Pet Tales: The many animals of 'War Horse' -- and none were harmed
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Jeremy Irvine as Albert and one of the 14 horses that were used as Joey in "War Horse."
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Trailers of "War Horse" might give the impression that this movie would be a difficult one for animal lovers to watch. A wild-eyed horse with flying mane runs up onto a tank and leaps over a trench. The horse is surrounded by flames and gunfire and the bodies of fallen soldiers and dead horses in this World War I epic by director/producer Steven Spielberg.
Amazingly, "No animals were harmed" in the making of this movie, according to the American Humane Association, which has been monitoring animals that perform in movies and television since 1940. The organization gave "War Horse" its highest rating: Monitored: Outstanding.
More than 100 horses used in the cavalry charge scenes were watched and supervised by AHA representative Barbara Carr. So were sheep, chickens and a very amusing goose that functioned as a kind of "watch dog" on the farm in Devon, England, where the war horse lived before the war. Even the rats that plagued actor/soldiers in their trenches were monitored.
American Humane does not report whether actors and stuntmen were harmed in the making of this movie. But actors have unions, and monitoring the safety of members is a mainstay of American unions.
Fourteen horses were used to portray "Joey," the equine star. Makeup artists spent hours making all the Joeys look exactly alike: a dark brown thoroughbred with a white star on the forehead, black mane and tail and four white socks.
Four horses portrayed Topthorn, the big black horse that press releases describe as Joey's "friend and rival."
One of the most breathtaking scenes in the movie begins with a panoramic view of a golden field of tall grain. Quietly hiding in the field are Joey and more than 100 other horses -- blacks, browns, grays and bays, most of which look like thoroughbreds.
On an officer's command, the horses gallop at full speed, carrying English cavalry officers armed with swords.
"The horses were so excited to run," said Ms. Carr. "We had a hard time stopping them because they were enjoying the run together as a giant herd, and it was so beautiful."
The horses and riders were highly trained, according to American Humane, and the action was "extremely well-choreographed" and "well-rehearsed."
The scene portrayed a sneak attack where the English cavalry had the early advantage. Unarmed German soldiers stumbled, half-dressed, from their tents and were killed by English swords. The tide quickly turned, however, as other German soldiers sprang up, armed with machine guns.
Cavalry officers continued their charge toward the big guns, the reins of their horses in one hand, swords in the other. The camera zooms in on the faces of young officers who know they are riding to their deaths.
First Published January 7, 2012 12:00 am
