Music, Style & Culture

War Horse

Steven Spielberg's adaptation is as brave and earnest as Joey himself, proudly nostalgic.

Released in cinemas 13th January 2012.

Cynics need not purchase a ticket for Steven Spielberg's latest, as it unashamedly tugs at the heartstrings. However, it's a story that needs a director completely at ease with emotional manipulation - those crying out for an epic weepie will be richly rewarded.

This lush, rich-hued adaptation of Michael Morpurgo's beloved book (and hugely successful stage adaptation) is a fable of hope and empathy. On the cusp of the First World War, a poor and disaster-struck farmer (Peter Mullan) throws his money away on a thoroughbred, instead of the work horse his family desperately needs. His teenage son Albert (Jeremy Irvine) bonds with the animal, now named Joey, and proves to his hopeless, drunk father that the horse can in fact drag a plough in a stirring moment of triumph against the odds. When war breaks out, Joey is sold to the cavalry, luckily ending up in the care of kindly Captain Nicholls (Tom Hiddleston). The story follows Joey through the horrors of war on both sides of the enemy lines, as the horse constantly changes owners.

Newcomer Irvine gives a pure and innocent performance as the wide-eyed and loyal Albert - the film's true star (if you don't count the titular horse). His faith in Joey sets them both on a miraculous path through the trenches - there are parallels with Elliot and E.T. to be found in the unconditional love between boy and beast. As his parents, Mullan and Emily Watson have less to do, functioning mainly as hearts and minds to be melted by the courage of their son.

As can be expected by the man who redefined the war movie, Spielberg's film is strongest during battle, but as a family film it goes easy on visceral brutality - it's a story that celebrates the good of mankind in the midst of horror. The historical truces in No Man's Land are referenced in a touching, bitterweet exchange that follows a shocking situation Joey finds himself in. The horse wranglers and special effects team outdo themselves on many occasion, no more so than Joey's white knuckle gallop through a battlefield covered in barbed wire.

Some of Joey's episodes fare less well - when he finds himself in the hands of a French jam-maker (Niels Arestrup) and his granddaughter, the movie grinds to an unwelcome halt after the powerful time spent with the British cavalry. Hiddleston continues his habit of standing out in every film he's appeared in during his meteoric rise, hugely sympathetic as the officer (and gentleman) who makes good on his promise to look after Joey. His scenes with friendly rival Benedict Cumberbatch are a joy, but painfully brief.

Anyone of a remotely sensitive disposition will want to hug the nearest animal upon leaving the cinema. Without anthropomorphising Joey, Spielberg conveys the creature's intelligence and dignity, and it would take a hardened soul not to be choked when Joey's life is repeatedly saved by skills taught by Albert. War Horse pushes the animal lover to the limits by revelling in the glory of magnificent animals bred for a lifetime of service to humans.

The film's structure weakens a lot of the impact, along with Richard Curtis and Lee Hall's script being light on shrewdness and high in sentimentality. Luckily, John Williams provides another stirring score, one that lingers beyond the end credits, while Spielberg's regular director of photography (Schindler's List onwards) Janusz Kaminski is tasked with shooting in a retro, Technicolour tint, evocative of Gone with the Wind. This photography seals War Horse as brave and earnest as Joey himself, proudly nostalgic like a matinee classic.

Rating: 8/10