War Horse (2011) User Reviews

Brown Beauty

[dharmendrasingh · 8/10 · 23 January 2012]

Spielberg's film is his vision of Michael Morpurgo's beloved book, which must surely now be essential reading for all kids, if it wasn't before.

Superficially it's about a horse named Joey and a boy called Albert, who become inseparable through a series of unfortunate events – World War I being one of them. A closer look reveals a story of such overwhelming humanity that I was bowled over. Spielberg was the only director for this film because he knows what it means to be a child.

Whether or not it is apparent in the book, there's no doubt this is a war film, one that ranks with Spielberg's 'Saving Private Ryan' and 'Schindler's List'. Emily Watson's character utters a line about the refusal of being proud of killing, which is the line one might use to summarise the film's point. Because Spielberg is Jewish, this line is pregnant with meaning. It's his noble way of saying that, despite the suffering received by his kin, he is willing to forgive their oppressors.

There's a scene where Joey is trapped by barbed-wire in no man's land and is freed by the combined effort of an Englishman and a German, who put aside their differences under the name of human decency. The scene is breathtaking, and it's the sort which no-one does better than Spielberg.

Long-time collaborator John Williams provides a moving score, regardless of its resemblance to the one he composed for 'Saving Private Ryan'. Director of Photography Janusz Kaminski reminds us of the beauty of our rural regions by photographing the Devonshire countryside with reverence.

Jeremy Irvine, Peter Mullan, David Thewlis, Benedict Cumberbatch, Niels Arestrup and Tom Hiddleston form the principal cast and are wonderful. Nothing could have prepared me for how much I'd be moved. There's no reason why you won't be.

moseleyb13.com

Handsome and sensitive story about the misadventures of a horse through WWI

[ma-cortes · 7/10 · 14 June 2021]

Agreeable and entertaining Spielberg film shot in Devon , England , UK . Dealing with the mishap fate of a horse , and the people who own and command it . Portraying the adventures , sufferings , pains and adversities . It narrates the circule of its life from a colt at a farm owns : Peter Mullan , Emily Watson and cared by their teen son : Jeremy Irvine and subsequently to be transported in France during WWI . Separated by War . Tested by Battle . Bound by Friendship .

Concerning a horse's trials extended with the unfortunes and misdemeanours of the humans that surround the animal . Impressive scenarios , Kaminski's photography and Williams' music enhance this tragic adventure and through its profund and wizened eyes . The fascinating and dramatic story is treated in good sense and high sensibility , showing the War Horror , useless massacres and total destruction across the battles . The cast is frankly excellent with plenty of familiar faces , mostly British players , such as : Peter Mullan , Emily Watson , Tom Hiddleston , David Thewlis , Benedict Cumberbatch , Tony Kebbel, David Kross , Liam Cunningham , Eddie Marsan and many others .

The film is produced , written , photographed , edited (Michael Kahn) , designed (production design by Rick Carter) , costume deigner (Joanna Johnston) by Spielberg's regular team . As it contains colorful and brilliant cinematography by Janusz Kaminski . Equally , great musical score by the always excellent John Williams . The motion picture lavishly financed by Kathleen Kennedy , Frank Marshall was stunningly produced/directed by Steven Spielberg (Schdller's List , Saving Private Ryan, E T , Raiders of the Lost Ark, The Terminal, Lincoln...) . Rating : 7.5/10. Better than average . Essential and indispensable seeing for Steven Spielberg completists and his enthusiast followers .

A Very Pretty Movie

[littlemartinarocena · 7/10 · 26 December 2011]

John Williams score - wall to wall - reminds us this is a Steven Spielberg film. The Spielberg from "Always" not the Spielberg from "Munich" To say the film is a sentimental boy and horse tale kinds of says it all but, to be honest, not quite all. The battle scenes, WWI this time, are from the same man (men) who gave us those glorious first 45 minutes of "Saving Private Ryan" The display of means is staggering. "Paths Of Glory" and "Pride Of The Marines" came to mind. Our hero, played by Jeremy Irvine, reminded me of young heroes in Disney movies, Tommy Kirk for instance. He's pretty and harmless. But the horse, well the horse is a whole other story. Brilliant performance. I think the Academy should be seriously considering an animal category. This year alone we had this remarkable horse, plus the amazing dogs in "Beginners" an "The Artist" I know, I'm rambling, well so did "War Horse" but in a much prettier way of course.

