“Are we really going to see a movie about a horse?” That was how our evening at the theater began. By the end of the movie her opinion had changed.
I saw this movie with my family, and I must say I was pleasantly surprised. I love movies; of most varieties. It seems that modern cinema is struggling to find new ideas and new ways to present old ideas, and often times it fails miserably. In recent months one of the primary trends is to find movies of personal struggle. It is these movies that I can only gauge based on the movies ability to connect me with the characters within the story on a personal level. If, by the end of the movie, I can feel what the protagonist is feeling to the point that what happens to him affects me, I consider the movie a tremendous success.
“War Horse” depicts the journey of a horse, Joey, that is sold into commission for the mounted army in World War I. It shows his struggles trying to learn new techniques for survival and the hardships that he faces as he is continually placed in new situations. A parallel story takes you on the journey of his owner before the war, Albert. Albert’s main goal is to survive the war, but his dream is to find, and be reunited with, his beloved horse. He is recruited into the army and witnesses terrible things, as does Joey.
As my family and I watched this film, we were drawn in by the attitude of both Albert and Joey, and we continually reacted to the smallest setbacks and triumphs experienced by the duo. Albert was wonderfully acted by Jeremy Irvine, a relative newcomer to cinema, but well chosen. His character and strong will helped to draw emotion, at least from our small audience, and his young face gave the depiction of innocence that is absolutely necessary for a film like this. Also, the interaction that Joey provided made for some wonderful comic relief.
The cinematographic qualities in the film were spectacular, showing beautiful country that made my family want to visit England for ourselves. The accuracy of the battle sequences, though I can’t confirm from personal experience, was tremendous. The hardships faced when coming up against new types of weaponry, and the portrayal of mounted cavalry against them, were hard to watch.
All in all, this was a tremendous work, and I encourage you, if you have not yet done so, to go and see “War Horse”. My brother’s girlfriend walked into the theater with the attitude of “Are we really going to see a movie about a horse?” But by the end of the night, her attitude had changed.
More information about this film, including a description of content for children, is available here: War Horse.