War Horse

Review by David Woodward

Steven Spielberg is back to his best as the director of War Horse, a British-American war drama film.

In a way, War Horse is an atypical Spielberg movie as it is his first which deals with World War I after several previous films and TV mini-series set during or immediately prior to World War II.

This film initially opens in Devon in the UK near the start of World War I when a young teenager is heartbroken when his father sells his horse to the cavalry.  The horse is shipped to France as an officer’s mount before experiencing several wartime adventures with both the British and German armies as well as a young French farm girl. 

The horse’s most stunning and confronting time occurs when it is stranded in the infamous ‘no man’s land’ between the trenches of the opposing armies.

Spielberg handles this rather long-winded tale with his usual flair for visual and audio excellence.

In particular, many of the scenes set in the Devon countryside and villages are a treat to watch.  The lighting is especially good capturing the late afternoon glow and, in several scenes, being reminiscent of sequences in Gone With The Wind with the golden skyline used expertly as a backdrop to some emotional scenes.

The surround-sound audio is also striking (especially in the trench warfare scenes) building on the techniques used so well in Saving Private Ryan and Band of Brothers.  Having said that though, the war sequences in War Horse are less graphically violent than in those other films - while still getting across the futility of warfare.

There are no big names in the (mainly) British cast but they all put in convincing performances. Spielberg used many of his long time collaborators behind the scenes in his production team (including John Williams for the score) and this expertise puts the film one step above many of the current film releases.

One surprise however is the use of Richard Curtis (better known for his British comedies) as the screenwriter. Curtis has woven what could be regarded as a Boys Own adventure story into an enjoyable night in on the couch with a DVD. Folks with a decent home theatre system will really get a kick out of this one.

The film version of War Horse was a long time in development before it was eventually brought to the screen, although the theatrical version has been playing on stage since 2007.

It was certainly worth the wait!

DVD Special Features

Plenty on offer here, which is surprising considering how poorly the movie actually did at the Box Office. Perhaps the studio felt the Oscar buzz surrounding the flick would have upped the interest...

• Through The Producer's Lens -- Producer Kathleen Kennedy Shares Photos She Took During Filming

• Digital Copy Of Feature Film

• War Horse: The Journey Home -- Discover How This Extraordinary Film Came To The Screen With Steven Spielberg, The Production Team And Cast

• An Extra's Point Of View -- Experience The Shoot From The Perspective Of A "Background Artist"

• A Filmmaking Journey -- Join Director-Producer Steven Spielberg For An Unprecedented Look Into The Making Of War Horse, And Learn Why The Film Was Both A Filmmaking Journey...And A Journey Of The Heart

• Editing & Scoring -- Steven Spielberg, Editor Michael Kahn And Composer John Williams Discuss The Film's Editing And Music, As Well As The Secret Of Their Forty-Year Collaboration

• The Sounds Of War Horse -- Sound Designer Gary Rydstrom Explains The Movie's Sophisticated Sound Design

Conclusion: Movie 90% Extras: 80%