"War Horse" movie review

nitroairplane wrote:I have not yet seen the film, how does it compare to the play?
The play was really great!

Originally a children's play, the film is an adaptation by Speilberg that leaves one awestruck by the reality of war. WWI officially ended on November 11, 1918.

A short twenty years later came WWII.

SuperDave wrote:

nitroairplane wrote:I have not yet seen the film, how does it compare to the play?
The play was really great!

Originally a children's play, the film is an adaptation by Speilberg that leaves one awestruck by the reality of war. WWI officially ended on November 11, 1918.

A short twenty years later came WWII.

WW1 was billed as 'The War to end all Wars'
Our troops were promised 'a land fit for
Hero's ' when/if they got home.
Influenza and unemployment was all most of the
Poors sods got.

SuperDave wrote:

nitroairplane wrote:I have not yet seen the film, how does it compare to the play?
The play was really great!

Originally a children's play, the film is an adaptation by Speilberg that leaves one awestruck by the reality of war. WWI officially ended on November 11, 1918.

A short twenty years later came WWII.

I have always considered that what we actually had was one war, with a gap of 20 years in the middle. Had there been no WW1 there would have been no rise of Hitler and no WW2.

Wilf

Wilf:

Hitler was only made possible by "The Big Four" who "shafted" Germany in the Treaty of Versailles. German bitterness over the Treaty made Hilter possible.

Germany had asked for an armistise but got the wrath of France, Germany and England. President Woodrow Wilson of the US largely went along with the Treaty of Versailles because it laid out the plan for the League of Nations.

It is said that President Wilson "died of a broken heart" because the League of Nations was short-lived and his dream of a world peace organiztion failed very shortly after it was created.

SuperDave wrote:Wilf:

Hitler was only made possible by "The Big Four" who "shafted" Germany in the Treaty of Versailles. German bitterness over the Treaty made Hilter possible.

Germany had asked for an armistise but got the wrath of France, Germany and England. President Woodrow Wilson of the US largely went along with the Treaty of Versailles because it laid out the plan for the League of Nations.

It is said that President Wilson "died of a broken heart" because the League of Nations was short-lived and his dream of a world peace organiztion failed very shortly after it was created.

Yes, Dave, as I said, no WW1, no WW2. No WW1, no Treaty of Versailles to cause the situation in Germany which allowed the growth of Hitler and the Nazi party. Any student of history knows that, had the Allies treated Germany in a less extreme fashion, the bitterness of a nation that never considered it's army to have been beaten in a fair fight, but "Stabbed in the back" by people "At home" would not have been compounded by it's resentment of the Treaty.

Or...
No Kriegsmarine oil fired Battleships, no Baghdad to Berlin railway
and no Herr Dr Diesel 'disappearing' on a cross channel ferry.....
One of the most ironic photo's I've ever seen is at
Good Queen Vics funeral where cousin George, Nicky
And Willy are standing next to each other they look
Like brothers.
But another debate for another day.

I call it Kriegsmarine cos that's what Ur Opa called it
He was at Jutland so perhaps he knew better than
Wikipedia.
I remember him and Great Uncle Wilf meeting in the
Early 70's, Wilf was at Jutland on Gods own side. I
Remember them spending a day together laughing
And drinking beer shame no one had a tape machine
Running. Bigger shame their Bosses didn't do the same
60 years earlier.

Wilf & JB:

Ah, the wisdom of retrospect!

WWI toppled several monarchies that promoted discord and pomposity but, as you say, that's a different subject entirely.

As long as mankind has inhabited the earth it's basic nature hasn't , nor likely ever will, change. The endless cycle continues ever onward. Charles Darwin wrote of it in the 19th century and the manifestations of it comprise our daily news.

And it isn't pretty.

John Goddard wrote:I call it Kriegsmarine cos that's what Ur Opa called it
He was at Jutland so perhaps he knew better than
Wikipedia.
I remember him and Great Uncle Wilf meeting in the
Early 70's, Wilf was at Jutland on Gods own side.

John, this could be getting a bit weird! MY Great Uncle Wilf was also at Jutland! He was my mother's favourite uncle, and I'm named after him! He ended his naval career as Chief Petty Officer (Guns) Wilfred Blood. Obviously at Jutland he would have been simply a seaman, or even Boy Entrant, I can't remember his ship, other than it was a Battle Waggon

Wilf

US President Woodrow Wilson, ever the idealist, had been a professor at Princeton University prior to being elected to the White House in 1912. As an academic Wilson was noted for his lofty principles.

