War Horse

[banjomike]

I went to see it today with some trepidation- I was born and raised on an Idaho horse ranch, and I knew it was going to be hard to watch.
Surprisingly, the hardest scene in the movie for me was not any of the war scenes. It was the scene where the boy and his horse plowed the rocky field. From experience, in real life, that field could be a horse killer, and I was struck by the how game the horse was... I once owned a horse that game, long gone now, and it moved me to tears. The depiction was very true to life- the bond between a human and a horse can be as deep as a bond with a good dog, and a good horse is willing to do anything for it's person sometimes.

It's a good movie, though, and I thoroughly enjoyed it, even though it is hard to watch. It is very moving, for sure. It is definitely not a Lassie movie; it's not for young children at all. I appreciated that it wasn't just a feel-good flick; far too many animal movies are just sappy, but this one wasn't.

As a history buff, it completely rings true; World War 1 ended the mounted cavalry for all the nations that were in it. More importantly, the loss of 10 million horses in the war changed Europe for good. Before the war, horses tilled the land, delivered the goods, transported people everywhere, and pulled carts, busses, wagons, and sleighs... every vehicle imaginable.

After the war, those same tasks were either done by people, who had to hitch themselves to plows to farm, walk, pull carts themselves, or use bicycles. Cars and trucks were so expensive most couldn't afford them, and couldn't go where horses could. Most of Europe really struggled to feed itself after the war as a result, and the lack of horses sped up the automobile industry tremendously.

While the Germans made a big deal out of their 'modern' army when Hitler re-built it, the fact is most of Germany's military in World War II still depended on horses from the first to the last of the war.

There was an HBO movie done in the 80's starring Don Johnson that was about the U.S. Cavalry's abandonment of horse cavalry in the 30's that fits well with War Horse. Gen. McArthur was originally a cavalryman, and played a large part in mechanizing the cavalry, and the story is about the last surviving herd of cavalry horses.

Sorry- I can't remember the name, but it's also a movie that can be tough to watch in places.

There is also a stage production of War Horse. From what I've seen of it, it's both stunning and amazing, and is going to be touring the U.S. for the first time this summer. I hope to have a chance to see it.