War Horse Review

Spielberg brings his trademark style and epic sweep to a big screen adaptation of the acclaimed novel and play Warhorse. Well-acted and beautifully shot, the film's main message seems to be that there are no bad guys in war, just good people pushed into horrific situations….oh yeah and there is a horse in there somewhere.

Young Jeremy Iven makes his film debut as Albert Narracott, stars young farm boy lives a troubled family life due to his father’s alcoholic ways, making him a laughing stock of the village. After his father bets against his landlord to a win a horse, Albert takes it upon himself to train the horse up so he can plough the fields and help grow enough vegetables to help his family pay the rent. However once his family’s money problem hit rock bottom the father has no choice but to sell the horse to the army as WW1 starts brewing. From then on the story follows Joey the horse’s journey across Europe, being taken from owner to owner across the two sides of the war.

Visually the film is a beaut and really reminds us just how epic Spielberg can go as we’re transported to the lush hills of Devon and the vast fields of France. However as the film is a PG, the scenes of War are nothing like the hard hitting scenes Spielberg created for the classic Saving Private Ryan. I’m not saying the film should be shockingly violent, but the runs over the trenches felt a little stifled and it was hard to get a feeling for what should be brutal and harrowing.

At 2 hours long the film felt like it could have been a shorter, and it’s hard not to role your eyes at the sickly sentimentality Spielberg applies at times. Spielberg is one of cinemas legends but sometimes you wonder how much more he could achieve if he didn’t focus on projects with such neat and tidy happy endings. Still it’s a well-made film with a fine cast and some stand out scenes that show moments of humanity coming out of the inhumanity of War.

Paul Gardner