With War Horse the usual bloodbath and gory murder scenes are ditched in favour of a genuine story that manages to provoke passion and deep emotion in the audience

[the_upcoming · 21 December 2011]

When it was announced that Steven Spielberg was directing a film adaptation of War Horse, fans across the UK were a little apprehensive.

After all, the stage play and book were massive hits, so the film would have a lot to live up to. Early reviews are now saying that this film will be in the running for major Academy Awards — a statement that seems accurate after watching the film.

Based on the book by Michael Morpurgo, War Horsedepicts the story of Albert Narracott, played by Jeremy Irvine, and his treasured horse Joey in Britain where World War I is about to begin. Joey is sold to the cavalry by Albert's alcoholic father and finds himself trapped in the devastating fields of war while Albert is trying to find him.

Spielberg finds a balance between heartfelt emotion, especially from seeing the war through Joey's eyes and the people he meets along the way, and the tragic problems the main characters face, for example the separation between Joey and Albert after we have watched them bond and connect in the first part of the film. It is those emotional contrasts that Spielberg translates onto the screen well, perhaps the best one being the contrast between the overall setting of the devastation and trauma of World War I and the love between the main character and his horse portrayed throughout the film.

Although some of the cast are newcomers to cinema, they put on a stellar performance. Jeremy Irvine perfectly portrays on screen the character's determination and devotion to find his horse. Practically unknown before this film, his performance in War Horse has now made him one to watch. The rest of the cast include Emily Watson, Peter Mullan, Tom Hiddleston, and Niels Arestrup.

War Horse is the perfect film to settle down with the family for Christmas. It is a touching, beautiful depiction of the relationship between a boy and his horse, and of life in the countryside during World War I. The usual bloodbath and gory murder scenes are ditched in favour of a genuine story that manages to provoke passion and deep emotion in the audience, and overall this fits into the beauty of the narrative.

Check more reviews from The Upcoming on http://www.theupcoming.co.uk/?cat=9

A Fantastic War Movie that Will Appeal to All Audiences

[Al_Scarface_Capone · 7/10 · 5 November 2011]

I was lucky enough to see War Horse in a special pre-screening last week, and I can safely say I will be seeing it again when its released on Christmas day. I went in with relatively low expectations, after watching the series of mediocre trailers, and walked out being able to safely say that War Horse is one of the best movies of the year, one of Steven Spielberg's best films, and, quite possibly, one of the best war films ever made, up there with my personal favorites The Thin Red Line, Apocalypse Now and Paths of Glory.

Steven Spielberg had long said that he didn't want to make Saving Private Ryan again. He said he wanted War Horse to be a war movie that parents cant take their children to and teach them something about love and war, and in this respect I can say that he more than succeeded. Spielberg comes close to the clinical perfection of Private Ryan, but more importantly, from an emotional perspective, War Horse far exceeds Private Ryan. There are many people apt to cry at Private Ryan, but War Horse is more likely to cause tears at a similar level to, say, Schindler's List. More importantly, unlike either Schindler or Private Ryan, War Horse is unlikely to cause any sort of political or moral complaints. He never tempers the anti-war message with nationalist tripe. Rather, he plays war straight. War is evil, men are good. There are no sides in this movie. In fact, at various points throughout the film, he seems to directly reject Saving Private 's heroism is dying for country message.

War Horse is based on the children's book and play of the same name. It is about a boy who's father, on a whim, buys a horse for his son that he knows will never be what is needed for the farm work it is purchased for. The boy forms an incredible bond with the horse. The first forty five minutes of the film is spent establishing the relationship between boy and horse. This part of the film is rather slow, but is necessary to establishing the film's central relationships, and is quickly made up for by the shift in pace as soon as the war begins. From the Scottish country side, after this important turning point in world history, War Horse shifts to France, where the titular horse is serving after being sold to the army. The boy is a year or two too young to follow his horse to Europe at this point, so for the next section, the film follows the horse only. From here on out, I will leave the plot a mystery, but it is gripping, thrilling, and very emotional.

There are two scenes in War Horse that I think are worthy of further mention. The first is a charge across no man's land. For anyone not familiar with the bulk of World War I's combat, it consisted of months at a time of back and forth shooting between trenches, broken up by awful charges across no man's land, to take a few hundred yards of enemy territory. These charges, as short as they were, as a result of the machine gun, came with death tolls in the thousands or higher. War Horse contains one of these charges, and it is carried out with both taste, and near perfect artistry. It is just grisly enough to get the reality across, but not so grisly that it makes the movie impossible to show to younger audiences. In fact, this trench charge ranks up with Steven Spielberg's other famous World War battle scene, the beach landing in Saving Private Ryan. It doesn't quite make it, but it comes close.

