War Horse should get Spielberg an Oscar nod
Written by Curtis J. Phillips
Wednesday, 11 January 2012 14:15
Look for him to get yet another nomination with the flick War Horse.
This 146-minute war drama indeed has his very trademark and approval although this is his first film ever to be edited digitally. Welcome to 2012 Steven. The movie is based on a Michael Morpurgo children’s novel of the same name published in 1982. The plot finds us at the start of the First World War where a young man Albert Narracott, played by newcomer Jeremy Irvine, has his horse Joey sold to the British cavalry and then shipped to battle in France. Narracott, too young to enlist, has to wait until he is of age and then heads to France to find and rescue Joey. Both man and horse find adventure and valour. Spielberg uses all of the tricks of the trade to coax the little fellas out of your tear ducts in what is basically Black Beauty meets Saving Private Ryan. Loved how he let the camera—no dialogue—capture the moment at the beginning and ending of the film. One must never glorify war and its inhumanity. But here the horse that is the focal point, not the humans dying around him in vast numbers. It is a story well told. One amazing battle scene is when the British cavalry charge from the wheat fields against some Germans in what turns out to be a reversal of fortune. The cinematography was brilliant and the musical score mastered by the legendary John Williams (five Oscars) will have him being handed number six. The only downfall, although miniscule, is that in the world of Hollywood it would have been nice that they used only one horse for the role of Joey. But this is the real world and 14 different horses were used: eight of as the adult animal, four as a colt and two as foals. Say it ain’t so Joe? Another four horses were used for the other main equine the black horse Tophorn. On a scale of one to five (after 30 years C.J. in the Flicks is cutting down from the 10 star rating) on the Secretariat scale we give this a five. Yes a five. See you on the silver screen. 
War Horse (from official movie website)During his remarkable directing career, Steven Spielberg has received an Academy Award nomination seven times, winning twice: Schindler’s List (1994) and Saving Private Ryan (1999).