Review of War Horse (2011) by Nathan M — 28 Jan 2013

A large glass bottle of war (maple) flavored corn syrup. Not saccharine, but too extreme a sugar to protein ratio, with the latter in shortage. Falling under the categoric umbrella of a Steven Spielberg war film, it is a minor work, however extremely affective cinematography from Janusz Kaminsky and an emotional score from John Williams induced flashbacks to heartbreakingly poignant scenes from Saving Private Ryan rather than creating its own chills.

Gone With the Wind is also recalled with a few stunning silhouettes in front of orange sunset skies. That's not to say that there aren't a few memorable Spielbergian war scenes with the horses.

There are also attempts to illustrate how war destroys a way of life, in addition to lives, but it's not as successful or as dramatic as Gone With the Wind. The acting is decent if not constrained by what some would call a family friendly script for a simple and family friendly story.

In the end, it's just enjoyable enough to be worthwhile and just unimpressive enough to place in the B-list of Spielberg films.