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War Horse is a movie that follows a horse named Joey from a farm in England across the European continent during World War I. Being directed by Steven Spielberg, you’re guaranteed an epic experience as you’re immersed in the history of the first World War and the emotions and relationships that war inevitably touches.
You start to relate to the characters early on in the movie, the struggle of the Narracott family is palpable beginning with Ted’s pride in not getting out auctioned for a horse that he can’t even use. When he brings the horse home, his wife Rose is flabbergasted and his son Albert (Jeremy Irvine) enthralled with his new companion. Albert names the horse Joey, and with patience, stubbornness, and hard work, trains Joey to do the impossible; teaching a thoroughbred to plow. Albert and Joey have a touching friendship until the heart wrenching day when Albert must give Joey up because war breaks out and horses are requisitioned for the British military.
The last part of the movie, where Albert has now enlisted in the military and is in the trenches, is the crux of the story. You’ve come full circle watching Joey touch the lives of those on both sides of the encounter, captains and farmers, young and old, male and female and even another horse. In the space between the trenches, No Man’s Land, all the emotions that have been building up to this point consolidate.
While I usually get to review “fun” DVDs on my blog, watching War Horse is a completely dramatic experience. Watching Joey’s and Albert’s expeditions and adventures provided an intense and historical perspective of the early 1900s.
Nominated for six Academy Awards, including Best Picture. The Four-disc set is a great value, with six featurettes and a digital copy, it retails at $45.99, however this week you’re likely to find it on sale as it releases today in the store (Amazon is selling it for $24.99).
We just finished reading the book in our homeschool English course. If you are familiar with the book but have not yet seen the movie there are, as is usually the case some differences. The biggest naturally is the book is told from Joey’s point of view, and while the movie focuses on Joey the human characters are given more “face time” so to speak than they get in the book. Characters are added (we loved the goose!), parts of the book aren’t in the movie at all, but that’s to be expected and it didn’t change the heart of what the story is ultimately about, and that’s friendship and love.
Whether your children read the book first and then see the movie, or just watch the movie, either way it is an excellent supplement for junior high and high school students for a World History course.
You can learn more about the movie War Horse on Facebook and Twitter.
Disclosure: I received no monetary compensation for this post; I was sent a media sample for review. Opinions are my own.
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