The horse and his boy

There is a scene early in War Horse where 16-year-old Albert Narracott (Jeremy Irvine) is stunned by the beauty of a mother horse galloping along with her young foal. Albert's spellbound expression encapsulates our own feelings of watching this miracle of a creature take its first steps across an English countryside, with the expanse of the fields giving the sense of the greatness of the events that will soon unfold for Albert and his horse.

Based on the 1982 children's novel of the same name by Michael Morpurgo and the masterful 2011 Tony Award-winning stage adaptation, Steven Spielberg brings this "boy and his beloved animal" story and all of its artistic splendor to the cinema. War Horse saddles itself with the unimaginable horrors of World War I and the warmth of the connections between the horse and his owners, all coming together in a film that's as majestic as the beast at the center of it all.

Albert is a teenager who lives and works on a farm with his family in Devon, England. After his boozy father Ted (Peter Mullan) wins a horse with the family's money at an auction, his wife Rose (Emily Watson), is livid. Knowing that they don't have any other options, Albert agrees to train his new horse, Joey, how to plow a field, with the hopes of having a profitable harvest. With harsh weather making the harvest unsuccessful and not having any money, Ted decides to sell the horse to the English cavalry when World War I begins. Not being old enough to enlist in the army, Albert can't do anything until he reaches the age requirement, and can only think of Joey as his horse rides into the madness of battle.

Albert is an archetype of innocence lost during a time of global turmoil. Although this kind of story involving an animal and its owner is one we've seen in other places, that doesn't diminish its poignant impact. We feel for Albert because there isn't any way of telling whether or not he will get his horse back, since Joey is making his way into the path of machine guns, tanks and cannons. Jeremy Irvine displays just the right amount of affection when he shares the screen with his horse. Never is it too much that it becomes annoying and groan-inducing. Their separation cuts deep after having seen the sense of wonder in Albert's eyes when he first lays them on the horse, only to then have Joey going off to war and possible death. Albert's pain of losing his equine friend is palpable, and we hope with all our hearts for Joey's safety.

The screenplay, written by Richard Curtis and Lee Hall, unfolds beautifully into several story arcs that are each touched by the presence of Joey. Besides Albert's storyline on the home front and the battlefield, there is one concerning a girl named Emilie (Celine Buckens) and her grandfather (Niels Arestrup) on a farm in France. Just like with Albert's part of the film, this one carries a certain magic when watching a child try to train and ride the majestic creature. Joey becomes intertwined in the lives of two young brothers, Gunther (David Kross) and Michael (Leonard Carow), who are soldiers for the German army.

But perhaps the hardest plot thread to watch is when Joey is placed on the battlefield when fighting for the English side, with Captain Nicholls (Tom Hiddleston) as his rider. When Joey is placed in battle for the first time, it's him and the rest of the horses and soldiers against new war technology. It's when we're shown numerous dead horses at the end of the first battle scene that our fear for Joey's life becomes heavy on our minds.

The cinematography by Janusz Kaminski captures the scope of World War I as the camera swoops over the battlegrounds. A sequence with the English cavalry charging into a German encampment is a real exhilarant with the clash of the two sides. The camera's grimy descent into the trenches brings out the overbearing fear of the soldiers as they wait to step out and engage in combat and destruction.

Both the film and the show succeed in bringing to galloping life whatever they are given to tell the story. The marvelous puppetry of the stage production provided graceful movements for the horses, and I remember being taken aback for caring so much about something that was all animatronics. The puppeteers transferred life into these creations. As far as the movie goes, it's astounding how well the crew trained the horses to do what the film called for, especially for the German encampment scene, where they are a charging wall of wartime beasts.

Steven Spielberg gives War Horse the same treatment and care he did for his earlier blockbusters. Just like with E.T., Raiders of the Lost Ark and others, he wants to craft something that can be embraced by adults and children alike. Spielberg makes this epic glow with its depiction of war bringing out the best and the worst in people. The worst being the senselessness of the bloodshed and the ending of countless lives. But the best, no matter how bad the situation gets, is our bravery to save those we love. That goes for man, and animal.

Final grade: A