The other scene worthy of mention also occurs in the trenches, and reflects the other side of War Horse. The titular horse gets caught in the barbed wire in No Man's Land. The soldiers on either side spot it. No one knows what to do, as it is clear that its in incredible pain, but they know that leaving their respective trench would expose them to machine gun fire. Eventually two soldiers, one British, the other German both move to free the horse. The soldiers on both sides know what is going on, so no one fires a shot. This scene is unbelievably touching. The discussion they have (the German soldier happens to speak good English, explained adequately through a joke) will move even the most cynical of viewers, and gives a good idea of just what perspective War Horse takes to the act of war.

There are a few small problems in War Horse that, in most films, I would take issue with, but I will forgive in this case as I feel that they are so necessary for this film to appeal to younger audiences. The German soldiers speak English to one another, a big pet peeve for me. I would have preferred for French characters to speak subtitled French and German characters to speak subtitled Germans, but I recognize that many younger viewers refuse to read subtitles. There are a few unnecessary jokes, but again, younger viewers will enjoy these. Spielberg, as always, has three different endings tacked onto the movie, in this case necessary to provide the cut and dry resolution younger viewers require. As I said, these are still problems, but they are, for better or worse, required to accomplish what Spielberg was trying to.

I can say with absolute certainty that when Christmas rolls around, I will be dragging all my younger relatives to a screening of War Horse. I have never seen a movie so able to pull its punches enough to get a PG- 13 rating, but show enough to explain just what it is about war that makes it such an odious, disgusting, awful affair. In short, see War Horse as soon as you possibly can.

Horses fought too.

[PWNYCNY · 10/10 · 17 January 2012]

I was expecting this movie to be just another extravagant sentimental potboiler. Wow, was I surprised. This is a great movie. The title says the movie is about a horse, but it's really about a lot more than that. The horse plays a central role but the humans figure in the story too, in a big way. The cinematography is outstanding; it really conveys the bleak, gory nature of war. The movie alludes to the Battle of the Somme which is one of the costliest battles in history in terms of the sheer number of lives lost. At times the movie does lapse into sentimentality but in general the story proceeds at a fast pace (pun intended). The performances of the horses in this movie are impressive. They are stars in their own right. If the movie accomplishes nothing else, it shows that war is hard on animals too, and like the humans, they are victims too; there was never a horse that wanted to go to war. That any horses survived at all in the war is amazing. Anyway, this movie is well worth watching.

Spielberg Still Stands - "War Horse" Among the Best of the Year

[TroyeEvans · 7/10 · 8 January 2012]

I must admit that Spielberg has playing some of his old tricks again in "War Horse", but after all these years they still work like a charm and a wonderful motion picture is the outcome. This will be another Spielberg classic to remember in years to come.

Back in old days of "Saving Private Ryan", it was Tom Hanks saving Private Ryan. This time it is a horse. "War Horse" tells the story of a destined encounter, and a later breathtaking journey across beautifully displayed landscapes. It is a story about the bravery of a young man who embarks on an odyssey to look for his lost horse.

This is indeed a war movie, and is definitely one of the greatest and most memorable ones I have seen about War World I (since most films go for WWII). But it is not only about the raging war of course. You'd expect more than that from one of the all-time favorite directors. And I can ensure you "War Horse" does not disappoint. It may not be as touching and tears-generating as the good old "ET" and "Saving Private Ryan", but it is certainly an excellent addition to Spielberg's career.

Aside from the story, the cinematography is incredible, and it has to be one of the best of the year. The score is also surprisingly good. I was pretty worried that this would somehow get "snubbed" by the Academy with all the strong frontrunners going on right now but I am quite affirmative now that this has the potential and chances to grab a number of nods.

Go watch "War Horse" if you've always enjoyed Spielberg's movies. It is indeed his style you will find in this film. It is an adventure for everyone to look forward to and one that is rewarding in the end.

Simply Delightful !

[zenjunkie · 9/10 · 19 January 2012]

I went to see this movie expecting NOT to like it. But, for 2 hours and 15 mins I was totally enthralled. I don't understand the reviews that have disliked this wonderful movie. If you want a cinematic experience this will tick the boxes. This is simply a great story - well told. Its also visually stunning. There's no stupid CGI. There's no gratuitous violence - the violent moments are tastefully choreographed and at times heartbreakingly realistic - without going for sensationalism. I'll not tell you the story or give any spoilers. Except to say this. Girls - bring hankies! Guys - don't be put off by the hankies - there's plenty of good action and the story is brilliant anyway. If you want a normal brainless CGI blockbuster - look elsewhere. If you want a class GREAT MOVIE GO AND SEE WARHORSE - you will not regret it.

