War Horse
Review by David Woodward
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War Horse
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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’s outing to the cinema.
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! 4.5 out
of 5
War Horse
Australian release: 26th December,
2011
Official
Site: War Horse
Cast: Tom Hiddleston, Benedict Cumberbatch, Emily Watson, David Thewlis, Toby Kebbell, Eddie Marsan
Director: Steven Spielberg
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