War Horse

Devon England 1912. Foal born. Albert Narracott young farm boy watches birth. Beautiful horse. Before war. Pastoral innocence. Boy and horse will bond. Connection forming from birth. Peace before storm.

Rose to Ted: "He will train the horse. He will care for it." Theme of loyalty transcending war, bond between boy and animal, and hope surviving horror. Love endures separation.

Ted Narracott buys horse at auction, overpaying. Landlord Lyons demanding rent. Cannot afford. Albert names horse Joey. Training begins. Father doubts. Albert determined. Bond forming. Joey learning. Devotion growing.

Joey plows rocky field - impossible task. Albert and Joey succeed through trust. Father proud. Rent saved. Then rain destroys turnip crop. Financial ruin. Must sell Joey. Heartbreak. War beginning simultaneously.

Should they sell Joey? No choice. Army buying horses. Captain Nicholls buys Joey. Albert devastated. Promises to find him after war. Give away beloved friend or lose farm? Terrible choice. WWI takes Joey to France.

Joey at war. Cavalry charge. Nicholls killed. German capture. Multiple owners. Enters world of war from horse perspective. Witnessing horror. Changing hands. Survival journey across WWI. Albert enlisting to find him.

Joey and various owners. German brothers, French girl Emilie. Each love Joey. Each lose him to war. Represents innocent casualties. Also Albert searching. Parallel journeys. Bond pulling them together across battlefield.

Joey war experiences. Tank battle. Emilie caring for him. Germans requisition. Pulling ambulance. Trapped in no man land. Promise: war through horse eyes. Survival. Different perspectives. Beauty and horror of WWI.

Joey caught in barbed wire no man land. British and German soldiers truce to save him. Humanity in war. False victory: saved! But coin flip - Germans win Joey. Separated from British side where Albert is. Stakes raised.

Joey and black horse pulling German artillery. Brutal conditions. Gas attacks. Horses dying. Best friend horse dies. Joey traumatized. Alone. Running from shelling. Lost in chaos. Death everywhere. War destroying everything.

Joey runs blind through battlefield. Explosions. Caught in barbed wire. Tangled horribly. Bleeding. Alone. Exhausted. About to die. Everything he survived leads to this. Trapped. War claims another victim. No hope visible.

British soldiers find Joey in wire. Suffering. Colin trying to calm him. Cutting wire carefully. Joey terrified. Broken. War destroyed magnificent animal. Humanity trying to save innocent casualty. Touch and go.

Albert hears about horse. Recognizes description. Calls Joey. Owl call from training! Joey responds! Reunion! Synthesis: love stronger than war. Bond unbreakable. Promise kept. Found each other against all odds. Miracle.

Officers want to keep Joey. Auction for horse. Albert cannot afford. Soldiers donate. Emilie grandfather arrives. His horse by rights. Sees Albert bond. Gives Joey to Albert. Kindness wins. Going home together.

Albert and Joey walking home to Devon. Sunset. War over. Survived together. Bond unbroken. Father waiting. Family reunited. Beauty restored. War ended but love endured. Hope triumphs. Peace returned. Perfect ending.