Horse Sense
While Michael Morpurgo was writing his 1982 book War Horse, he interviewed World War I veterans and researched horses of the period. An elderly man recalled to him that when the army came to town they bought as many horses from the residents as possible. Horses were used for cavalry and as draught animals, pulling guns, ambulances and other vehicles. After the war was over, one million British horses had died. Morpurgo extrapolates the total of equine casualties caused by World War I to be close to 10 million.
War Horse details the extraordinarily strong bond between a boy and his horse. At the onset of World War I, many English families are struggling just to get food on the table. This is the plight of the Narracott family. If the handicapped veteran Ted Narracott (Peter Mullan) cannot plow the fields and plant a productive crop, his family will soon find themselves in the poor house. In a final act of desperation, Ted spends most of the family funds on a thoroughbred pony that he will train to work as a plow horse. Much to his chagrin, Ted cannot get the pony broken. Fortunately, his son Albert (Jeremy Irvine) instantly connects with untamed horse whom he names Joey. Over time and much training they become dear friends. When England goes to war, the Narracott family is forced to sell Joey to the British Cavalry. As Joey tries to return to his master he touches the lives of everyone he comes into contact with, including British and German soldiers.
Steven Spielberg’s new film War Horse is based on the children’s book by Michael Morpurgo. It offers us the rare opportunity to see both sides of the director’s personality. On one side we get a glimpse of a less sanguine Saving Private Ryan Spielberg. The scenes of trench warfare are grimly riveting and will capture your attention. The director’s ability to create a powerful image has not diminished in the least. It is very effective when you see battle hardened soldiers flying like rag dolls. On the other hand, we also see the unabashedly emotional E.T. side of Spielberg. The bearded maestro never fails to tug at our heartstrings. This film goes to great lengths to show that even though the story is set against the backdrop of No-Man’s Land, it is not an “us vs. them” story. No matter what their national allegiances, the characters in War Horse are written as people. While this is true, these characters are still very calculated and lack the subtlety that real people have. Characters were introduced in an obvious manner, almost as if Spielberg felt that we would not understand if he did not drive home the point. Costarring in this family friendly picture are Emily Watson, Tom Hiddleston, Benedict Cumberbatch, David Thewlis and Eddie Marsan.
Often in this film old-fashioned styles and filming methods summon up memories of cinematic classics like Gone with the Wind. Because the material itself is quickly absorbing, emotionally driven and only enhanced by the vast and beautiful landscapes of 1914 Europe, War Horse is a very watchable film. You could say that War Horse makes good “horse sense.”
