The second film I saw this week was “War Horse“, the story of a young boy who trained a young colt to work on a farm, only to see him taken by the Army for service in World War 1.
Jeremy Irvine is Albert Narracott, the young boy who saw the colt being born, then followed it as it grew up. His father Ted [Peter Mullan] went to market to buy a work horse for the farm. They were struggling to keep the farm going and pay their rent. He ended up buying the colt in a battle of wills with his landlord. His wife Rose, [Emily Watson] is dismayed when he brings the horse home, but Albert is determined to train the horse and prove his worth.
Albert works with the horse, now named Joey, and eventually has him pulling the plough, to the entertainment of the whole village and dismay of the land owner. However, World War 1 has started and his father sells Joey to the army in a desperate effort to raise the money for his rent.
The army officer promises to take good care of Joey, and they go to battle in France. The story follows the horse from the battle, to a little French girl who finds him and another horse who has been left with him. It’s not long before the Germans find them and take the horses away.
This was quite a good story, but a very long film. I think it could have been shorter, and made a bit less like one of Lassie’s adventures!
