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Post by Claire on Jan 11, 2012 15:47:04 GMT 1
Hi all as so many of us are off to see this film I thought we could have it as our first film club film for the year. Feel free to add your comments when you have seen the film. Please note spoilers tho! There's more about the film on daren's war horse thread
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Post by darenc1 on Jan 11, 2012 20:16:22 GMT 1
As I said in my other thread, it's the best film I saw in 2011. And, even if I didn't have anything to do with horses, I would have loved it.
I'll wait until other folk have seen it before commenting any further...!
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Post by Claire on Jan 11, 2012 21:55:04 GMT 1
Who has already read the book? I must admit I have never got round to reading it, not sure if I should quickly do so before watching the film. I have listened to the radio dramatised version so I know roughly what happens. (BTW if anyone is interested in that version I can send it to you - if I can work out how to split the mp3 file into 2 so it will fit an email attachment!)
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Post by darenc1 on Jan 12, 2012 7:29:51 GMT 1
I read the book a while back, but I'll admit I completely forgot most of what happened in it!
A friend of mine hadn't read it (although she has the book now), so I'm not sure it matters hugely whether you have or haven't.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 12, 2012 7:45:29 GMT 1
I'm like you Daren, I read the book a while ago, thoroughly enjoyed it but can't remember everything that happened in it.
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Post by Claire on Jan 12, 2012 12:55:22 GMT 1
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Post by Deleted on Jan 12, 2012 14:44:55 GMT 1
Thanks Claire, I nearly started to blub just watching it, lord knows what I'll be like next week!
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Post by Claire on Jan 12, 2012 18:06:19 GMT 1
Lol me too rosie ;D
What was good was that it said there were no graphic scenes of violence/bloodshed etc, which I was worried about.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 12, 2012 18:50:39 GMT 1
Totally agree with you there, as I'm such a wussy about things like that!
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Post by darenc1 on Jan 13, 2012 22:16:45 GMT 1
Well, I'm back from my second viewing of it...
...and I bloody loved it as much as the first time around!
I cried, again, too. I think I may well have cried more than the first time around - but I'm not saying what bits in case it spoils the enjoyment of others!
I may well go and see it AGAIN this weekend...!
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Post by Deleted on Jan 14, 2012 8:06:16 GMT 1
I'm going to see it Tuesday...can't wait! I heard a few derogatory comments about it on the radio yesterday, similar to what Kunuma heard
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Post by Claire on Jan 16, 2012 19:19:07 GMT 1
Watching this tonight! Can't wait!
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Post by darkhorse on Jan 16, 2012 21:39:23 GMT 1
I hope you and Rosie enjoy it! Unfortunately it's a bit old for my daughters or we would go as a family to see it. Hubby doesn't want to go just with me So I will have to wait until the DVD comes out or I can persuade someone else to come with me. Where do you live fizz? ;D
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Post by Claire on Jan 17, 2012 12:53:16 GMT 1
Well I watched it last night and its certainly a blub-fest! But excellent. Will comment more on it later when Rosie has also seen.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 17, 2012 19:00:33 GMT 1
I've seen it now!
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Post by susanb on Jan 17, 2012 19:20:31 GMT 1
No guts at all...will have to wait for it to come out on dvd.....bit of a bummer, because I'm sure it looked spectacular on the big screen, but the thought of sobbing hysterically in the back of the theatre.... Almost forgot, I have read the book, a couple of times....could barely see the last pages through the tears!
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Post by Deleted on Jan 17, 2012 19:49:44 GMT 1
Book made me cry, stage show made me cry, trailor for the film made me cry. But the film didn't! It's excellent effects, stunning scenery and beautiful horses made it worth a trip to the cinema but on the whole I think I prefered the stage show.
