Movie Review: WAR HORSE Not For Everybody

Steven Spielberg's adaptation of WAR HORSE is a beautiful film with sweeping settings and a compelling story, but it is also disturbing and tragic in parts.

WAR HORSE is a story of love, more specifically a story about the love of horses. It begins when a young English boy witnesses the birth of a handsome, frisky, colt and later, through a miracle of stubborn pride and Irish whiskey, the boy’s father wins him at an auction. Impractical for farming, the father (Peter Mullan) immediately regrets his purchase as soon as he sobers up. But Albert (Jeremy Irvine) pleads for an opportunity to train the horse. With his mother’s support (Emily Watson) he convinces his father to let him try to make it work. And since Ted Narracott would like nothing better than to prove his landlord wrong, he consents to let Albert try.

Albert Narracott loves his new horse and names him affectionately, Joey. The two are inseparable and it is clear that Joey is a remarkable horse. When things on the farm are not doing well and the annual rent is due, Ted Narracott is short because he blew his money on the Thoroughbred. As a horse lover himself he recognized the brilliance of Joey, but more importantly he wanted to outbid his haughty landlord (Harry Potter's David Thewlis) who is now loath to give an extension. It is only when Mrs. Narracott humbles herself and begs that the family is given extra time. Now, to pull his weight and give the family a chance of paying the rent, Joey is trained to pull a plow.

World War I is on the horizon and Joey’s heroic efforts behind the plow are not enough. It becomes apparent that desperate measures are called for and Ted sells the beloved horse. The army is in desperate need of mounts and Joey is purchased by a young officer. Albert is distraught, angry and beyond grief, but the young officer, a horse lover himself, promises to care for Joey and bring him back if he can. Albert knows that this is unlikely but he is too young to enlist himself. He vows to join as soon as he is of age, and he and Joey will be reunited again.

The film now diverges on two paths. One thread follows Joey through his series of guardians and the other follows Albert. He becomes a foot soldier and in the trenches of World War I, that is a dangerous occupation to be in.  Both boy and horse will face challenges unimaginable as they try to endure and survive the war. It is only through love, friendship and the open hearts of strangers that either of them will survive.

WAR HORSE is not always an easy film to follow as Joey’s fate is ever changing. The one constant is that wherever he goes there is a horse lover there that appreciates his magnificence. Through luck, drive and Albert’s brilliant training, Joey adapts wherever he is sent. But if it wasn’t for the horse lovers of the world who entered Joey’s life Joey would have been lost long ago.

As much as I liked WAR HORSE I found it to be all over the place in terms of style. It was like watching a medley of old Hollywood movies all rolled up into one. Each segment of Joey’s life was like another famous film, we had Lassie Come Home, The Quiet Man, Black Beauty, Gone With the Wind, Heidi, and even Saving Private Ryan. Some parts of the film were very violent while others were almost Disney-esque.  I could not recommend this film for young children. I even know some horse-loving adults that won’t be able to handle it.

What I loved the most is how a red and white pennant became our beacon to lead us through it all. As Joey passes from one caretaker to another the pennant manages to get passed along too. Our journey is to follow both and learn what heroism really means. Albert is on his own path and he too will learn this lesson. Beautiful, gripping, ugly, heartfelt, brutal, inspiring, this film will take you through the gauntlet of emotions. What you receive in the end are some memorable images and conformation that war is not good for children or any living thing. A lesson we should have learned by now. But we also learn that even in the worst of times an act of kindness has far-reaching effects. Love and tenderness are never wasted acts and War Horse is a perfect reminder.

WAR HORSE in in movie theaters Christmas Day (December 25).