War Horse ~ Entertaining World War I Film

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Recently, the boys and I were able to pick up a movie at Redbox to watch.   We usually keep a list of films we’d like to see in our heads and then see if we are fortunate enough to find one available.  That particular day, the film we selected was War Horse.

 

The boys had commented for quite a while that they wanted to see this film after seeing the trailers and commercial spots for it.  Steven Spielberg is known for fantastic special effects and even though this is more historical than fantasy, his touch is evident in the film.

 

From the War Horse Website ~

From legendary director Steven Spielberg comes the epic adventure War Horse, a tale of incredible loyalty, hope and tenacity. Based on the Tony award-winning* Broadway play, and set against the sweeping canvas of World War I, this deeply heartfelt story begins with the remarkable friendship between a horse named Joey and his young trainer Albert. When they’re forced apart by war, we follow Joey’s extraordinary journey as he changes and inspires the lives of everyone he meets. Filled with spectacularly rich visuals – and complete with Steven Spielberg’s exclusive bonus documentary War Horse is a "Genuine Movie Masterpiece" (Rex Reed, The New York Observer) and one of the most powerful and moving stories of friendship ever told.

I have to admit that having seen how thin the book that inspired this movie is, I wasn’t sure how it would pull together and fill just over 2 hours of time.  This isn’t the first time someone has taken a short story and expanded it to a full length movie.  Sometimes it works and other times it seems like those behind the production were really searching for a way to fill space.  I shouldn’t have fretted at all as the cinematography does a fantastic job of telling a story in and of itself with time spent just capturing each location Joey is found.  It is truly a visual story where a lot can be conveyed without words.

 

Albert’s dad is known as the town drunk and ridiculed for many things, including his purchase of the young horse to help him plow the rocky earth on the farm he is likely to lose.  Albert sees something in the horse, names him Joey, and vows to train him to do the work that needs to be done.  The determination to accomplish what most everyone else thinks impossible is so strong you can practically feel it oozing from the screen.  And, it seems like life will turn around until a strong rainstorm undoes their progress.  To avoid losing their home, Albert’s dad leases Joey to an officer preparing to enter the war against Germany.

While the introductory section of the film was touching, it really just set the stage for the viewer to understand the bond between horse and boy.  Albert is too young to enlist and must witness Joey leaving.  Joey also does not want to part from his beloved trainer, but eventually takes to his new rider.  That new bond is relatively short lived as the  captain is killed, but Joey has forged a bond with another war horse, Topthorn.  And, so begins their journey from ‘owner’ to ‘owner’ as the war marches on.

Eventually, Albert is old enough to enlist and does so with the hopes of finding his beloved Joey.  It is not until the war is about over that this long desired wish comes to fruition, only for him to have different obstacles arise that threaten to keep the separation permanent.

 

J is the only one who did not watch the film. He was in the room for a bit when it started, but was not paying close attention to things and even if he had been watching he’d most likely have not ‘caught’ many of the threads throughout the film. Instead, he went through his bedtime ritual while they began the film and was in bed by the time 30 minutes had elapsed. There are many scenes with violence (after all it IS a war film) and some situations that could be troublesome to a young one.   I might have had D wait to watch it until he was a little older, but have found that it is near impossible to keep him away from some PG-13 films.  I honestly think he found some of the settings so otherworldly that he can not fathom it being a representation of what it was really like.

 

I suspect this film will be viewed again in the not too distant future as Mr. O missed out on watching with us.  It is becoming a rare occurrence to find a film that he and the boys enjoy and this one just might fit the bill.

 

  

 

This post has been submitted for inclusion in The Christian Home 63rd edition hosted here.   As the featured columnist for the Movies and Music category, you can be looking forward to weekly posts on what we are watching or music we’ve enjoyed.  

Feel free to leave suggestions for me as well that are family friendly or uplifting for adults.  While I have movies and some music selections in mind, I’m always on the lookout for other great choices.