children's novel I will grant some leeway.
In respect to the cast, it was a British free for all with the likes of Emily Watson (Red Dragon), Peter Mullan (Neds), David Thewlis (Harry Potter), Tom Hiddleston (Thor), Toby Kebbell (RocknRolla), Benedict Cumberbatch (Sherlock) and Eddie Marsan (Happy-Go-Lucky). In the lead role of Albert, Jeremy Irvine is one to keep an eye on but the stars of the film were the 14 real horses used to play Joey.
The stage play was well received and picked up a handful of Tony Awards. Depending on the sentiment of Oscar members, War Horse has the potential to do the same.
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