War Horse is a children’s novel written by Michael Morpurgo and published in 1982. This novel was adapted for stage by Nick Stafford in 2007. In 2011, the cinematographic adaptation produced and directed by Steven Spielberg was released in cinemas.
The story takes place in France. It recounts the adventures of Joey, a horse bought by the Army for service in World War I, and the attempts of Albert, a teenage boy who is his previous owner, to bring him safely home.
Jeremy Irvine in War Horse (S. Spielberg, 2011)
Originally, Morpurgo thought ‘they must be mad’ to try to make a play from his best-selling novel; nonetheless, the play was a success. In 2011, the film War Horse became a box office success and was met with positive reviews. It was nominated for six Academy Awards including ‘Best Picture’, two Golden Globe Awards and five BAFTAs.
In my opinion, this film is one of the best films directed by Steven Spielberg with Hook and E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial because the story is so stirring and the visual effects are very realistic. A very good story…
You can see the trailer here for more details on this film:
I’ve seen it recently, and it is such a beautiful movie. And the context is really interesting, and at least, we can see a war movie with a bit of sensibility !
I agree with you Fabien, it’s a great movie but I prefer the novel because there are many details which don’t appear in the film. I advise you to read the novel too !