MOVIE REVIEW: War Horse

 

Set during World War I, this tells of the bond between a horse and the young man who raises him. Starting with the birth of the thoroughbred horse, which is later named Joey, he is sold to a family of farmers that actually cannot afford him. However, a trust develops between the animal and the farmer’s son, Albert. When Joey is later sold to a young military captain to aid the war effort, Albert is heartbroken, but is reassured by the soldier that he will return the horse when the war is over. The film then follows Joey’s experiences in the war, which takes him many places, even behind enemy lines.

This is based on the novel by Michael Morpurgo, and the stage play that was adapted from the book. The stage performance became famous for its use of mechanical horses in the action, but this film uses real, excellently trained, animals. The movie shows the deplorable conditions that the horses and their riders had to endure during the conflict of WWI, when engine technology had not caught up with artillery ingenuity, and horses were actually worked until they died to haul the huge war machines where they needed to be. Directed by Steven Spielberg, this has been produced in collaboration with Disney studios, but there is quite a bit more live action violence and dead bodies than in the usual Disney movie, so parents may want to take that into consideration before deciding to watch this on family night. However, this is an exquisite film, and deserves every award it was nominated for and won.