Some criticized Steven Spielberg’s War Horse as overly sentimental, a tad cheesy and a far cry from his more celebrated work. Others, including myself, despite early feelings of skepticism perhaps, eventually became swept up in the depiction of this relationship between a boy and his horse. This is a movie that depends on emotion, but that’s essential for a story about a relationship like this one, because trying to rationalize the connection between human and animal can sometimes lead to nonsense.
Everything in War Horse makes emotional sense. You’re pulling for Albert to overcome all these trials, and it doesn’t even matter what they are, but that he is super determined and has his horse friend Joey to help him out when he needs him. It sounds dumb when you say it out loud, or write it in words. Sure. But watching their friendship and eventual separation and reunion is like riding a bucking bronco of feelings. The setup for the big iconic moment with the barbed wire, one of the most tactile cinematic moments in the last few years, is masterfully carried out. I don’t know how they made this movie work, but with the help of over a dozen horses playing the part of Joey, they pulled off a kind of movie miracle.
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Published: May 18, 2013 03:56 pm