Stories in war movies are usually about the triumphs or tragedies
that come from it and almost always contain violence. Whether they are
based on fact or are simply a work of fiction, they're also usually seen
through the eyes of the soldiers that are on the battlefield. Steven
Spielberg's War Horse focuses on those tragedies and triumphs, but it is
actually shown through the travels of a horse involved.
Set
during the First World War, War Horse tells the story of a young man
named Albert (Jeremy Irvine) and his horse named Joey. Albert has tamed
and trained Joey over time and the two form a long-lasting bond with one
another. After their long-standing friendship, the two are wedged apart
when Joey is taken from Albert and is forced into the war. Joey goes
off on a tour around Europe during the war and encounters several people
of different nationalities. During this time, he affects their lives
and we witness the true meaning of friendship, courage and humanity.
War
Horse wants to be emotional and it is every now and then. However, the
attempts at drawing out emotion hit a wall on a few occasions and appear
overblown. I'm not an animal guy, but I find it hard to believe that a
horse would evoke this much emotion from people who haven't been around
it for very long. Even Albert's love for the horse seems unnatural and
exaggerated. I can understand the little girl in the movie and her
affections toward Joey, because she's a kid and you can easily say that
she's probably always wanted a horse. When it comes to these grown men
in the middle of a war, I just don't understand it. Those relationships
usually seem implausible and cheesy.
Most of the film's real
emotion comes from its human characters anyway and their dealings with
each other. The actors who played these parts really did an exceptional
job of pouring on the direct amount of emotion and personality that was
needed. I got a sense that these were real people with human traits as
they went on with their lives right in the middle of the largest war
that they had ever seen.
I think the story and the actors were
greatly helped out by the score of War Horse. It was forceful, loud and
dramatic throughout. It even added some punch inside of the stale and
corny parts of the film. This could be the best score out of all the
ones that I've heard in 2011. It really captured the personality of
battle, but still remained light enough to keep everything positive and
upbeat.
The battle scenes were fantastic in my opinion.
Remembering that this film is PG-13, they didn't have any blood or gore
in the battles, but Spielberg did it in an artistic way that still
showcases the emotions and brutality of war. It was cool to be able to
only hear the bullets and explosions going on around the soldiers and
yet still be able to feel the impact they brought. That and being able
to see the fear and anxiousness in the eyes of some of the men helped to
drive home the dramatics and help tell the story.
What might have
been my favorite part in War Horse was the scene at No Man's Land. It's
a scene in the middle of the war that doesn't contain any fighting and
stands out to me due to its look at who we are as humans. I don't think
there is any part in War Horse that signifies so much while doing so
little. To me, it was the signature moment in a good film and it easily
stands out more than anything else does.
With good directing,
acting and music, War Horse is a film that a lot of people can get
behind. I thought this movie was very artistic and dramatic. The only
real problem that presented itself was the overly emotional
relationships that some of the humans had with a horse most of them
barely knew. Other than that, it was solid and I had no real complaints.
Score: 3/5
Rating: PG-13
Director: Steven Spielberg
Cast:
Jeremy Irvine
Emily Watson
Peter Mullan
David Thewlis
Tom Hiddleston
Niels Arestrup
Celine Buckens
David Kross
Leonard Carow
Jeremy Irvine
Emily Watson
Peter Mullan
David Thewlis
Tom Hiddleston
Niels Arestrup
Celine Buckens
David Kross
Leonard Carow
Film Length: 146 minutes
Release Date: December 25, 2011
Distributor: Walt Disney Pictures
Article Source:
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