The movie War Horse first appears to be another “child and and his animal” movie, but it is far from that. Director Steven Spielberg worked incredibly hard to turn the loved book (and musical) into an award-winning movie. The story begins with a boy named Albert, played by Jeremy Irvine, watching a mare give birth to her baby foal. Albert is so in awe of this event that he eventually buys the horse, whom he names Joey, and forms an unbreakable bond with him. However, as World War I begins, Joey and Albert get torn apart because Joey must be sold to the British army in order to gain enough money to uphold Albert’s family’s farm . The movie follows Joey as he is fighting in the war and Albert as he worries about Joey’s safety. Eventually Albert decides to enroll in the army to have a chance at finding Joey.
The plot following Joey and Albert, combined with original music by John Williams, is very captivating and thrilling. With a combination of both action and romance, this movie is perfect for everyone . Critics have claimed that the movie is a passionate and dramatic tear-jerker.
“War Horse,” which was adapted from a book by Michael Morpurgo, has also been a Broadway play since the spring of 2009. In the play, the horses are life-sized puppets; however, their mannerisms make them seem exactly like real horses. The amazing magic of the puppeteers causes hundreds of people to leave the theater every night in awe.
So, which is better, the play or the movie? Lovers of the play were concerned about the movie losing the magic of the puppets because Spielberg chose to use real horses. However, Spielberg did an amazing job of merging the best aspects of the book and the musical into one extremely uplifting, enjoyable film.
War Horse was nominated for six Oscars, including Best Motion Picture of the Year and Best Achievement in Art Direction, so be sure to watch the Oscars on February 26 to see the results.