Tell us what you thought of 'War Horse'
The film hits theaters today
A scene from Steven Spielberg's "War Horse"
Credit: Touchstone Pictures
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The road for "War Horse" to the screen has been an interesting one this season. Highly anticipated, the film screened for public before most press via pop-up showings in the heartland. When critics finally did get a look, reactions seemed to fly in all directions. I had my say, the film being of a piece with a year that has me kind of in the middle on so much. We talked to the film's famed cinematographer and have interviews with other elements of the cast and crew to come, but for now, you can finally give us your thoughts on the film as it hits theaters nationwide. If/when you make it out to a screening this holiday weekend, come back and give us your take.
Kristopher Tapley has covered the film awards landscape for over a decade. He founded In Contention in 2005. His work has also appeared in The New York Times, The Times of London and Variety. He begs you not to take any of this too seriously.
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2012-2013 OSCAR PREDICTIONS
UPDATED: FEB 25, 2013
Best Picture
Best Director
Best Actor
Best Actress
Best Supporting Actor
Best Supporting Actress
Best Adapted Screenplay
Best Original Screenplay
Best Cinematography
Best Costume Design
Best Film Editing
Best Makeup And Hairstyling
Best Original Score
Best Original Song
Best Production Design
Best Sound Editing
Best Sound Mixing
Best Visual Effects
Best Animated Feature Film
Best Documentary Feature
Best Foreign Language Film
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Login or create a HitFix account Login SignupDaniel Crooke
December 25, 2011 at 1:51PM EST Reply to CommentIt's a fine film, but so many of its flaws are being forgiven by critics under the blanket of "sentiment." I understand that Spielberg is laying it on thick - and, for the most part, the sugar coat works as a nostalgia piece as well as to warm the chilliest of hearts - but the first act would sink the film if the following two weren't so much stronger. Interestingly, the story I cared the least about was the Albert-Joey thread. If Albert wasn't constantly slobbering all over that horse and telling anyone who would (or wouldn't) listen what "a good boy" he was, I'd just assume the two were pretty good friends. On the flip side, Spielberg effectively creates the vignettes that follow with meaningful aesthetic character and greater visual attention to the relationships onscreen. The interactions between those subordinate characters - and their interactions with Joey - felt more authentic because truer bonds were created through profound experiences and connections rather than plowing a field with incessant scoring and infinite hip-hip-hooray cuts to reactions. The stakes were high in that initial scene, but considering how cheaply Spielberg set them up, I never felt they were really earned. I was happy when [SPOILERS] boy and horse were reunited at the end of the film, but more so because I just didn't know how much longer my attention to that relationship was going to last. Honestly, I thought Neils Arestrup deserved the horse more [END SPOILERS]. Spielberg just never really made an organic connection between the two and, as a result, the heart of the film never beat that loud for me. I didn't come close to breaking my dry eyes the entire film, and I sobbed throughout The Help, a much weaker film. But, overall, the relationship was just passable enough; on the whole, I enjoyed the film enough to enthusiastically recommend it. There's some great stuff in there.
But what was he thinking lighting interior scenes like that? Looked more like Douglas Sirk than WWI.
Dalurae "Spielberg just never really made an organic connection between the two." This. Completely agreed.
December 28, 2011 at 12:43AM ESTJMC
December 25, 2011 at 6:12PM EST Reply to CommentI must say, I LOVED it. Perhaps I had low expectations after some of the luster fell off, but I think of it as one of the best films of the year. The film is beautiful, emotional, and well edited. Additionally, I think much of the strength of the acting has gone ignored.
As Kris said in his review, the tone is closer to PG than even PG-13, but I appreciated that. Obviously Spielberg could have made Saving Private Ryan again with a horse, but that's not what this story is about. I think Spielberg wanted this to be closer to a family film, as family of a film as war could ever be. So, I personally appreciated the windmill shot and the officer not being shown at a certain moment.
The film is also a throwback to John Ford. While Hugo is getting so much attention for being such a film, I think War Horse was much better made. While both films are technical marvels, the script, pacing, and side characters are much better in War Horse. Hugo's train station side characters were almost pointless. While War Horse is a story of vignette chapters, I personally got so involved with almost all of them.
I think the film will be a big hit with audiences over the next few weeks and will have good legs. I hope it gets plenty of Oscar nominations. While it is not my favorite film of the year, I wouldn't even mind it winning (as my top choices are likely not to take the prize.) I still think this has a chance to take the crown from enough Oscar voters...
tonyr
December 25, 2011 at 8:05PM EST Reply to CommentGreat movie. Hokey for the first half hour, but after that it's an entertaining, highly involving dramatic piece that keeps the horse front and center. The continued vignettes keep the pace moving forward.
By the way, with an RT score of 50% and a Metacritic score of 40 so far, shouldn't Extremely Loud be removed from the sidebar predictions for Best Picture?
Laura Stewart I was curious about that, too.
December 25, 2011 at 10:35PM ESTKristopher Tapley We update predictions on Monday, like always.
