The official trailer for Steven Spielberg’s War Horse has arrived, and there is at once a ton to say about it…and nothing.
Horse keeps the story vague — there’s a boy, a beautiful horse, a pretty girl, and the horrors of WWI — but even so, it hits every heartwrenching beat it could. The horse hasn’t chosen to be there. He’s afraid. You automatically hate everyone and everything that’s put him there.
You can dismiss it as saccharine awards bait. I wouldn’t necessarily argue with you … but can you really hate on bittersweet animal stories? Can you? I can’t. All reason goes out the window. Three seconds into this trailer, and I’m broken, half dreading, half anticipating the movie.
One thing is for sure — it may be the most beautiful film Steven Spielberg has ever shot. Every shot is absolutely breathtaking. The scene with the horses rising out of the field? Pure David Lean. Even if you want to be cool and roll your eyes at a boy and his horse, you have to admit that’s a pretty remarkable homage.