WAR HORSE competitive crying thread

[MitchierInge]

I know I'm not the only person snivelling through the trailer when it appears. Anyone seen it sneakily yet?

Was more than a bit traumatising on page and stage so am preparing for worst. (Cannot help noticing no mention of OUR major Morpurgo adaptation yet :()

(I will watch it again though while it's on and we will inevitably get blu-ray/DVD )

War horse is a children's book. Seriously, it isn't that bad!

But I couldn't read Plain Jack without crying, and that's aimed at practically toddlers.
Actually I never realised that War Horse was a childrens' book until this thread, as I was given it for christmas and it is still safely out of sight in the pile of unread books by my bed. So maybe I am being extremely very slightly pathetic.

you cried!

I found it hard going in terms of wear and tear on my snivel muscles. But I can forgive it in a book, expect and want to be moved by theatre but sort of feel exploited when it's film. Why?

I (should name change for this) can't listen to two little boys without crying. I don't want to win but I probably am the biggest sap?

Yes, I cried, but then I am a big soppy tart! I also cried when Miffy lost her teddy bear!

I'm with you on 2 little boys! "there's room on my horse for two"

argh that is just before a Bad Bit in the film

They play that song in the film????

Oh Lordy, I've had the book on my Kindle for months but can't bring myself to read it!

As a child my poor mother had to switch the tv off when Lassie came on as it reduced me to heart-rending sobs, ditto Black Beauty, Dumbo, Bambi, ET etc etc! Anything with animals in it generally would make me dissolve into huge wailing snivelling mess. Still does.

I really take these things to heart. Yes, I know Warhorse is a work of fiction but it is based on actual events. So my imagination just fires and I get hugely upset!

nooooooo

it's just a moment, two brothers on a horse

then quite soon after that A REALLY BAD THING HAPPENS

I think I have traumatised myself a bit actually

marge2 Fri 13-Jan-12 11:00:55
"I am worried about how they will have got thin and worn out looking horses for the film? Anyone know? "

Makeup! They used shading techniques to darken - for example - between the ribs, so the horses looked skinny. It was all down to careful shading!

Whenever they make a film like this they always have a whole host of rules & regs regarding the animal and often an animal welfare person on set to ensure they are looked after, so don't worry that they will have suffered like their horsey characters.

I knew an animal trainer once who said the owners are often just off camera to make sure they perform as required and supervise. He had a horse who was a real show-off and would do his party tricks to anyone who cared to watch (and even if you didn't!)

Also they are very clever with editing out bits and pieces of action to get a sequence that is just right. Spielburg said in a recent interview that a lot of the horse scenes/shots were improvised, they spent hours filming different reactions and movements so they could put it together to make something they wanted.

Pixel,I'm going to have to read the book you suggested-it sounds very good.Thankyou.

I'm part way through 'Warrior' which is about a 'real' warhorse,which is quite good too.

Just saw the film. I didn't cry anything like as much as I did at the play. It is a lovely film but it wasn't as real if you understand horses. I know that sounds strange.
It was obvious that they used several different horses as Joey and the horse actors don't look distressed in the way the puppets did. The No Man's Land scene is still prttey harrowing. You will all know what I mean by the way that sound of a horse in pain cuts through you or what you feel when you see genuine fear in a horse. They got it right on stage but, without cruelty, there is no way of capturing that on camera. This is a good thing.

mirage, I hope you enjoy it as much as I did I'm now a bit worried it is better in my memory than it was at the time and you will think it is utter rubbish and hate me forever

am going to see it tomorrow with dd. I've told her about 100 times it will be very sad (which she knows as she has read the book) - will we be ok do you reckon? (she gets tearfully upset when little kids chase pigeons)

I loved the film. Although I did make a little comment about the wisdom of giving a young spirited horse a bucket of oats! I also pointed out that when Albert was ploughing the field that if he cracked the horse on the backside with a whip he would be end up in the next county. Seconds later...yep!

I've just seen the film, thought it was pretty emotional, but not as gritty as the book, and less harowing. No Man's land and trenches bit were very well filmed.
Overall a good film, and a reminder how hard the first world war really was.

Thank goodness it wasnt as harrowing as the book. Some very sad bits in it and came away thinking of all those young men - what a horrific waste of life. dd found a couple of the scenes pretty upsetting, but she was ok.
Did think the start was a bit disneyfied.

Fucking hell Pixel! I am sat hear howling from your description of the Grass Memorial. (Another one to add to my Never To Be Read list).

Charles Moore wrote an interesting crit of War Horse in today's Daily Telegraph which seems to agree with what is being said here.

He still cried though.

I am still not going to see it.

I will challenge you for the 'soppiest' title any day Mitchy. And most people in RL think I am hard as nails.

Rather chillingly (is that a word?) I saw on my DDs FB last night a comment from a sort of friend of hers who had been to see War Horse and not cried. 12 year old girl. Rides at the weekends. Creepy...........

Grass Memorial. Nooooooo! Waaaaaaayy.....ever!

Yard horsey mates who went at the weekend said WH was a bit "Disney" and some of the horse behaviour was very un-natural. They said think "Babe" X "Black Beauty"....but they did cry. In the book it's a bit at the end with the grandfather wanting his GD to be remembered that got my eyes going like a hosepipe!

I'm definitely still not going.