‘War Horse’ is Guilty Holiday Fun
For majority of us the holiday season involves traditions that evoke warm, familiar feelings. Since the time is fleeting, we often try to prolong our happy thoughts by feeding on overly optimistic junk movies. Normally we would be embarrassed about consuming such fluff, but our need for comfort seems to outweigh shame.
Steven Spielberg’s War Horse falls into this category, as a cheesy, feel-good film tailored to audience need during the holiday season. That’s not to say the movie is bad; though its sappy themes of friendship and family, as well as its obvious inspirational qualities simply make it a guilty pleasure.
The fact that War Horse is an adaptation adds extra sympathy for those who have read the Michael Morpurgo novel it’s based on or seen its Broadway counterpart. If War Horse were released at any other point in the year, it would probably receive positive reception, but viewers might not be as willing to accept its unflinchingly upbeat message.
Our tale starts in England near the onset of World War I. Ted Narracott (Peter Mullan), a poor farmer with a bit of a drinking problem, stubbornly purchases a horse at an auction. Even though it’s not suited for working the land, Narracott trusts his gut feeling that the animal is exactly what he needs to turn his luck around.
What Ted doesn’t predict however, is the strong bond his son Albert (Jeremy Irvine) immediately forges with the horse, who he names Joey. No one believes that Albert will train Joey to plow the fields, but the teen finds a way to surprise his neighbors.
After war is declared against Germany, tragedy strikes for the Narracotts, forcing Ted to sell Joey, which leaves Albert heartbroken. A group of British soldiers buy Joey to make him part of their mounted unit. From there, the film follows Joey’s adventures during World War I and all the people of varying nationalities he touches along the way: the English, the French, and the Germans.
Part of the feel-good message in War Horse is that even in times of great hatred and war; people aren’t all that dissimilar. They all care for Joey despite their vastly diverse languages and cultures. In some instances, they’re even willing to set aside their differences with one another to help a creature in need, like the British and the Germans do one do in a touching, humorous scene.
With Steven Spielberg at the helm, great sensitivity is shown to both the boy/horse relationship and the wartime parts of the story. The friendship that Albert establishes with Joey is one of true love and respect, reminiscent of Elliot and E.T from Spielberg’s E.T. Just like Elliot, Albert defies barriers of language and species to find kinship with Joey. There’s no mind melding or fingers lighting up though.
Pulling from his Saving Private Ryan experience, Spielberg creates convincing battlefield sequences filled with frantic dashes through trenches as gunfire and explosions rain down on his soldiers. However to make his film more family friendly, Spielberg tones down the violence significantly, showing almost no blood, and only depicting death for dramatic effect.
Perhaps the most surprising thing in War Horse is Spielberg’s effort to humanize the horses. From the close shots where you can see deep into their eyes, to the frequent cuts to their reactions, you really feel like you understand what the animals are thinking. As a result, it’s easy to sympathize with them, even if you’re not a horse lover. I’m not normally into them, but I still enjoyed this fluffy tale.