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Steven Spielberg's War Horse - The Review



Uncle Spielberg

Well-known member
Jul 6, 2003
43,093
Lancing
Steven Spielberg's War Horse
Venue - Brighton Marina Cinema Screen 1
Attendance - 250, capacity 350

I was first in the queue and a very decent crowd made the cinema 2/3 full which for a Friday early afternoon slot was very good. The average age was probably 70 which made me feel quite young.

In short if you Love Spielberg, you will Love War Horse, if you are of no opinion of his work either way, you will most likely like it. If you don't like Spielberg's films you won't like it. The Daily Mail gave 5 stars, Express 4 stars, Sun 4 stars, Argus 4 stars an I 2 stars, giving 19 stars out of 25, 76%.

The story is in parts, the first for 45 minutes with Albert and Joey and the story of the Horse being raised with a stand out segment with the ploughing of the Field building up the relationship. It then moves to the First World War and the selling of the Horse to become a " War Horse ".

There are 3 magnificently shot scenes of a cavalry charge only to find it is bayonets V Machine Guns with the slaying of numerous horses, shown but not in any graphic detail. The Somme battle which is similar in execution and brilliance as Saving Private Ryan but not as graphic again and the horse charging through the fields to be ensnared with barbed wire with an English and German soldier coming together through no mans land to help with their mutual respect for the " War Horse ".

The film seemed to go a little off tangent when it stayed at a farm which lasted 20 minutes but the point of this became apparent at the end. The acting is solid all round and Irvine did a fine job as Albert. A young British actor with potential. He could go the way of Henry Thomas, ET , who never got near the peak of ET again or progress to a promising career.

It is classic Spielberg, you could tell it was his film without even knowing he directed it. It is beautiful to look at with a great score by John Williams. Not as good as Schindler's List, ET, Close Encounters of the Third Kind and Saving Private Ryan but still one of his better ones.

A completely different experience to the stage show I would imagine which I plan to see and it being performed live may have a bigger emotional impact. So they need to be accessed seperately as there is little point in comparing them.

A solid 4 stars out of 5.

This is purely my viewpoint and I am sure people will think according to their expectations and what they expect, if indeed they see it at all.
 
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Surrey_Albion

New member
Jan 17, 2011
2,867
Horley
"The acting is solid all round and Irvine did a fine job as Albert. A young British actor with potential. " Robert Emms?? if so I had a beer with him a few weeks back top top bloke
 


Uncle Spielberg

Well-known member
Jul 6, 2003
43,093
Lancing
"The acting is solid all round and Irvine did a fine job as Albert. A young British actor with potential. " Robert Emms?? if so I had a beer with him a few weeks back top top bloke

He was good as well but unfortunately he ran into some Mustard Gas in the trenches.
 


vegster

Sanity Clause
May 5, 2008
28,272
I have heard encouraging reviews all round , however, also I have heard that it rates a 4 on the Kleenex Pocket Tissue Scale and as such, i'm not sure its my kind of film. Spielberg films are not always my cup of tea but, I must acknowledge that he is one of the top 5 directors of all time and, having heard the interview between him and Mayo and Kermode on 5Live he comes over as a top bloke.
 


seagullsovergrimsby

#cpfctinpotclub
Aug 21, 2005
43,943
Crap Town
I was first in the queue and a very decent crowd made the cinema 2/3 full which for a Friday early afternoon slot was very good. The average age was probably 70 which made me feel quite young.

Did you pull ? :wink:
 




Uncle Spielberg

Well-known member
Jul 6, 2003
43,093
Lancing
I have heard encouraging reviews all round , however, also I have heard that it rates a 4 on the Kleenex Pocket Tissue Scale and as such, i'm not sure its my kind of film. Spielberg films are not always my cup of tea but, I must acknowledge that he is one of the top 5 directors of all time and, having heard the interview between him and Mayo and Kermode on 5Live he comes over as a top bloke.

