I saw Spielberg's War Horse film in a somewhat unique fashion: I saw the film literally minutes after seeing the play the film is based on, and perhaps a month after finishing the original novel. As a result, I knew 100% what type of story I was in store for, so I could focus on the other aspects of this film.
The performances... across the board, the performances in War Horse are nothing short of wonderful. Due to the whirlwind adventure-esque nature of the story, characters come and go somewhat quickly, but I can honestly say that each lead actor in the various segments of the film left a highly memorable impression on me. Peter Mullan, Tom Hiddleston, David Kross, young Celine Buckens and, of course, Jeremy Irvine deserve special mention. Without impactful performances like theirs, the film would completely fall flat... fortunately this was not the case.
The most impactful part of this film, however, is the cinematography and the images presented. Reading the novel or even watching the play, it's easy to lose track of or not even realize the sheer scope of this story and what is discussed in it. Speilberg's trademark pan up to the horizon shots make the absolute horrors of war crystal clear, adding a whole new layer to the story that I didn't quite get from other incarnations.
This is not a movie or story I will soon forget. Sure, the plot itself is merely a series of convenient coincidences culminating in a somewhat predictable ending... but overall, the film is much more about it's message than it's content, if that makes any sense at all. I simply loved this film, quite possibly more than both the play and the novel (and I loved both). I definitely see this film having it's name called at the Oscars a few times, one way or another.
