War Horse (2011)

The first time I truly appreciated western movies was in 2012 when very interesting historical movies were vying for the Oscars. I saw The Artist and Hugo, both which really wowed me and from thereon, mad me a fan of western films. It does not mean that I traded eastern ones though because I still find Japanese and Chinese movies superior in both storytelling and character development.

So last night feeling a bit feverish, I stayed in the flat and continued watching War Horse. It is a very sad tale about a horse and its carer Albert who got separated and who, by twists of fate, got reunited after a very suspenseful war. (I mean, I was always nervous that either Albert or Joey get killed!!!) The first time Albert laid eyes on Joey, it was during the latter’s birth. His drunk father purchased the young horse and Albert took care of it despite many objections from his mother who thought that the purchase was very idiotic because farm rent was set aside. So Albert had to prove that Joey could plow and he did so in just a day, an extraordinary feat and a miracle at that. (Dunno if in real life it is possible.)

But then a typhoon destroyed the harvests so the family had no choice but to sell Joey. The second owner was a military officer who eventually died but not without sending sketches of Joey to Albert. The Germans took hold of Joey together with his friend, the black horse Topthorn. Here we see a change of roles for the horse. When at first it was treated as family, next it was treated as a prized possession, and then it becomes a slave as the horses are made to draw ambulance wagons. There the two horses were taken care of by two brothers named Gunther and Michael who were later on killed for deserting the army. (Note: Michael was just 14 years old but he was enlisted.)

Joey and Topthorn came to be treated again as family under Emilie’s care. But I just cannot accept how they fit inside Emilie’s room where they hid from the soldiers who raided the house! But stupid Emilie wanted to ride and that’s when the soldiers found out and confiscated the horses saying that the war takes away everything. The horses were back in the German army and unfortunately, Topthorn dies from exhaustion.

When Albert reaches the minimum age requirement to enlist, he did so with the thought of seeing Joey again. What is remarkable is that he never forgot about his friend even years have passed and still believed that he is out there somewhere. Stronger still is the belief that they will see each other again. It is this belief that propelled Albert to miraculously survive trench warfare and gas explosions although it did leave him nearly blind. So after the two endured a lot of hardships, one cannot help but cry when, as Joey was about to be executed, he heard Albert’s whistle and galloped towards his old friend as soldiers and sick and nurses made way for him. (This is a common scene in romantic movies and it is refreshing to see a horse run to his master instead of a woman to her man.)

How children and innocent lives are affected in times of war is the recurring theme in the whole film. We see how the two German brothers had to be part of the army as horse caretakers and they surely would become soldiers if they weren’t killed for desertion. We see how Emilie’s happiness eroded away when they took “her” horses and how her pleas to keep them fell on cold ears. But it is also because of war that Joey and Albert are reunited. And we have to commend Albert’s character for not letting go too easily. For him, Joey was indeed family for whom it is super worth it to join war and risk his own life just to look for his horse. That shows not just effort, but valor, courage, and trust. You don’t see that in people nowadays.

The only other good thing in the film is how we see good people who take turns caring for Joey. In all his journeys, he is able to survive because many people see his extraordinariness. And that is proven when he escapes from the Germans and gets tangled up in barbed wires to be rescued by an Englishman and a German IN THE MIDDLE OF A WAR! And we see a lot of humanity in the ordinary persons. We do not see the heads of state who created the war, but here we see a lot of lay people who are caught up in all the chaos and misery of war times.

Less obvious is how capitalism destroys relationships and commodifies everything. Joey was seen as useless at first because he is of no use in the farm, a site of vegetable production. The marketplace, or rather the auction place is featured thrice in the film. The first time was when Albert’s father purchased Joey. The second was when Joey was sold to a military officer, and the third was after the war when Emilie’s grandfather was determined to get the horse because it served as the only living memory of his granddaughter.

Indeed, this film has led to me think about how stupid mankind is, how egoistic, and how careless. Ever since a child, I have often thought about what if the world does not have armies, then there will be no war. Then again, which nation would not want to build an army which they justify doing so for defense? It is clear though that big and powerful countries like the US and Israel (throw in China as well) develop their military because of business. And PH? Always the pawn of westerners. I would be happy to have a PH military as defense in case other countries plan to invade us (Hello, China!!!) given PH’s very strategic location. But then again, we know that our stupid military bows down to corrupt elites who in turn bow down to US and other western countries. So, damn them all!!!