An emotional story conventionally handled from an unconventional play

[vampire_hounddog · 7/10 · 4 August 2020]

Before WWI, Albert, a teenage boy (Jeremy Irvine) cares for and loves an unruly horse his drunk father (Peter Mullan) has bought to work their rural Devon farm. The boy is determined to train the horse who proves its worth while the family struggle to afford to maintain the farm. When WWI breaks out the father sells the horse to the British Army, much to the boy's upset. Throughout the war, the horse experiences the horrors of war and changes hands, while Albert join up, determined to be reunited with his horse.

Adapted from Nick Stafford's stage play, the film adaptation is given the full Steven Spielberg treatment, albeit conventionally handled from an unconventional play. Being a Spielberg film, the emotions are very emotively delivered, is expertly made and references other films along the way.

Very well made. A modern film reminiscent of the classics.

[theindustry · 8/10 · 10 January 2012]

It is well understood from the first few scenes that the typical cliché of both war films and animal dramas will stain Spielberg's canvas, yet the film pushes forward, earning well-deserved praise. Quite a few scenes are captivating to say the least; as is the scene with the horse, Joey, forging through heavily barb-wired no man's land.

'War Horse' surely reminisces the older WW1 films, and epic war films in general, such as Lawrence of Arabia, that drag on forever, yet do not fail to keep you enthralled with their stunning visuals and top-notch acting. Jeremy Irvine's performance was acceptable for an actor fairly new to the game, as were the performances of the gamut of child actors in the film, but honorable mentions must go to Emily Watson, Niels Arestrup, and Peter Mullan. The production did a wonderful job to give the horse Joey a deeper personified image, as if he were an actor. The same goes for the other horses in the film, who seem to converse amongst each other and reveal a chemistry shared between animal and animal, as well as animal and man. A wonderful job on the whole. Certainly Spielberg's finest work in recent months (yes, I don't think cowboys and aliens should ever mix).

For what its worth, this picture will move you deeply, as it has done to many. 'War Horse' inspires anti-war sentiments, as Joey's endeavors help him sympathize with men on both sides of the trenches, and ultimately reminds us of the beauty of Earths beasts. Each one has its own character that strikes a chord with the audience, and this is undeniable.

Enjoy!

Uneven Performance

[tabuno · 7/10 · 18 January 2019]

2 January 2012. This family oriented, feel bad and good movie in the spirit of Spielberg presented in mixed, uneven tone. Beginning in a rather comedic, light-hearted fashion, the movie descended into a more Saving Private Ryan (1998) mood even as it retained oddly its G-rated violence factor until midway through the movie and then more authentically reverted to a PG-13 violence depiction even though at least two earlier scenes were emotionally stunted by the overt exclusion of the more darker scenes of violence. The movie editing was also mixed in that important several character developments and plot lines were omitted leaving the audience to jump in time with important gaps in the storyline. Even the dramatic high point in the movie seemed counter-intuitive from how the War Horse was trained and the feel-good nature towards the end seemed to be less than consistent in tone with the absence of an important female character. The glossy, immersive experience occurred at various times that also didn't seem consistent throughout the movie and the black and white characters seemed to be somewhat at odds with the more seemingly balanced characters found in such movies as Secretariat (2010).

A Stunning and Enthralling Epic

[Loving_Silence · 10/10 · 25 December 2011]

Steven Spielberg has assembled many fantastic movies, like Schindler's List, Jaws, E.T, Saving Private Ryan, etc. His new creation, War Horse is a stunning achievement. The film was professionally made, it looked amazing, sounded great. Legendary composer, John Williams crafted an amazing and beautiful score. It was one of the best, I've heard in years.

Jeremy Irvine delivers a very heartfelt and convincing performance, he's just great. The rest of the cast, Emily Watson, Peter Mullan, David Thewlis, Tom Hiddleston, etc were all great, as well. However the star of the film, The Horse was simply amazing, the facial expressions were all spot on. Its just great, how you see the movie, from a horse perspective. Steven Spielberg deserves a lot of praise for that, and I hoper he gets it.