December 26, 2011 at 2:04AM ESTRashad Kris, you think next year the site will get a recent comments bar?
December 26, 2011 at 2:16AM ESTRichardA
December 25, 2011 at 9:41PM EST Reply to CommentI just cannot bring myself to see it.
Ashley I agree...Looks way too boring
December 25, 2011 at 9:57PM ESTAmir I have to second this too.
December 26, 2011 at 12:18AM ESTLaura Stewart
December 25, 2011 at 10:34PM EST Reply to Comment2 walk-outs on Christmas Day. Can't say I've seen that before. Womp womp womp.
JMC Interesting. My theater seemed to eat it up, everyone was crying and talking about how good it was after.
December 25, 2011 at 11:26PM EST
December 26, 2011 at 7:56AM ESTLaura Stewart I was sitting close to the EXIT and the theater was almost empty so I would have noticed if anyone walked in/walked out. They definitely walked out. Worth noting: these two people were not with each other.
December 26, 2011 at 3:34PM ESTAndrewM679 Everyone loved it at mine. They even did the stupid clapping to no one at the end.
December 26, 2011 at 9:24PM ESTNicky b
December 26, 2011 at 12:17AM EST Reply to Comment10 its a gorgeous picture my favorite scene is when Joey the (war) horse jumps leaps and bounds during a night battle between and through the trenches SPOILER getting caught in the barbed wire and a soldier from each side help Joey out and the comedy bit with the Germans throwing all the bolt cutters from the trenches but overall perfect Spielbergian movie and the cinematography it's outstanding a must see
Tom C
December 26, 2011 at 12:28AM EST Reply to CommentSeeing it Tuesday. I really can't wait just for Janusz. Probably my favorite working DP.
Nicky b Yeah it's just beautiful and Janusz is the man loved him ever since when i was a kid and saw minority report, he's the reason i want to be a DP and got into photography and lighting
December 26, 2011 at 12:47AM ESTRichard
December 26, 2011 at 1:27AM EST Reply to CommentI saw it with my family today, and I loved, loved, loved it, and my theatre was literally in tears 50% of the time, and the buzz about the movie afterwards was phenomenal.
daveylo
December 26, 2011 at 1:29AM EST Reply to Comment@JMC I didn't find any of the characters in Hugo to be pointless. I really think those who love Spielberg forgive him for anything.
The film is a throwback to John Ford? Spielberg has already said this but he is no John Ford.
Rashad You could easily say the same for Scorsese lovers and all of Hugo's problems.
December 26, 2011 at 2:17AM ESTJoe W Agree with Rashad. Seeing War Horse on Tuesday, so we'll see but I felt the "adventure" storyline didn't quite live up to the magic of the silent cinema segments. One did not serve the other as effective as I felt it could. I LOVE Spielberg and count him as the biggest influence on my film tastes, but I don't forgive Crystal Skull, Lost World, or the last 1/3 of War of the Worlds. That being said, I don't find sentimentality a bad thing in movies if done well.
December 26, 2011 at 3:35AM ESTbenjamin
December 26, 2011 at 3:51AM EST Reply to CommentI went in expecting complete schmaltz and I actually left surprised at how much I was moved. Sentimental or not, the film is beautiful in its simplicity and despite maybe not possessing the "realism" so many of our "best" films seem to require in this day and age, it was a moving, fairy tale of a war story, and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that. I didn't find it trying to be anything other than what it was. The acting was strong, all the technical elements brilliant, gorgeous score, and the characterization of the horse incredibly effective and dramatic. To those who go in with the attitude that it's sentimental crap that isn't worthy of them, get off your high horse (apologies) and just enjoy good movie making. There are many ways to tell a story, and this is one kind we seem to have forgotten as of late. Regardless of awards season, it's definitely one that I think will hold up as great storytelling for years to come
Minas Perfecty written, Benjamin!
December 26, 2011 at 11:34AM ESTGlenn UK
December 26, 2011 at 6:38AM EST Reply to CommentI don't understand why everyone goes on so much about the sentimentality of the movie. Spielberg did not create that, it was created in the theatre and for the theatre ..... Spielberg is filming exactly what happens in the theatre. People left the theatre in tears and now they are leaving the cinema in tears ...... and the problem is???
Glenn UK
December 26, 2011 at 6:41AM EST Reply to CommentWhy are people going on about the sentimentality of the movie ..... is was nothing to do with Spielberg ...... it was created on stage for the theatre where the impact was exactly the same - everyone left the theatre in tears. Move on please!
JJ1
December 26, 2011 at 11:37AM EST Reply to CommentMade $7 mill yesterday (was predicted to make an impressive 4.5-5 mill).
I'm seeing it either tomorrow or Wednesday. But one of my friends saw it yesterday. He thought it was great and said that the theater seemed very enthusiastic about it.
Minas 15M estimate for the first 2 days. Which proves that apart from the Oscar talk, War Horse is first and foremost a box office hit.
