The line between honest and reverent performance and overly sincere melodrama can sometimes get blurred very quickly. What this means is that we have to often ask the questions about when emotional connection is overall too much. What makes a story heartfelt and what makes it sappy?
There is a real strong story within War Horse and it has been told well in other mediums (specifically stage) before. But the movie has something about its reverence that really throws the story in a way that makes it seem insincere. Almost as though being too sincere is actually providing the opposite effect.
And the movie has strong moments, most of which involve the titular horse, but that also manages to let those moments play too long and too slowly and the result is that the movie loses the wonder of this miracle horse and instead just feels like its trying too hard to make us care. And the irony of the whole situation is that the moments where we do care are the ones that aren’t actually trying.
What makes a story work is honesty. Telling the story in a way that seems like genuine feelings are coming through and not letting those stories be too overly moral or heavy-handed in their messaging. And what happens when you do this is you actually push the audience away because it feels like the movie is preaching something and not actually producing a true story.
This is why those movies with hardline moral messages often fail. Because it’s tying to be so sincere that it actually reveals its not being sincere at all. And the final result is a movie which just feels like it’s converting minds rather than hearts. If a story is told well and honestly it will do that job. But it won’t succeed if the story is trying to push an agenda, or tell a story where the moral is too obvious.
So, let’s break everything down.
All Spielberg movies will be judged based on the same five pieces of criteria.
Acting – Are the performances good and do they serve the story or are they distracting and awkward?
Story and Dialogue – Does the story being told make sense and is the use of dialogue allow it to succeed or does the story struggle and/or the dialogue drag it down
Shooting and Editing – How is the camera used, how are the shots arranged, what other elements are used to enhance the movie?
Design – How does the movie look? Does it help the movie or hurt the movie?
Iconic Moment – Spielberg has made several big iconic moments throughout cinema, what are they, how many of them are there, and which ones stand out the most?
All these criteria will be judged on a score of 10 for a total score of 50.
So here is my breakdown of War Horse:
Acting – As impressive as the horse is… it’s also a shame because the entire cast is getting out acted by it. And that doesn’t serve the rest of this cast too well. It’s hard to remember anyone for more than a passing glance as the horse gets all the glory and pulls the most heartstrings (4/10)
Story and Dialogue – The plot of this movie, in addition to the afore mentioned overly sentimental storytelling, is just way too convenient. It seems like everything happens by accident and even then there are some moments that just seem absurdly over the top, which is wild for something trying to be a grounded war movie in places. (5/10)
Shooting and Editing – This thing looks great in scale and style. The camera is moving well and the clips move along in great stride. But it does pace a touch awkwardly in some places, and some of the shots get muddled in other, however it is one of the strongest parts of the movie. (8/10)
Design – The world is cohesive and the way they managed to make the titular horse stand out is really incredible given how many are in this movie. Everything feels real and grounded and the score is epic and heartfelt throughout. (9/10)
Iconic Moment – The No Man’s Land s sequence is phenomenal, from the beginning to the end it just keeps you tense from start to finish and the final result is so genuinely remarkable that you just wish it were true. (8/10)
Total Score: 34/50
Current Ranking:
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial
Jurassic Park
Saving Private Ryan
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
Schindler’s List
Raiders of the Lost Ark
Minority Report
Jaws
Catch Me If You Can
Hook
The Adventures of Tintin
Close Encounters of the Third Kind
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
War of the Worlds
Amistad
Duel
Empire of the Sun
The Terminal
War Horse
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
The Lost World: Jurassic Park
The Color Purple
Twilight Zone: The Movie
A.I. Artificial Intelligence
The Sugarland Express
1941
Always
The final six movies remain and most of them I have seen before. I know it seems like Spielberg’s been struggling to match his best but there are some real phenomenal movies coming so it’s still possible to see something take over the top spot. Only one way we’ll find out though.
So until then, thanks for taking the time to get Ploominated!
Ploominate 