War Horse Movie Summary

The movie starts in English Countryside with a birth of a half thoroughbred foal, galloping with her mother through the fields. The foal was auctioned on the market. Ted Narracott bid for the thoroughbred foal in the market. Desiring to spite his landlord Mr. Lyons and to retain his pride, Ted bids higher and higher for the colt. The high cost of the horse at 30 guineas means he is unable to pay rent to Lyons, who threatens to take possession of the farm if the money is not paid by autumn. Ted promises to the Lyons that he will meet the deadline and he could plough and plant a lower, rocky field with turnips. Ted Narracott bought the warhorse for 30 guineas. Ted Narracott brought the warhorse to his home. Ted’s wife, Rosie said we need a plough horse not a warhorse.  Albert Narracott, son of Ted Narracott and Rosie Narracott promised that he will out breed the war horse.  Albert Narracott trained the foal to outbred teaches Joey many basic things. Albert Narracott taught Joey to come when he imitates the call of an owl by blowing through his cupped hands. Ted, who has a bad leg from a war injury, is frequently shown drinking alcohol from a flask he carries. Rose shows Albert his father's medals from the Second Boer War in South Africa, where Ted served as a sergeant with the Imperial Yeomanry. Ted was severely wounded in action, and received the Distinguished Conduct Medal for bravery under fire. She gives Albert his father's Regimental Pennant, telling Albert that his father is not proud of what he did during the war, and that he had thrown the flag and medals away. Albert Narracott taught the foal to plough on the stony part, his neighbors are astonished that the warhorse could plough. After ploughing the field, Ted Narracott planted some turnips on the field. However, a rainstorm destroyed their turnips and crops, which means that Ted can’t pay to the Lyons. He sells Joey to the young cavalry officer Captain James Nicholls. as the First World War gets underway. Albert subsequently pleads with the officer and begs for him not to take the horse, but Nicholls can only promise that he will take care of Joey as his own horse and hopefully return him after the war. Albert tries to enlist in the army but is too young, and before the captain leaves with Joey, Albert ties his father's pennant to Joey's bridle. Joey was trained in military and becomes attached to Topthorn, a black horse. They became friends. The two horses are deployed to France with a flying column under the command of Nicholls and Major Jamie Stewart. When Captain James Nicholls and his cavalry were charging through a German encampment, They met with the concentrated firepower of emplaced machine guns. Nicholls is killed along with most of his fellow cavalrymen, and the Germans capture the horses. Joey and Topthorn was captured and then made to pull ambulances under the supervision of brothers Michael and Gunther. Michael, who is 14 years old, is soon told he would be marching to the frontlines while Gunther will stay and tend to the horses. This does not bode well for Gunther and he kidnaps Michael while he is marching and both of them desert. They flee to a windmill where both of them try to get some sleep. They are soon captured and executed by German forces. Joey and Topthorn, both still in the windmill, are found by the owner’s daughter, a girl named Emilie. She shows them to her grandfather, who is only known as grandfather throughout the movie, and she is allowed to keep them. Soon, German forces raid the farm and take all jams as well as the fruits, leaving Emilie and her grandfather broke. Despite a bone disease Emilie has where they break easily, her grandfather eventually lets her ride Joey. She somehow rides them straight into German forces, where they seize ownership of the horses. They are delegated to a German man named Heiglemann, who loves horses and have a genuine care for Joey and Topthorn. In 1918, Albert was enlisted and fighting alongside with Andrew in the second battle of Somme, under the commands of Lyon’s son, David. The British Army charged into no man’s land, where they all survived the initial charge. There were fights between 2 opposing sides.  Albert, Andrew, and other British soldiers miraculously make it across into a deserted German trench, where a gas bomb explodes, filling the trench with poison gas, killing Andrew. Joey and Topthorn have survived years of hard service in the German army, but Topthorn finally succumbs to exhaustion and dies. Heiglemann is dragged away by other German soldiers, he left Joey to face an incoming tank. Joey jumped over the tank, which is doing something it never done before. Joey is chased by a tank and he escapes by jumping over the German trenches, barely surviving the gunshots and mortar explosions. While Joey was galloping across the German trenches, he is caught into the barbed wire and left lying down in no-man’s-land. Both sides saw the horses and there’s one representative of both sides to help Joey. Colin, a British soldier which is a representative of Britain to help Joey free from the wire, getting help from Peter, a German soldier from Düsseldorf. Together, they eventually free the horse from the wires, but argues over who gets to take it back. Trying to prevent a conflict over a small matter, they flip a coin. Colin wins, and gets to take Joey back to the British Territory. Albert had his eyes damaged after a gas attack, and Joey was brought to a doctor and the doctor said that he couldn’t do anything. Joey was almost executed but Albert started to calling him, with a whistle. The execution was cancelled when Albert proved that Joey is his horse after he gave a brief description that Joey has a diamond head, 4 white socks. Town bells rang, marking the end of World War One. By then, Albert had regained his sight, but was forced to let Joey go.  Joey was to be auctioned in public, with no other exceptions. Gaining help, Albert managed to raise some pounds to purchase Joey back in the auction. However, the auction is interrupted by an old man who bids at 100 pounds, and dared anyone to bid higher. No one did, and the horse was automatically sold to this man. Albert grieves that he did not win Joey in the auction and is helpless in persuading the old man. Albert bids farewell, and as they part ways, Joey escapes the old man’s grip on his leash and heads back to Joey, astonishing the old man. Albert, seeing this, leads the horse back to the now amazed man. But instead of taking Joey away, the old man gives Joey back to Albert and introduces himself, saying that he is a French Grandfather who had just lost his granddaughter, Emilie. He purchased the horse because it was the only thing that would preserve the memory of his granddaughter. In the end, Grandfather gave Joey and Albert’s father Regimental Pennant back. In the end of the scene, in the evening we saw Albert riding Joey on his way back home and greeted by his mother and dad, Rosie Narracott and Ted Naraccott who gives their little boy a hug, as a sign of respect.

The theme in the movie is all about War, Loyalty, and Friendship. In the movie, there were lots of war scenes and the movie is actually based mainly on the war itself. It uses the war to make the impression of Joey the horse and Albert being separated by the war, but they both met again by their friendship bond. At the first scenes of the movie before Joey was taken to war, Albert was seen promising that he would find Joey wherever he is, and take him back home. In the end, his words become reality as he finds Joey back together. In the end, The movie is all about the friendship and loyalty that Albert and Joey shared together. 

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