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hafitalTo my friends who are careful regarding depictions of animal cruelty, (I'm looking at you, melina123) you may want to be cautious if you're going to go see War Horse come Dec. 25.
I went to a screening of this on Sunday, and, don't get me wrong, I really liked it a lot. Spielberg at least knows what he's doing, and it's an incredible story of one amazing horse. I didn't cry although it was a close thing and there is a part of the film that I couldn't think about afterward without nearly crying all over again. Though, I think what saved me from totally breaking down was that I couldn't forget that it was a movie. There was so much to love, though, and the acting was superb. Especially Emily Watson.
Any writer/director/artist has to be careful when making a film or writing a story wherein an animal (usually a dog in about 99% of these stories) is put in mortal peril; the ease with which you can manipulate your audience is very great but you need to be careful about it our you tip over into melodrama.
~ This film is not only about a magnificent horse, but about WW1 and the fate of horses (and people) during that most terrible of wars. Of the horses depicted on screen, it seems as if only Joey lives. I forget the real figures but I believe it is something like several hundred thousand horses went to war in WW1 and less than 80,000 returned.
~ There are at least a couple of overhead shots when the camera pulls back and you see piles of dead horses. Just FYI.
~ The story is really through the POV of the horse, told through the POV of the people Joey touches in his journey. That's pretty neat. Some of it is paralleled with the story of the young Devon boy who Joey originally belonged to, but much of the film follows Joey on his journey through the war, from England, to France, to the trenches, and then back home.
~ This film shows that WW1 really came at a time when the old ways met up with the future, and horses were used as beasts of burden moving machinery. There are a couple of scenes where horses just lay down and die because they are being used to pull guns or other such heavy artillery and they are used until they break or just lay down and die. It's really harsh. One lady had to get up and leave the audience during a particularly brutal scene with Joey pulling a big gun up a hill.
~ Although Joey lives, his best friend Topthorn dies from exhaustion. He just lays down and dies with Joey next to him. This is the part that nearly killed me. At first Joey doesn't now what to do, and he just stands over his friend. But then a big tank comes and Joey has to get out of there in a hurry.
~ Following the scene in which Topthorn dies, comes the scene in which Joey runs pell mell through the trenches and war torn land that's covered in barbed wire. He is eventually brought down by barbed wire, totally wrapped up in it and unable to move. He is rescued from this by an English soldier and a German soldier working together.
~ I do have to say that, despite the horrors shown in this film when it comes to horses in WW1, not any of it comes from simple cruelty to animals. There are some coldhearted military men who see their soldiers and these horses as necessary losses in a very hard war. Those guns have to get up the hill and if they have to break every horse to do it, so be it. But it's not directed cruelty toward a trusting creature so much as a necessary evil. In some ways that is much easier to handle than a story wherein a horse is beat up by a mean barn manager or a cruel trainer or whatnot. Not a whole lot easier, but a little easier. And, in actuality, everyone who mets Joey is kind, and they try and help him as much as possible despite what side of the war they are on. I did like that about this film, a lot. And the scene between the English soldier and the German soldier working together to save Joey from the barbed wire, while, yes, a bit cliche, was still charming and heart warming.
~ Joey survives the barbed wire, and, after a hitch in which he is sold at auction again, he is eventually reunited with the kid from the beginning of the movie. They've both changed but they both lived. So yay.
melina123) you may want to be cautious if you're going to go see War Horse come Dec. 25. I went to a screening of this on Sunday, and, don't get me wrong, I really liked it a lot. Spielberg at least knows what he's doing, and it's an incredible story of one amazing horse. I didn't cry although it was a close thing and there is a part of the film that I couldn't think about afterward without nearly crying all over again. Though, I think what saved me from totally breaking down was that I couldn't forget that it was a movie. There was so much to love, though, and the acting was superb. Especially Emily Watson.
Any writer/director/artist has to be careful when making a film or writing a story wherein an animal (usually a dog in about 99% of these stories) is put in mortal peril; the ease with which you can manipulate your audience is very great but you need to be careful about it our you tip over into melodrama.
~ This film is not only about a magnificent horse, but about WW1 and the fate of horses (and people) during that most terrible of wars. Of the horses depicted on screen, it seems as if only Joey lives. I forget the real figures but I believe it is something like several hundred thousand horses went to war in WW1 and less than 80,000 returned.
~ There are at least a couple of overhead shots when the camera pulls back and you see piles of dead horses. Just FYI.
~ The story is really through the POV of the horse, told through the POV of the people Joey touches in his journey. That's pretty neat. Some of it is paralleled with the story of the young Devon boy who Joey originally belonged to, but much of the film follows Joey on his journey through the war, from England, to France, to the trenches, and then back home.
~ This film shows that WW1 really came at a time when the old ways met up with the future, and horses were used as beasts of burden moving machinery. There are a couple of scenes where horses just lay down and die because they are being used to pull guns or other such heavy artillery and they are used until they break or just lay down and die. It's really harsh. One lady had to get up and leave the audience during a particularly brutal scene with Joey pulling a big gun up a hill.
~ Although Joey lives, his best friend Topthorn dies from exhaustion. He just lays down and dies with Joey next to him. This is the part that nearly killed me. At first Joey doesn't now what to do, and he just stands over his friend. But then a big tank comes and Joey has to get out of there in a hurry.
~ Following the scene in which Topthorn dies, comes the scene in which Joey runs pell mell through the trenches and war torn land that's covered in barbed wire. He is eventually brought down by barbed wire, totally wrapped up in it and unable to move. He is rescued from this by an English soldier and a German soldier working together.
~ I do have to say that, despite the horrors shown in this film when it comes to horses in WW1, not any of it comes from simple cruelty to animals. There are some coldhearted military men who see their soldiers and these horses as necessary losses in a very hard war. Those guns have to get up the hill and if they have to break every horse to do it, so be it. But it's not directed cruelty toward a trusting creature so much as a necessary evil. In some ways that is much easier to handle than a story wherein a horse is beat up by a mean barn manager or a cruel trainer or whatnot. Not a whole lot easier, but a little easier. And, in actuality, everyone who mets Joey is kind, and they try and help him as much as possible despite what side of the war they are on. I did like that about this film, a lot. And the scene between the English soldier and the German soldier working together to save Joey from the barbed wire, while, yes, a bit cliche, was still charming and heart warming.
~ Joey survives the barbed wire, and, after a hitch in which he is sold at auction again, he is eventually reunited with the kid from the beginning of the movie. They've both changed but they both lived. So yay.
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no subject
Date: 2011-12-15 06:04 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-12-15 08:12 pm (UTC)I will now return to lurking. :)
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Date: 2011-12-15 09:20 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-12-16 02:11 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-12-16 05:55 am (UTC)Anyway, I'm rambling. I read some reactions to that first episode. Some applauded the show for depicting the ugly side of the racing industry, but many were shocked and dismayed. I guess they had hoped it would be better PR for the industry.
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Date: 2011-12-16 06:13 am (UTC)Some applauded the show for depicting the ugly side of the racing industry
I agree; the race portion of the episode was really interesting in the portrayal on all sides. You had the degenerate gamblers ecstatic over their win versus the heartbroken jockey and other race staff saddened at seeing the horse put down. I think it was balanced but not subtle. :)
Glad to hear the show is involving a lot of people in the racing industry and reaching out, etc.
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Date: 2011-12-16 06:25 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-12-15 05:35 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-12-15 06:30 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-12-15 07:33 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-12-15 07:50 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-12-15 08:20 pm (UTC)