Last night the BBC gave us the premiere of Steve Spielberg’s epic war film War Horse. Lasting two hours and fifteen minutes War Horse was an emotional roller coaster filled with tears, heartbreak and the occasional heartwarming smile. The film follows farm boy Albert (Jeremy Irvine) whose drunken war struck father (Peter Mullan) buys a horse to plough his field. The catch? The horse doesn’t seem to want plough the field. With their farm behind on the rent they could lose everything if the field isn’t ploughed in time for turnips. But Albert soon adopts the horse as his own, naming him Joey and becoming determined to plough the field.
Before you know it the two are inseperable and Albert saves his family’s farm through sheer determination to plough the field. The first half an hour of the film is heartwarming and will have you cheering for Albert and Joey to pull through. It is the rest of the film which will leave you with a constant flow of tears. Soon enough World War breaks out and Albert finds himself torn from Joey who is sold off to go to war due to money trouble. The ploughed field becomes ruined and the turnips planted useless after heavy rainfall. With Albert separated from his horse, Captain Nicholls (Tom Hiddleston) promises to take care of the Joey. Teaming up with Major Jamie Stewart, Captain Nicholls proves that Joey is the fastest horse in the army as he races Major Stweart and his stead Topthorn.
The rest of the film follows Joey on his time throughout the war. From his time in a German camp with two young German boys who flee the war, to his time with a French grandfather and his granddaughter. Throughout the film Joey is with Topthorn and the two horses develop a friendship and a dedication towards each other. The war is seen from everyone’s perspective. From the men fighting on the front line to those who stayed at home. Albert comes back into the film as a young soldier caught up in the Battle of the Somme with his friends. The rest of the film follows Joey and Albert’s trials and tribulations through the film.
Although this is ultimately a film about the relationship between a boy and his horse, the film is much more than that. It is a film about all of those involved in the War. It shows the horror, the fear and the humanity the ordinary soldiers faced. It showed just how many men lost their lives. It showed how many horses lost their lives too. It widens our eyes to the fact that the War killed so many and effected everyone. War Horse is a touching tale, and brilliantly acted. The visuals are stunning and everyone involved gave a fine performance too. It is definitely a film which should continue to be shown for years to come.
Confessions of a Hopeless Law Student 