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Post by Claire on Jan 17, 2012 21:06:18 GMT 1
Book made me cry, stage show made me cry, trailor for the film made me cry. But the film didn't! I'm surprised at that rosie, I blubbed a few times but it was mainly at horses being hurt. Some of it was a tad oversentimental and I could see a few bits where I thought hmm you are supposed to cry at this bit, even tho I didnt! On the whole I thought it was very good, a good old-fashioned type film, some humourous bits to balance the grimness. It was nice to see a film where the bond between human and animal was celebrated, and the animal wasn't just there for the cuteness factor or whatever. In fact it was that rarity, a true horse movie. I did like the farm bits the best, rather than the war bits. I am not a fan of war. I've studied the First World War quite a bit and know how horrific it was so I did feel quite disturbed by the thought of all the horses being killed. I found the scene where the Englishman and the German cut Joey free good, bit reminscent of the famous football match. Also where Joey was leaping over the trenches and then got tangled in the wire was visually stunning and heart-rending at the same time. One or two criticisms. Firstly, and this is a criticism of 95% of horse movies, was the obligatory constant rearing. It does irritate me as its not realistic and is a non-horsy person's view of what a horse does. I have never known a horse in real life that reared all the time so why do they always show it in films (answer cos it looks dramatic) I also felt that Joey was a little anthropomorphosised (sp), he was a bit more like Lassie than a real horse (or like the horse in the old Black beauty TV series), like the way he persuaded his black horse pal (cant recall its name) to take the collar, ran up to take his place pulling the guns, etc. Don't know if he did this stuff in the book as have only read the non-war bit. There was the usual American dislike of Germans with, apart from one or two exceptions, the Germans being a nasty lot compared to the good old English. I also felt slightly disappointed that the film wasn't told from Joey's viewpoint as in the book, and the radio adaptation. But i guess they thought this would appeal to a less wide audience. I havent seen the stage play - is this from Joey's VP rosie? I'd be interested to know if it was and also what you felt was better about the play. I voted very good rather than excellent because of these (minor) criticisms. Still deffo one of the best horse films I've seen for a long time. Certainly kicks the bottom of last years horsy blockbuster Secretariat!
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Post by Deleted on Jan 17, 2012 21:42:51 GMT 1
I was surprised too, I had my tissues at the ready. I think you've hit the nail on the head with the oversentimental comment. It was a bit too Walt Disneyish for me. My OH said the same thing as you that Joey was a bit like Lassie. And all that neighing and rearing, yes agree there too, it made me cringe!
The stage play wasn't told from the horses point of view either but moved me more than the film did. I've got to admit I'm not a film fan really so maybe I'm a bit biased towards the play. It was so cleverly done with the puppets that you really believed they were horses, unlike the real horses in the film which didn't, if that makes sense!
I agree it's a good old-fashioned type of film and I enjoyed seeing Castle Combe where some of it was filmed as I've been there and the beautiful Devon countryside.
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Post by darenc1 on Jan 17, 2012 22:14:07 GMT 1
There was the usual American dislike of Germans with, apart from one or two exceptions, the Germans being a nasty lot compared to the good old English. I actually think the German/British sides of the story were told quite well, with the futility of both sides being shown in equal measure. The Germans weren't really shown to be nasty (I don't think - just realistic, maybe), and the British cavalry were shown to be quite foolish, yet brave as hell at the same time.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 18, 2012 13:51:50 GMT 1
Everyone I've spoken to today who's seen the film said they loved it and cried....so I've decided I'm weird! ;D
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Post by Claire on Jan 18, 2012 16:40:08 GMT 1
Everyone I've spoken to today who's seen the film said they loved it and cried.... so I've decided I'm weird! ;D Tell us something we dont know rosie ;D I agree with daren that the futility of war was portrayed well in the film and by both the German and English side but I still felt the Germans seemed to commit all the really nasty things: they shot the teenage boys for desertion, they stole the old man's food and then stole Joey from his grand-daughter (tho technically he wasnt hers) and they were seen to be the most cruel to the horses, making them pull the huge guns until they dropped dead of exhaustion. In contrast the English guy who was told to shoot any cowards coming back to the trench didnt, Joey was bought from Albert for the war, not stolen, and the Englishmen were made to seem more loving and caring of their horses. Mind you I've seen much more biased views of Germans in films, at least there were a couple of decent ones such as the young lad (who was later shot) who saved Joey and the bloke with the wire cutters. What I did like is that the Germans and French spoke accented English, prefer this to subtitles (which seems the common route to take for portraying foreign language in films today) as I can never see the bloody sub-titles being blind as a bat! Also noticed that the lad who went out into no man's land to rescue Joey (Oh yeah another German naughtiness - they took a pot shot at him when he was waving the white flag) was from my old stamping ground - if you want to know what my accent is like listen to him! I was interested to see that Richard Curtis was one of the writers, some of the trench scenes were reminiscent of the bit at the end of Black Adder when they go over the top. I did like how the film addressed the fact that horses were also part of the terrible (and for the most part needless) slaughter of the war. Oh another question - does anyone know if there was much in the way of CGI used for the film? It was visually stunning but didnt have the in your face style of CGI, seemed more like an old fashioned film using old fashioned special effect, stunts, etc. (Which is in my eyes a good thing!)
