I agree that the plot is pretty sappy. If it wasn't so visually engaging I might have quit watching it. But what it does portray is a real image of war. If someone is going to be critical of the fact that horses were used in the war, it says that unless someone uses a subject you don't like, the movie isn't worth making. Yes it had all the elements of a sentimental movie. It would have really fit in well in the 1940's. Still, there is a thread running through it that allows us to root for the hero and hope that things can get better. Yes, we have some caricatures, but there were people who stood up against oppression. One even loses her life, which seemed quite a realistic result under the circumstances. The horses are horses. They don't transcend their species. They are driven by their instincts. Granted the horse in question does take on a bit of a supernatural presence. But he is the survivor horse, the one that doesn't die. That's what makes the story. This is not a great movie and it is very sentimental and totally unbelievable, but sappy stories were once the norm and we feel pretty good when it's over.
