A noble beast
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War Horse (12A, 146 mins)
War/Drama/Action. Jeremy Irvine, Emily Watson, Peter Mullan,
David Thewlis, Tom Hiddleston, Benedict Cumberbatch, Celine
Buckens, Niels Arestrup, Matt Milne, Toby Kebbell, David Kross,
Leonhard Carow, Eddie Marsan. Director: Steven Spielberg.
The casualties of war extend far beyond the terrible loss of
human life.
During the First World War, thousands of pigeons carried vital
messages over long distances when other lines of communication were
compromised.
Dogs detected mines and dug out victims of bomb blasts while
millions of horses, donkeys and mules carried supplies and
ammunition or charged into battle in the Allied cavalry.
Eight million horses perished in appalling conditions.
A dramatic memorial in London, sculpted from stone and brass by
artist David Backhouse, pays tribute to the fallen creatures, great
and small.
Author Michael Morpurgo expressed his debt of gratitude in the
1982 children's novel War Horse, which has been adapted into a
breathtaking stage production on both sides of the Atlantic.
Now, Steven Spielberg directs this handsome Oscar-tipped film
version of Morpurgo's heart-rending tale from a script by Richard
Curtis and Lee Hall.
Alcohol-soaked farmer Ted Narracott (Peter Mullan) pays over the
odds for a foal called Joey to spite landlord Lyons (David Thewlis)
when he is supposed to be buying a plough horse.
Long-suffering wife Rose (Emily Watson) despairs, wondering how
they will pay the rent, while son Albert (Jeremy Irvine) promises
to train the animal to work the fields.
Ted tearfully acknowledges the error of his ways and fully
expects his wife to abandon him.
"I might hate you more, but I'll never love you less," Rose
assures him tenderly.
When Europe goes to war, Ted sells Joey to Captain Nicholls (Tom
Hiddleston), who promises to take good care of the mount.
Albert subsequently learns of tragedy on the battlefield and
enlists in the army with best friend Andrew (Matt Milne) to track
down Joey and return the horse to the farm.
Meanwhile, behind enemy lines, Joey is captured by the Germans
and embarks on a momentous journey in the company of a young
soldier called Gunther (David Kross) and a French girl (Celine
Buckens) and her grandfather (Niels Arestrup).
War Horse is a deeply moving and sweeping drama that harnesses
Spielberg's virtuosity behind the camera.
The film-maker conjures some breathtaking images, such as the
deaths of two characters by firing squad which are obscured from
view at the crucial moment by the tilting sail of a windmill.
Scenes in the trenches recall the pyrotechnic-laden hell of
Saving Private Ryan and a pivotal scene of Joey ensnared in barbed
wire in no man's land during the Second Battle of The Somme is
genuinely horrifying.
Irvine is an endearing and steadfast hero, willing to die for
his beloved horse, and the supporting cast embraces the script's
earthy humour and sentimentality.
Invariably, the four-legged stars canter away with our
tear-stained affections, beautifully embodying the millions of
noble beasts which gave their lives for our freedom.
:: No swearing :: No sex :: Violence :: Rating: 8/10
To find local screenings for War Horse, click here.
Wednesday, January 11 2012
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