The US entered WWI shortly after the sinking of "Lusitana" by German U-boats in 1917. Germany had established in "intellegence" community it the US that revealed that "Lusitania" bore not only Eurpoean-bound travelers but but also a secret cargo of war materiel to aid the Allied Powers. (This being revealed after WWI had concluded).

The US was outraged that the concept of "Freedom of the Seas" had been challenged and the only recourse was to officially enter the conflict "Over There". Thus the European war took on it's world-wide dimension.

So the AEF (American Expeditionary Force) marched merrily off to war under the command of General John J. "Black Jack" Pershing. The AEF joined the battle on the western front in France. Curiously, WWI was know as America's "singing war" because it geranted a host of popular songs, some by John Phillip Sousa ("The Stars and Stripes Forever) and Irving Berlin.

Music became a HUGE propaganda weapon in support of the war. However, Americans like industrialit Henry Ford did not share in the enthusiasm commissioning the what became known as "The Ship of Fools" consisting of American "peaceniks" to go to Europe en masse to help stop the carnage. The venture took such abuse from the American press that Ford called off the mission in the mid-Atlatic and returned home to the jeers of pro-war Americans. (Sales of Ford cars took at noteable dive thereafter giving rise to Chevrolet and other competitors)

But I ramble...............................

Ivanhoe wrote:

John Goddard wrote:I call it Kriegsmarine cos that's what Ur Opa called it
He was at Jutland so perhaps he knew better than
Wikipedia.
I remember him and Great Uncle Wilf meeting in the
Early 70's, Wilf was at Jutland on Gods own side.

John, this could be getting a bit weird! MY Great Uncle Wilf was also at Jutland! He was my mother's favourite uncle, and I'm named after him! He ended his naval career as Chief Petty Officer (Guns) Wilfred Blood. Obviously at Jutland he would have been simply a seaman, or even Boy Entrant, I can't remember his ship, other than it was a Battle Waggon

Wilf

Cuz!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Sadly not Wilf ours was Carter from the Portsmouth Bonham Carters.
My Sister looks the image of Helena whom we see at family get togethers
and who is as mad as a box of frogs like most actresses.....!
And I should know cos I ended up with one of those as well..
GUW was dragged back into WWII in his mid 40's for convey escort duty
in the North Atlantic. He'd tell tales of having to listen to screaming seamen
they steamed past and weren't able to stop to rescue for fear of the
Wolf pack.

John Goddard wrote:

Ivanhoe wrote:

John Goddard wrote:I call it Kriegsmarine cos that's what Ur Opa called it
He was at Jutland so perhaps he knew better than
Wikipedia.
I remember him and Great Uncle Wilf meeting in the
Early 70's, Wilf was at Jutland on Gods own side.

John, this could be getting a bit weird! MY Great Uncle Wilf was also at Jutland! He was my mother's favourite uncle, and I'm named after him! He ended his naval career as Chief Petty Officer (Guns) Wilfred Blood. Obviously at Jutland he would have been simply a seaman, or even Boy Entrant, I can't remember his ship, other than it was a Battle Waggon

Wilf

Cuz!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Sadly not Wilf ours was Carter from the Portsmouth Bonham Carters.
My Sister looks the image of Helena whom we see at family get togethers
and who is as mad as a box of frogs like most actresses.....!
And I should know cos I ended up with one of those as well..
GUW was dragged back into WWII in his mid 40's for convey escort duty
in the North Atlantic. He'd tell tales of having to listen to screaming seamen
they steamed past and weren't able to stop to rescue for fear of the
Wolf pack.

I knew it couldn't be the same man, since you and I are about a generation apart, however, it's a strange coincidence that two men with the same uncommon name were both at Jutland, and seem to have had parallel careers thereafter, my great uncle was ALSO recalled for service in WW2, the only photo I have of him is from this time, here he is sometime in the 1940s with his grandchild

Have had the War Horse DVD in my hands 2 different times now, almost in buy it now mode, but I put it back on the shelf. Guess I will have to commit next time I am in Wally world.

I did pick up Secretariat and watched that recently,,another very good horse story and I remember the excitement that horse caused. Even tho I already knew the outcome, it still put me on my feet chanting "Go Big Red!", lol. My aunt and uncle have always had horses and I have been around them most of my life. They had a race horse stabled down at Portland Meadows in Portland Or for a time. Very fast horse that did well in the beginning winning a handful of races, but then started stumbeling right out of the gate. I had a chance to ride that horse after it was retired, and I tell you what, if you are ever on a race horse that goes from a gallop to a full speed sprint,,you best hang on tight!!. An experience I will never forget.