The cinematography is as good as it gets, its simply astounding. The film's cinematographer, Janusz Kamiński deserves all the praise he gets, an Oscar surely awaits him. The movie deserves all the technical praise, it gets. The editing is well done, the art direction is spectacular, the look of the film is quite breathtaking, at times.

The film is uncompromisingly sentimental, and I wasn't annoyed by it. Because it worked so well, it made me care about the story, the characters, the horses. A good old fashion studio epic, I miss them and I'm happy Spielberg delivered one. There are a lot of powerful scenes in the movie, from which I cried. It was just so moving, it showed the true consequences of war. Some of the battle sequences were simply fantastic and astonishing.

I am happy to see, Steven Spielberg in his top form. He showed, that he's still one of the best in the business and I hope to see more of him in the future. It may not be his best film, but it certainly a wonderful film to watch. I'd recommend anyone to see the film, it will appeal to everyone.

Good war story

[Calicodreamin · 7/10 · 30 August 2020]

A strong war story detailing the horrors of war and the underlying common bond that all men share. The acting was fairly good from the whole cast, and the war scenes felt authentic. Beautiful cinematography brought this story to life.

A rouser

[JohnDeSando · 24 December 2011]

I have not seen a better movie than War Horse to introduce mature youngsters to the concept of war and its effects. In addition, the idea of WWI: the Great War, the war to end all wars is a history lesson only movies can make real. Besides, it's a rousing adventure.

Steven Spielberg has helmed another sentimental favorite about a boy and his horse, whom he finds after the horse has been drafted. If you marry The Black Stallion with All Quiet on the Western front, then you have an idea of the mix: audience pleasing characters, their horses, and war as in Saving Private Ryan sans the flying body parts. The trenches are well-known images by now, but Spielberg brings a measure of reality that needs not the blood and guts to transmit the horror.

War Horse is not Schindler's List because it plays the sentiment card a bit too boldly with music that demands specific responses the audience could achieve without the coaching. However, the visual imagery is stunning, more like the John Ford epic silhouetting than the David Lean expansiveness. Yet, both artists are there in Spielberg's art.

Those horses: Joe is the horse sought after by his nurturing young man, Albert (Jeremy Irvine), and both the Brit and German armies as a touchstone of the humanity the director so carefully husbands. The scene when a Brit and a German soldier suspend the war to help the horse is a memorable manipulation of the theme of war's insanity. It's not the first time an artist has taken the theme of a time out of war to show its absurdity in the face of enduring humanity.

Although the film is about a half hour too long and the director's themes too obvious, he has achieved a renaissance for old fashioned quality filmmaking: gorgeous shots, sympathetic characters, epic themes, and a plot easy to follow. Over it all favors the loving, childlike director, who appeals to the youth in us and the hope for mankind.

It's About the War

[Hitchcoc · 6/10 · 25 May 2012]

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.

My Lovely Horse

[freemantle_uk · 8/10 · 25 January 2012]

World War II has been put to film a number of times in many different countries, but there are not nearly enough World War I films. Steven Spielberg set out to redress the balance giving us War Horse, an adaptation of a children's book and the play of the same name.

Albert Narracott (Jeremy Irvine) is a young man living in Dartmoor in 1914. His father (Peter Mullan) buys a thoroughbred horse when he should have plough because of his rift with his landlord (David Thewlis). Albert is able to break in the horse who he names Joey and he shows to be a very special horse, strong, determined, loyal and intelligence. But when World War I breaks out, Joey is sold to a British office, Captain Nicholls (Tom Hiddleston) and during the course of the conflict the horse see all aspects, from a Calvary horse, in rural civilian life for a French girl suffering Hollywood's disease (i.e. they say she is dying but seems perfectly healthy), as a German work horse and in no man's land.

Spielberg has a good track record making historical films with Schindler's List, Saving Private Ryan and Empire of the Sun. War Horse is a solid film rather then being a great film. It is a film that is rich in period detail, showing the brutal nature of World War I, from the effects of chemical warfare and you feel the muddy, dirty environment as horses pull a giant artillery battery up a hill and Spielberg knows how to make a mundane scene of a horse ploughing a field exciting and emotional (it must be the most boring village in the world for watching a horse ploughing to be considered entertainment). But at the same time there are also some problems, particularly Spielberg's reliance on cutesy humour, from a goose who chases people to a scene in the trenches. I would not be surprise if Richard Curtis was partially responsible. The film is too long and many scenes could have been shorten or cut, particularly in the beginning. I think the relationship and love between Albert and Joey could have easily have been done in half the time.