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Post by Deleted on Jan 18, 2012 19:34:05 GMT 1
Everyone I've spoken to today who's seen the film said they loved it and cried.... so I've decided I'm weird! ;D Tell us something we dont know rosie ;D Oh another question - does anyone know if there was much in the way of CGI used for the film? It was visually stunning but didnt have the in your face style of CGI, seemed more like an old fashioned film using old fashioned special effect, stunts, etc. (Which is in my eyes a good thing!) lol Claire ;D Someone told me today, so don't know how true this is, that he used 8 different horses for Joey and CGI was used when Joey jumped over the tank and also when he was caught in the barbed wire.
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Post by darkhorse on Jan 18, 2012 20:44:21 GMT 1
Finally persuaded (nagged) OH into going with me to see it! Don't know what he will want in return however..... ;D
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Post by Deleted on Jan 18, 2012 21:06:01 GMT 1
;D Darkhorse. I really hope you both enjoy it
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Post by fizz on Jan 18, 2012 21:21:03 GMT 1
Darkhorse I live in Stockport just outside Manchester. Does anyone live near me? A woman I know told me her son who is in his mid 40s cried at the film!
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Post by Claire on Jan 19, 2012 0:15:07 GMT 1
A woman I know told me her son who is in his mid 40s cried at the film! The world and his dog cried at the film - all except Rosie, the woman of steel ;D ;D ;D
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Post by Deleted on Jan 19, 2012 7:44:20 GMT 1
A woman I know told me her son who is in his mid 40s cried at the film! The world and his dog cried at the film - all except Rosie, the woman of steel ;D ;D ;D Well I did bawl at the book and stage play so I can't be that heartless ;D Seriously though I have read a few reviews and the film does seem to have that Marmite factor. Some think the same as me that it was a bit cheesy!
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Post by darenc1 on Jan 19, 2012 15:53:03 GMT 1
Tell us something we dont know rosie ;D Oh another question - does anyone know if there was much in the way of CGI used for the film? It was visually stunning but didnt have the in your face style of CGI, seemed more like an old fashioned film using old fashioned special effect, stunts, etc. (Which is in my eyes a good thing!) lol Claire ;D Someone told me today, so don't know how true this is, that he used 8 different horses for Joey and CGI was used when Joey jumped over the tank and also when he was caught in the barbed wire. I've got the "making of" book here, although I've not read it all the way through yet! However, what I remember reading elsewhere is that there were 11 horses portraying Joey at different points in his life through the film. CGI was minimal (I think for some of the more dangerous/spectacular scenes) and the scene with Joey in the wire was actually achieved using an animatronic horse.
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Post by Claire on Jan 19, 2012 16:25:03 GMT 1
Thanks for the info you two. I bet thats an interesting book daren. I did feel the film had a non-CGI feel to it that was reminscent of older films. I think we are being somewhat saturated by CGI nowadays. Not that I would like us to go back to the days when horses were killed just to get the special effects in films of course!
I wonder how the film did at the box office - I'll have to go and check.
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