War Horse (2011)

When you cast Spielberg’s name out into a room, you will receive a amalgam of interesting replies. The majority of film lovers hold him up as a demigod for motion picture, but when his name was first attached to a cinematic rendition of the beloved children’s story War Horse, the voices of opposition reared their noisy heads. A hugely popular novel by Michael Morpurgo, as well as a cherished theatre production, War Horse has found enormous affection amongst fans, and many feared a blockbuster would trample all over its reputation. Spielberg has been accused of milking the story for its sentimentality - driving scores of families to the cinemas, and cashing in on the already established popularity of War Horse. However, what the notorious director has done with the original source material is to create a visually stunning, emotionally gripping film that will rival any cinematic release this year, whilst maintaining the heart of the story.
In a Saving Private Ryan-meets-Homeward Bound style plot, the film is set during the First World War, and begins in a nostalgic south-west farming community, where the fields seem greener and the people seem cheerier. When a local farmer needlessly buys an impressive steed during a bidding war against his loathsome landlord, the family worry about how they will use this thoroughbred animal, when they need a work horse. Unperturbed, the boy of the family, Albert (Jeremy Irvine), names the horse Joey, and manages to train him to perform the arduous tasks around the farm in order to survive, whilst developing a close bond with him. However, with a failed crop, the drunkard, but well-meaning, father of the family (Peter Mullan) sells the horse behind his son’s back, to the army, who are about to leave for the onset of WW1.
Joey becomes a fine member of the cavalry, and is led into battle against the Germans with pride of place (saddled by Tom Hiddleston), however, after a failed ambush, Joey ends up in the enemy’s camp. As Joey’s journey through the war sees him enter increasingly dangerous situations, he still manages to enamour most he comes into contact with, including a sweet French girl and her grandfather. Although, as the war begins to take its almighty toll on Europe, we pray that Joey can find Albert, who has joined the war effort in order to find his beloved war horse.
If you consider the enormous challenges that a director tackling this story would face, you can appreciate Spielberg’s immense achievements here. First off, creating a war film that accurately depicts the horrors of close-range warfare that is child-friendly! While the film lacks any of the aforementioned Saving Private Ryan’s blood and guts, Spielberg has still managed to create a truly harrowing film, in particular the hauntingly cruel No-Man’s Land. Secondly, the use of real-life horses will always create problems during filming, restricting the actors’ movements and abilities, as well as running the risk of becoming gooey. However, these difficulties have not rendered the film a disaster, quite the opposite. Viewers will marvel at the genius of this director who has created a film which is both traumatic and uplifting, with some amazing free-running equestrian sequences.
Elements of the film draw upon its theatrical background, using a John Williams original score to evoke the maximum emotional effect, with his beautiful orchestral arrangements creates a sense of majesty, which is in keeping with the atmosphere. Unfortunately, some of the performances border on the melodramatic, rendering some of the scenes saccharine. However, if you get into the spirit of this film, you will not only survive the schmaltz, you will enjoy it.
Spielberg highlights several of the story’s key ulterior themes, in particular the turning point from soldiers on horseback, to mechanized warfare. A scene where Joey comes face-to-face with a tank is particularly effective, as well as seeing groups of horses brutally lug artillery up hills. This evolution in combat evokes further poignancy for the viewer, who witness the horrors of this war, only to know a bloodier battle would follow two decades later. The usual questions of war, as with any war film, are raised and the usual conclusions, while admirable, are made: the needless tragedy of so many being killed. Although, the film avoids getting into politics or being preachy, and instead occupies a space of telling a story of bravery and pride during this terrible conflict.
When the awards season arrives, and the debate over War Horse begins again, Spielberg can hold his head high for creating a tender and gripping movie. One that transcends the inane chaos of online debates and naysayer conventions - this film has set the standard for cinematic epics this year.