"War Horse" Review

Directed by:  Steven Speilberg
Written by: Richard Curtis, Lee Hall
Starring:  Jeremy Irvine, Peter Mullen, Tom Hiddleston, Emily Watson, David Thewlis
Music by: John Williams
Cinematography by:  Janusz Kaminski

 

Whenever I posted my top 10 of the year, I named a Steven Speilberg film as my favorite.  That film was not a World War I emotional epic, but instead a motion capture adventure film based on a Belgian comic.  Just mentioning that in one year Spielberg made both these films is impressive.  This is both because they involve very high budgets and production values, and because they are both of high quality.  Although I may have liked Tintin better, his other film also is a great film.

War Horse is a film, more so than any other this year, out of its time.  One could say that The Artist is a film immersed in nostalgia, a throwback to the early days of cinema.  I would argue also that War Horse is as well.  If you have seen this film, imagine if it had been made in the 30s, 40s, or 50s.  Not only would it have been a fantastic film from the future, but also a more poignant film at the time.  The film is a throwback to the classic themes and elements of classic film:  adult themes (violent war) being dealt with through the eyes of innocence (Albert) included with PG-rated imagery.  The film is an enjoyment, never lagging in its two-hour run time, despite being predictable and glamorizing one of the worst conflicts in history. 

The real element that raises this film is Sir Steven himself.  No director other than him could have adapted this film to the same esteem it has.  Had a man like Edward Zwick directed it, it would have been much different.  Although Zwick is a fine director, it wouldn’t have had that Speilberg sensibility that allows kids to enjoy it as well as adults.  Then there is the most impressive British cast of the year: newcomer Jeremy Irvine, man of the year Tom Hiddleston, Holmes himself Benedict Cumberbatch, classic female Emily Watson, and RockNRolla Toby Kebbell.  In maybe the best single performance of the film, Peter Mullan stars as Albert’s (Jeremy Irvine) father, a classic father in all sense of cinema, and by that I mean drunk, distant, and changed by the end.  The star of the film, as much as Irvine excels, is obviously the titular horse.  Named Joey, the horse operates fully as his own character, not just a McGuffin of sorts.  In fact, the horse gives almost a . . . performance?  His expressions, if one could call it that, give a life to the animal that is essential to the film’s success.

At first hearing of the picture, I imagined a situation similar to the Lovely Bones.  A great filmmaker adapting a lauded literary work into a surefire Best Picture-type film that would underperform and underwhelm.  Instead, the film is a fine tuned epic on par with some of the best in recent years.  I could see this film racking up wins just a few years ago at the Oscars, and definitely if The Artist had not been released.  In a way, I anticipated to not like this.  Although it plays a standard story, the film itself is just so engrossing.  The multiple storylines offer some legitimate emotionality, and the beautiful cinematography and score just encapsulate it. 

Grade: B+

by Phillip Bryant