It was a great idea of using a horse to show the horrors of war and the different perspectives of war. It is a great opportunity to show that they are good guys and bad guys on both sides of the war. There is some success in that in the German army privates are show to be decent caring people to the horse, but the officer core and sergeants were very harsh and cruel. Compare it to the British officers who are noble, if a little arrogant or cocky, but there are hints in one of the officers that behind his eagerness that in reality he was scared of the prospect of going to war for the first time. I would have wanted to see more of a mixed picture within all sides of the war and try to give more depth to the characters.

There is a great cast in War Horse, we have emerging talent like Hiddleston and Benedict Cumberbatch who in their small roles show they are going to be big actors (well more so), new talent like Irvine who was excellent, playing his character like Sam and Frodo from Lord of the Rings and Celine Buckens where the humour works best. Emily Watson was also brilliant as Albert's mother and it great to see in a big film. And of course Joey the horse shows a lot of promise as an animal performer.

John Williams also supplies Mr. Spielberg with another great score, fitting for the film and Janusz Kaminski continues with great camera work, from the bright work of Devon in the summer to more grey and dull view of the front line of the war.

War Horse is a solid piece of filmmaking. It is typical Oscar bait but it still works as a film and Spielberg is able to make us care for Joey.

7.5/10.

Steven Spielberg goes old timey

[SnoopyStyle · 6/10 · 18 August 2013]

Farm boy Albert Narracott tries to enlist to fight in WWI after his horse Joey is sold to the calvary. The film follows the horse as he suffers through the war.

Steven Spielberg directs this deliberate epic as we follow a horse from the farm to war and back to farm again. In between he encounters many different humans and that breaks up the story. Just as you get involved in one story, the horse leaves and a new story begins. It breaks up the pace and causes a real problem maintaining the tension.

In many ways, this film feels like a relic from a by gone era. The action is big, but we don't see the grotesque blood splattering. People are killed but rarely take center stage. In one scene, a squad of mounted British soldier charge at German gun enplacements. In the next scene, only the horses charge out of the forest without their riders. We know most the riders have been killed, but Spielberg is choosing poetry over brutal authenticity. This isn't breaking any ground and isn't going to last in collective memory of the movie-going public about Spielberg.

Stunning film, a visual feast

[barbara-364 · 9/10 · 25 January 2012]

This film is a treat to watch. I was keen to see it, but had reservations about watching scenes from world war one. I had no need to worry. The whole thing was beautifully handled and even the filming of the trenches and the front were carefully composed and lit. Joey the horse is the lead actor. And what an actor! What a handsome horse! He certainly stole the film. Some scenes stay with me. The race with the car, the friendship with the black horse, the Geordie regiment bagpipe player in the trench, the German soldiers helping the worn out horses drag those great guns up the slope. Joey bolting through the barbed-wire fencing. A friend I was with remarked afterwards that Roses of Picardy had not been written in 1914 and that the record it was being played on was from about three decades later. These are really small details in what appeared to me to be a meticulously researched film. I hope it has a world wide audience. It deserves one.

10 Stars for the Horse, 6 for the Film

[estebangonzalez10 · 6/10 · 12 February 2012]

¨Separated by war. Tested by battle. Bound by friendship. ¨ War Horse might be about a miraculous and beautiful horse, but the movie has nothing miraculous about it. It's a well filmed movie, but the story and the performances are very melodramatic at times. The scenery is gorgeous, but the pacing is slow for a two and a half hour long movie. The Academy seemed to like this Steven Spielberg film more than I did since it received six Oscar nominations, including Best Picture, but despite the excellent performance from the horse (or should I say horses?) this won't be among my favorite films of the year. Of course it has the typical Spielberg narrative that has made him such a lovable director, but I felt it was way too melodramatic at times. War Horse is based on the novel written by Michael Morpurgo, while the screenplay was adapted by Lee Hall (Billy Elliot) and Richard Curtis (Notting Hill, Bridget Jones's Diary, and Love Actually). The main protagonist of the story is this beautiful horse (played in the most part by the same horse from Seabiscuit), but the rest of the cast in this film are far from memorable. The War scenes really didn't impact me at all in the way that Spielberg did in Saving Private Ryan, but I guess he couldn't go that far if he wanted to make a family film. It does have some strong scenes however that might be difficult to watch (like when the horse gets caught up in the barb wires). War Horse is a good movie, but far from memorable and one I wouldn't enjoy watching again.

