‘War Horse’ works well on film, but stage version still missed
Steven Spielberg’s beautiful adaptation of War Horse, the successful play that wowed audiences in London and on Broadway, does an admirable job in recreating the intensity and heartbreak of the dramatic story. There’s still something lost in the adaptation, and that’s mostly because the puppets from the stage version were so masterful. The real horses that take their place in the film version are majestic, but nothing could compare to the thrill of a Broadway stage populated by mechanical horses that somehow touched the heart.
Jeremy Irvine plays Albert, a young chap who grows up on a working farm, taking care of his mother and trying to keep his alcoholic father (Peter Mullan) out of trouble. After his dad overpays for a horse at auction, it’s up to Albert to tame the beast and have him plow the fields. The working relationship between man and horse becomes quite close; after a few montages, they become fast friends and inseparable.
Then the war hits — World War I, that is — and both Albert and his horse Joey find themselves called into action. Albert heads to the front lines as an infantryman, while Joey leaves the farm fields for the battlefields and becomes a proper war horse. The heightened drama of whether Albert and Joey will ever reunite is what drives the second act … er, second half of War Horse.
Spielberg, who has successfully reignited his career as of late, films the drama with an eye for the lush surroundings of the English countryside and the hellish conditions of war-torn western Europe. There is an obvious beauty in these visuals, and he has no problem fully exploiting their marvel. From setting suns to verdant pastures, this is a land seemingly made for such a touching story between a young man and his steed.
Irvine is able to handle the dramatic parts of the movie and never once comes off as annoying or overly juvenile. This is not Lassie for the 21st Century. His heart truly breaks when Joey is taken away, and we can feel that heartbreak.
Mullan and Emily Watson are fine actors, and they bring a quiet dignity to their parenting roles. Watson, in particular, has found that connection between motherly tenderness and stern rigidity.
In the war, Tom Hiddleston, Benedict Cumberbatch and David Thewlis show up as supporting characters (it seems that Cumberbatch turns up in most movies nowadays). They provide some context for the war effort, but the spotlight remains on Albert and Joey. In fact, War Horse is so enamored of its central friendship that Albert doesn’t receive much of a love interest. His heart belongs to one.
War Horse’s plot will not shake the pillars of narrative structure. It’s easily identifiable and perhaps too easily predictable. But watching these actors, this legendary director and these beautiful horses bring beauty to this World War I tale is exciting. This is Hollywood storytelling like it used to be. Familiarity isn’t always a bad thing.
By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com
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War Horse
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2011
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Directed by Steven Spielberg
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Written by Lee Hall and Richard Curtis; based on the novel and play
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Starring Jeremy Irvine, Emma Watson, Peter Mullan, Tom Hiddleston, Benedict Cumberbatch and David Thewlis
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Running time: 145 minutes
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Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of war violence
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Rating:
