War Horse (2011)
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A young boy and his horse are separated by the onset of World War I, leading them on separate journeys of survival and endurance.
The story
Set before and during World War I, the story follows Joey, a bay Irish Hunter horse raised by an English teenager named Albert. Their bond is tested when the war breaks out and Joey is sold to the British Army. As the conflict intensifies, the two are separated by the chaos of the front lines. The narrative follows the parallel journeys of the boy and the horse as they navigate the tragedies of war, seeking to find their way back to one another amidst the devastation of Europe.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
In 1912, a boy named Albert and his friend Andrew bond with a colt named Joey. When war is declared in 1914, the family's farm struggles, and Joey is sold to the British Army. Albert is left with a promise to find him. Joey is trained for military use and is eventually captured by the Germans after his unit is decimated. He is later found by a French girl, Emilie, and her grandfather. Meanwhile, Albert enlists and is wounded in battle. In 1918, after Joey is rescued by a German and a British soldier who decide to share him, he is nearly put down due to injuries. However, he hears Albert's distinct owl call. The two are reunited and return to the family farm, where Albert's father welcomes them back.
- First release year
- 2011
- Runtime (minutes)
- 146
- Production countries
- India; United States; United Kingdom
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Steven Spielberg
- Writers
- Lee Hall · screenplay; Richard Curtis · screenplay
- Cast and characters
- Emily Watson · not specified; David Thewlis · not specified; Peter Mullan · not specified; Niels Arestrup · not specified; Jeremy Irvine · Albert; Tom Hiddleston · not specified; Benedict Cumberbatch · not specified
- Genres
- war drama; epic; adventure
- Themes
- the bond between humans and animals; the impact of war; loyalty
- Tone and mood
- sentimental; epic; poignant
- Premise and plot tags
- war; horse; historical; military
- Source material / true-story basis
- Michael Morpurgo's 1982 novel and its 2007 stage adaptation.
- Reception
- The film was met with positive reviews and was considered a box-office success.
- Reported review scores
- Metacritic · score: 72 · scale: 100 · review count: 40
- Production trivia
- It was the highest-grossing World War I film of all time until 2017.; The film used 5,800 extras and 300 horses.; The production was filmed under the codename Dartmoor.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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