The story takes place during 1914 in a small English town named Devon where a young teen named Albert (Jeremy Irvine) is seen watching the birth of a foal. That foal grows up to be a beautiful strong horse and is taken to an auction to be sold. Devon's father, a farmer named Ted (Peter Mullan) is mesmerized by the animal and decides to buy it despite it not being a plough horse, but a thoroughbred. Devon is happy about his father's decision, although his mother, Rose (Emily Watson) is upset because Ted has spent more money than they can afford on an animal that won't help them in the far. To make matters worse, their landlord (David Thewlis) wants his rent money and demands after the harvest season or else he will take the land away from them. Devon tells his parents not to worry, that he will train the horse and teach it how to plough. Together Devon and the horse, which he names Joey, accomplish the impossible and plough the land in time for the harvest. However, a heavy rain ruins the harvest and everything is lost for Ted and his family. In order to pay the rent he is forced to sell the horse to a soldier, Captain Nicholls (Tom Hiddleston) since the country is at the brisk of war against Germany. That is how Joey begins his transition from one owner to the next, and from one band to another, after the English are defeated in a battle and the horse is taken by the Germans. Whoever his owner may be they will soon find out that he is no ordinary horse.

The cast is perhaps one of the weakest links about this movie. I didn't find the performances very memorable and the drama seemed really forced at times. The best actor by far was the horse. Since the horse switches from one owner to another, there are several characters and different stories and some work better than others. The movie begins very slow, but once the war begins the story picks up at times. The final thirty minutes are really intense and do lift the movie, but it's too bad it takes so long to pick up. The beginning is really slow and melodramatic and I feared the worst for this film, but thankfully it does get much better and the ending saves the movie. Even the performance from Jeremy Irvine seems to pick up in the second half (I really hated it in the first part). Tom Hiddleston's role wasn't very attractive either, I didn't enjoy his performance, it seemed too forced. My favorite character in this movie was Emilie, a young girl that lived alone with her grandfather who finds the horse in a windmill. She was played by Celine Buckens and her role was hilarious. She has some funny lines, but as most characters she isn't in this movie for too long. The barbwire scene was also pretty memorable and I loved the way the scene was resolved in such a comedic matter. If only War could be avoided in the same way. In conclusion we learn a lot from this miraculous horse and how animals too suffer in middle of men's wars and differences. Too bad the pacing and the narrative was a little off, but the film is still worth a watch.

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A truly exceptional film about courage in both man and beast

[bamacharm · 10/10 · 29 December 2011]

This is a wonderful "against all odds" inspirational story about courage and relationships. A horse of truly amazing spirit touches the lives of so many during War I - including British soldiers, German soldiers, French civilians and even other horses. I cannot recall any foul language throughout the film. The background and drama are epic. Steven Spielberg will take you through many emotions from humor, to sadness, to tears of joy. The scenery is gorgeous, the acting splendid, and the performances by the animals is simply remarkable. The cinematography has to be the best I've seen in a film. The last scene alone is a masterpiece.

Jeremy Irvine as "Albert" was particularly outstanding. I was also moved by the performance of French actor Niels Arestrup as the Grandfather and that of Celine Buckens who plays Emilie - his granddaughter. Of course, the War Horse -Joey- steals the show.

I cannot give a film any higher recommendation than I give this one. You will be moved to tears. Everyone in the family will enjoy it and you'll be pleased that you "participated" because you will be fully invested in this story emotionally.

A Beautifully Photographed Horse Film

[3xHCCH · 7/10 · 28 January 2012]

When we watch this film, we have to keep in mind that this was based on a children's book by Michael Morpurgo, published in 1982, as well as its 2007 stage adaptation. The story is then predictably sentimental and melodramatic to appeal to its target juvenile audiences. This film was appropriately helmed by the acknowledged expert in directing films for young audiences, Steven Spielberg.

"War Horse" is about an elegant brown stallion named Joey by the teenage boy who raised him, Albert Naracott. When war broke out between Britain and Germany, Joey was sold by Albert's father to the army, as Albert tearfully promises they will see each other again one day. From there, we follow Joey's intense experiences, both bad and good, in and out of the line of battle. Will Joey and Albert ever be reunited in the end? I think you all know the answer to that.

The photography is the best feature of this film as the camera captures the dramatic vistas in both peace and war times in the British countryside. Spielberg also reminds us of his proficiency with war scenes, as he had shown us before in films like "Empire of the Sun," "Schindler's List" and "Saving Private Ryan." Joey has some spectacular scenes as he gallops through the battlefield and through the trenches. Spielberg really knows how to amaze us with technically fantastic shots, without losing the emotion and heart of the story. All in all, when appreciated in the context in which it was made, "War Horse" fully deserves its place among the nominees for the Best Picture of 2011.

