War Horse

Say what you will about Steven Spielberg and Oscar bait films, but he evokes the beauty and tragedy of war with historical accuracy better than any other filmmaker. War Horse takes Saving Private Ryan back about 30 years to World War I where a British farming family raise a beautiful horse, only to lose him to the equine-riding officers who are off to fight the Kaiser in Germany and France.

The story takes a sort of meandering route through different parts and sides of the war before coming back full circle, and all of the action follows this particular horse. It is a truly beautiful idea, taking the innocence and majesty of a horse and contrasting it sharply with the war to end all wars. Nobody can do scenery better than Spielberg and his longtime cinematographer, Janusz Kaminski (except the Coen Brothers and Roger Deakins) and they really makes the viewer feel immersed in the rural landscapes, just knowing that it will be destroyed, never to be pure and virginal again.

Because the main character is in fact a horse and not any of the plethora of humans that we see throughout the film, there is a sensitivity evoked that is a bit contrived. This is the only thing that stands between this film and Oscar gold. The story is beautiful, but it seems to be targeting awards more than it is being true to its roots. Don't get me wrong, my eyes were misty and there was a big, fat frog in my throat for the majority of the film, but it was artificial.

This is not to say that it wasn't a well-done film. Thoughtfully done by Spielberg, he cast relative unknowns in most of the roles, and nobody stands out, although I was personally touched by Peter Mullan as the alcoholic and crippled English farm owner and Niels Arestrup as the struggling French jam maker.

John Williams crafts yet another beautiful score that carries the film fluidly from start to finish, ensuring himself another nomination, and possibly a 6th Oscar. He has a way of reinventing himself with each film he takes on, and I marvel at how he can keep coming up with fresh music to fit each film. The absolute best in his field.

Spielberg is impressive as usual, and this was a great film, but not quite great enough. I do think there will be numerous nominations, and Williams is my favorite for original score, but that will be the only win. I am envisioning a big year for Spielberg next year, as he takes on the titanic film Lincoln, based on the excruciatingly detailed book Team of Rivals and starring 2012's Best Actor, Daniel Day-Lewis.

War Horse is definitely worth watching, but make sure you bring your Kleenex. 8/10.