Steven Spielberg has been talking about his forthcoming movie, War Horse, which is released Stateside on December 25th and in Ireland & The UK on January 13th. Based on a novel first published in 1982, the story follows the tale of a young boy named Albert and his much idolised farm horse, Joey. The book (and the movie obviously) take place at the outbreak of the first World War, which sees Joey being sold to the British Calvary. What follows is an amazing tale of a boy leaving home for the French battlefields to find his horse and bring him home. Spielberg first encountered the novel when it was treading the boards as a huge international theatrical hit. ““I thought the story was absolutely fascinating, and I was simply transported,” the director recalls. “In my mind it was a very honest story; I saw it as a movie for families, the journey of a boy and a horse who were once so close, whose destinies drive them far apart. I hope this story will bring people together through this shared experience; its heart and its message can be felt in every country.”
As with many of Spielberg’s motion pictures, within the high adventure and grand scope is a moving story of human dimensions. “To me, this is a story about belief, hope and tenacity—the tenacity of a boy and a horse driven by devotion,” he says. Many scenes of War Horse have been shot on Dartmoor in England which really excited the Jaws director.“I have never before, in my long and eclectic career, been gifted with such an abundance of natural beauty as I experienced filming ‘War Horse’ on Dartmoor. I hardly scratched the surface of the visual opportunities that were offered to me.” With a movie like this, there is an opportunity to work with animals as opposed to CGi. The old cliché of never work with children and animals comes to mind, but having worked with Sharks and Aliens, Spielberg seemed to really enjoy working with the horses saying “The horses were an extraordinary experience for me, because several members of my family ride. I was really amazed at how expressive horses are and how much they can show what they’re feeling.”
With thanks to Disney