Spielberg's thoughtful horse story

[brad-graiser · 10 November 2011]

Greetings IMDBers,

I was lucky enough to see War Horse as a sneak preview in Atlanta and it was certainly a treat to behold. Steven Spielberg's latest historical adaptation tells the story of a forlorn connection between a young English lad and his courageous horse. Instead of discussing the plot, I would rather elaborate on the artistic elements, that make War Horse really shine.

War Horse does a superb job of creating an emotional connection between the audience and the horse; taking us through a myriad of experiences, both tragic and triumphant. Visually speaking, Spielberg's direction and the cinematography are as majestic as the horse itself. There are long sweeping shots of the expansive English countryside combined with an endearing Williams score. It is Spielberg's most thoughtful presentation in quite some time. Additionally, Spielberg has captured some glorious color saturation reminiscent of Gone With the Wind. Despite some plot holes in the narrative, this film really shines as wholesome cinematic storytelling. It is classic Spielberg, with a captivating story to boot.I am certain this film will be very popular during the holiday season although it may not capture the imagination of the Academy. All in all, a treat for the eyes and a heartwarming story. What else could you ask for?

Brad

Just not British to shed a tear

[Harryhammer2 · 10/10 · 17 January 2012]

Here's the situation.... you have a large budget to make a big Hollywood production of a children's book that had been made into a successful West End production, it will be set during the years of 1914-1918 and it will be mainly targeted towards families.... oh and it's leading star will be a Horse. Probably only Steven Spileberg could come close to pulling this off and in my eyes and in the moist and damp eyes of my wife and daughter (aged 10) he has been successful.

It is a gloriously old fashioned romp of film with magnificent scenery and cinematography from the gods, from the vibrant fields and countryside of Devon to the Flanders fields and the mud and the destruction of the Somme.

The film centres around Joey the horse and the people he meets, he somehow in the madness of conflict allows them to find their humanity, this happened then and it still happens now, organisations such as NOWZAD aiding serviceman bringing home their four legged (normally Dogs) companions from their tour of duty.

I laughed and cried and cheered this magnificent beast, he is after all the star of the show (and the biggest star since Secretariat!), it pulls the heart strings unashamedly and maybe that is the problem with some of the critical reviews, just like Captain Nicholls and the other brave cavalry men, it's just not British to shed a tear! If you want to be cynical then yes you will probably want to pull this film apart but you know.... for once I did not want to see the graphic realities of war, I wanted to watch a film with my daughter that she could understand the horror's of that conflict without showing the exploited gore of some modern War films. After the film had finished and we had dried our eyes we went for a meal, the whole meal we were talking as a family about the film, and surely that is what it is all about.

Mr Spielberg has probably done more in 2.5 hours to educate children regarding the history of World War 1 than any history teacher could do, and he has done it with the aid of some of the truly great scenes in modern day cinema ...Oh and not forgetting a horse (or two!).

Well made, but suffers from its own story

[resfirestar · 6/10 · 25 December 2011]

First off, nothing about this movie is below what we would expect from Steven Spielberg as director. The scenery, camera work and battles are perfectly executed. It has gripping and emotional moments. Still, it suffers from being a "horse movie" and really just an "animal movie". They all generally have the same storyline, but this one manages to not throw out anything unexpected. At times, this gave the movie a sentimental, nostalgic feel, but at others it makes scenes drag on in the midst of embarrassingly bad delivery from some of the cast. I'm really looking at Emily Watson (Rose) and Niels Arestrup (the French grandfather) here, but pretty much all the minor characters also suffer from this.

I enjoyed War Horse more than most of the other films I watched this year, but it's still not that memorable.

Immensely Satisfying

[Spritedude23 · 8/10 · 24 January 2012]

This is not a movie to watch casually. That said, it is definitely a movie to watch, and emotionally invest in it, the payoff is incredible. Although the beginning lagged a bit (there could have easily been a good 15 minutes taken off of the running time), once the battle scenes picked up I became enthralled.

Steven Spielberg hits home once again with this film, and John William's soundtrack is completely outstanding. And there is a slew of recognizable actors from David Thewlis (Remus Lupin in Harry Potter) to Eddie Marsan (Inspector Lestrade in Sherlock Holmes).

Overall this movie was immensely satisfying, and moving in a couple parts.

Eight solid stars.