What did Kermode make of it mate as I was watching the film ? Spielberg seems a top bloke, whatever you think of his films. I did not have the emotional impact of the ending of ET which has me an emotional wreck every time I see it, Girls blouse that I am but it was still very touching and moving, for me, anyway.
 


hart's shirt

Well-known member
Jul 8, 2003
11,077
Kitbag in Dubai


Uncle Spielberg

Well-known member
Jul 6, 2003
43,093
Lancing






Uncle Spielberg

Well-known member
Jul 6, 2003
43,093
Lancing






seagullsovergrimsby

#cpfctinpotclub
Aug 21, 2005
43,943
Crap Town
"Suffused in a buttery-digital glow, as if shot on special film made of liquid fudge, Steven Spielberg's disappointing, coercively sentimental version of War Horse has a baffling, soulless, artificial look."

2 stars out of 5.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/2012/jan/12/war-horse-spielberg-film-review

Spielberg shot it on real film because he wanted it to look realistic which is sometimes lost with digital capture despite best attempts in post production. Maybe there wasn't enough CGI to enthuse the reviewer ?
 


Ninja Elephant

Doctor Elephant
Feb 16, 2009
18,855
The broadsheets seem to always be more hard nosed and cynical. Let me assure everyone, that if you go in with a cynical attitude you will not like it.

Crap, that's spoilt it for me then. To be fair, having seen the trailers before the films that I've actually wanted to go and see, I'm still not convinced that it's not a spoof. But then, I feel the same way about Lord of the Rings. I'm not convinced that isn't a complete wind up aswell, such daft premises for films. I'm a little bit on the cynical side, especially when it comes to films. All I want, essentially, is either some magical powers (X men) or Dinosaurs (Jurassic Park). If a film has neither of these, it better have Kristen Stewart.
 


hart's shirt

Well-known member
Jul 8, 2003
11,077
Kitbag in Dubai
The broadsheets seem to always be more hard nosed and cynical. Let me assure everyone, that if you go in with a cynical attitude you will not like it.

Perhaps they just don't think it was very good?

From the Guardian review:
"I had hoped that this movie would combine ET-Spielberg and Saving-Private-Ryan-Spielberg in a massive double-whammy. Neither is forthcoming."
 




Stat Brother

Well-known member
NSC Patron
Jul 11, 2003
73,888
West west west Sussex
Kermode/Mayo show is up on I-tunes now, with an interview with US.
 


Questions

Habitual User
Oct 18, 2006
25,508
Worthing
I have heard encouraging reviews all round , however, also I have heard that it rates a 4 on the Kleenex Pocket Tissue Scale

You often used to take 'tissues' to the films you liked in the old days didn`t you Veg ?
 


vegster

Sanity Clause
May 5, 2008
28,272
What did Kermode make of it mate as I was watching the film ? Spielberg seems a top bloke, whatever you think of his films. I did not have the emotional impact of the ending of ET which has me an emotional wreck every time I see it, Girls blouse that I am but it was still very touching and moving, for me, anyway.

I think he rates it quite highly although also he says that Spielberg has used all his experience and guile to milk every emotion he can from it. If you have a look on the BBCi player you can probably get it now or very soon.
 


vegster

Sanity Clause
May 5, 2008
28,272
You often used to take 'tissues' to the films you liked in the old days didn`t you Veg ?

Maybe if you had issued in to some tissues you would have had a smaller and more economical family ?
 




severnside gull

Well-known member
May 16, 2007
24,825
By the seaside in West Somerset
Having seen the theatre production I am reluctant to watch the film as it just cannot be anywhere near as moving. - the stage lighting and the mood it can create with stunning puppetry made it a stand-out experience based on not fantastically good foundations in my opinion - I used to use the book as a text when teaching and it isn't all that tbh. I'm a big fan of Spielburg generally so I'm sure it will be as good as it can be but...................................
 


Questions

Habitual User
Oct 18, 2006
25,508
Worthing
Maybe if you had issued in to some tissues you would have had a smaller and more economical family ?

f*** me you sound like the Chinese government. I`ve only got 3. You`re still pissed at our 'plum' jokes aren`t you ?
 
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