December 26, 2011 at 1:23PM ESTDan
December 26, 2011 at 3:09PM EST Reply to CommentFinally I can talk about it - I saw it at a sneak a few years back. Hokey hokey hokey. Spielberg has handled sentiment with great artistry before - see ET or Close Encounters. But this played like a bad Hallmark movie of the week - handsomely mounted, annoyingly scored, heavy handed family oriented (funny duck anyone?) - the battle sequences were engaging, the acting all fine (except for the terrible French accent on the obviously not French young actress)... totally disappointing.
JJ1 Differing responses so far. Scale is tipped quite positive. Those who aren't wild about it call it hokey/hallmark. Those who love it claim it's not hallmark, at all. Guess I'll see for myself later this week. :)
December 26, 2011 at 4:25PM ESTChristian
December 26, 2011 at 7:00PM EST Reply to CommentSpectacular. A better piece of Spielberg movie magic than "Tintin."
AndrewM679
December 26, 2011 at 9:27PM EST Reply to CommentLoved it. Very old fashioned (John Ford is the obvious influence), and Spielberg lays it on thick, but it all works. The beginning drags, but I understand why its needed. The machine-gun scene and No Man's Land scene make up for most of the beginning. Also loved the cinematography, as stylized as it is.
CaptainCanada
December 26, 2011 at 9:32PM EST Reply to CommentI quite liked it, though it's not without flaws. It's unabashedly sentimental, and I think it mostly works, but in many ways Albert is the least interesting of the various human characters.
Probably the biggest limitation is that the main character, such as it is, is a horse; there's only so much you can identify with it in live action.
JLPatt
December 26, 2011 at 9:52PM EST Reply to CommentWent to see "Tintin" but it was sold out, so saw this instead.
It's good, solid filmmaking, not groundbreaking or even close to the best of Spielberg, but hearty and mostly satisfying. Gorgeously shot and has some nice set pieces. It's not as emotional as I had expected, though, but the end sequences are moving enough.
SamuelM This is about what I thought. It was really nice to watch a simple, traditional, meaty epic film. I liked it a lot, but would say it's solidly effective rather than brilliant.
December 28, 2011 at 2:38AM ESTJJ1
December 27, 2011 at 5:22PM EST Reply to CommentJust back from it. I thought it was very, very good. Not the amazing film I pictured in my head, but much better than anything I have read negative about it.
In fact, it's so funny reading opinions of a film for a while, and thenyou see the film, and you either completely agree or disagree with things written about it ...
About the first half hour that's supposedly so hokey. I didn't see that, at all. The goose didn't bother me. I thought it was cute (and straight from the play). And I dind't think anything I was witnessing was sugary sweet. Of course, the film shifts gear and becomes VERY war movie (not a family film, at all, in my opinion - so much death, pain, & agony).
I've read complaints about Jeremy Irvine. I thought he was great. Did not detect any oddness in the performance whatsoever. And the way people go on about his slobbering for Joey to come back. Well, I just didn't see that, at all. I don't think he went over-the-top with it.
Concerning Peter Mullan, who probably had the most buzz of any actor, I thought he was average. Emily Watson and Niels Arestrup were much more interesting in their acting choices, to me. Though, I don't see any noms coming their way, at all.
I thought the editing was sensational. SPOILER: that No Man's Land sequence, and Joey running through the battle til he's in the wire END SPOILER
.... I was on the edge of my seat and sobbing.
Beautiful cinematography sets, costumes, sound work, William's score, etc..
It's not the best film of the year. The ending was 'quite' sentimental. But I wouldn't be averse to it winning several Oscars. And awards aside, I just enjoyed it very much.
Dalurae
December 28, 2011 at 12:30AM EST Reply to CommentIt's not really that bad, it's beautifully shot, and the pacing improves after the war and Joey's journey begin, but the opening act was terribly directed and drawn out. I guess the first act was needed to allow time the boy and the horse to bond, but I still think it could have been directed/edited better. The movie's weakest part is, I think, the arc revolving around the boy and horse's relationship, which is unfortunate, because that's the backbone of the story. What else.. And while I don't have a big problem with its idiosyncratic lighting and saturated color palette, I don't get the motivation behind the movie's consistent use of the halo-like lighting behind Joey. (EVEN IF that's meant to show how the war-stricken story world's viewed through the horse's eyes...I still don't see why. Anyone enlighten me on this?)
The whole notion that this horse journeys through the war theaters and influences people of different nationalities it comes across along the way was pretty good and well-paced, although I found the French girl part unnecessarily long.
I wish I had a more enthusiastic reaction to it, but its flaws which were more than just a few outweigh its strengths.
In fact, I didn't find its saccharinity to be that big a problem, but its opening act really really left me cold.
Dalurae Right, forgot to mention Williams' score. The score itself is beautiful but the way it's used in the film, especially, again, the first half hour or so where the boy and the horse get to know each other, was way overbearing.
December 28, 2011 at 12:37AM ESTStormshadow4life
December 28, 2011 at 8:12PM EST Reply to CommentLoved it! Thought it was emotionally riveting