War Horse (2011)

Young Albert enlists to serve in World War I after his beloved horse is sold to the cavalry. Albert's hopeful journey takes him out of England and to the front lines as the war rages on.

Director:

Steven Spielberg

Writers:

Lee Hall (screenplay), Richard Curtis (screenplay)

Stars:

Jeremy Irvine, Emily Watson, David Thewlis

Nominated for 6 Oscars. Another 15 wins & 72 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Jeremy Irvine	...	Albert Narracott
Peter Mullan	...	Ted Narracott
Emily Watson	...	Rose Narracott
Niels Arestrup	...	Grandfather
David Thewlis	...	Lyons
Tom Hiddleston	...	Capt. Nicholls
Benedict Cumberbatch	...	Maj. Jamie Stewart
Celine Buckens	...	Emilie
Toby Kebbell	...	Geordie Soldier
Patrick Kennedy	...	Lt. Charlie Waverly
Leonard Carow	...	Michael
David Kross	...	Gunther
Matt Milne	...	Andrew Easton
Robert Emms	...	David Lyons
Eddie Marsan	...	Sgt. Fry

Storyline

On the outbreak of the First World War, Albert's beloved horse 'Joey' is sold to the Cavalry by his Father. After being sent to France, in a bid to survive, Joey has an unexpected journey across war torn Europe. Albert enlists in the British Army, and is wounded during the Battle of the Somme. Whilst recovering in Hospital, he learns of a Horse, found in no mans land.

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Plot Keywords:

world war one | horse riding | horse | cavalry | england | 

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Taglines:

Separated by war. Tested by battle. Bound by friendship.

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Genres:

Drama | History | War

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of war violence

Details

Official Sites:

DreamWorks [United States] Official Facebook

Country:

USA India

Language:

English German

Release Date:

25 December 2011 (USA)

Also Known As:

Caballo de guerra

Filming Locations:

Ditsworthy Warren House, Sheepstor, Devon, England, UK

Box Office

Budget:

$66,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$7,512,000, 23 December 2011, Wide Release

Gross USA:

$79,884,879, 3 May 2012

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$177,584,879, 3 May 2012

Company Credits

Production Co:

DreamWorks,Reliance Entertainment,Amblin Entertainment

Technical Specs

Runtime:

146 min

Sound Mix:

SDDS Datasat Dolby Digital Dolby Surround 7.1

Color:

Black and White (archive footage) Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The white goose's name is Harold.

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Goofs

The early stages are set in Devon, UK but the village houses are all of Cotswold stone, not usually found in Devon.

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Quotes

Ted Narracott: There are big days and there are small days, which will it be?

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Connections

Referenced in The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon: Michael Douglas/Kat Dennings/St. Vincent (2015)

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Soundtracks

Blue Bonnets over the Border
Traditional

User Reviews

Horses fought too.

I was expecting this movie to be just another extravagant sentimental potboiler. Wow, was I surprised. This is a great movie. The title says the movie is about a horse, but it's really about a lot more than that. The horse plays a central role but the humans figure in the story too, in a big way. The cinematography is outstanding; it really conveys the bleak, gory nature of war. The movie alludes to the Battle of the Somme which is one of the costliest battles in history in terms of the sheer number of lives lost. At times the movie does lapse into sentimentality but in general the story proceeds at a fast pace (pun intended). The performances of the horses in this movie are impressive. They are stars in their own right. If the movie accomplishes nothing else, it shows that war is hard on animals too, and like the humans, they are victims too; there was never a horse that wanted to go to war. That any horses survived at all in the war is amazing. Anyway, this movie is well worth watching.