A Spanish version of this leaked earlier tonight, but I wanted to wait until something official dropped. And…chalk up your early frontrunner (for better or worse). The saccharine appears to be in place and the prestige is painted on thick. More next week when we offer up the year’s first set of predictions, but for now…pretty. Check out the trailer for Steven Spielberg’s “War Horse” via the film’s official YouTube page by clicking the image below or watch an embed after the jump.
Comments
50 responses to “‘War Horse’ teaser trailer”
Looks beautiful. So glad to see Spielberg back in the directors chair.
Neils Arestrup for best supporting actor candidate?
Just speaking of the imagery, I noticed a few poignants, a stunning, and some beautifuls.
As I look over Kaminski’s filmography, I realize I’m a bit of a fan. The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, Minority Report and Schindler’s List have given us some visually arresting images, artfully delivered, and some unforgettable moments. It’s hard to say on the basis of a few snippets, but it’s possible that War Horse could measure up to that standard.
Ah, hate to bring this on early but Cinematography and Art Direction are in.
I don’t know much about the plot, but this looks like a big scale Lassie story, only with a horse. Am I right?
Anyway, this will probably be one of the frontrunners for Best Picture and Director. I just hope Kaminski will not win over Lubezki.
Isn’t Tintin also being released on Christmas? Are we getting two Spielberg movies released in the same week?
Kind of Hallmark-ish
Looks boring.
@Sound Designer Dan: Indeed, we are. :-) Probably the best Christmas gift anybody could ask for.
Hmmm, let’se see:
Cute kid – check
Cute horse – check
Neils Arestrup – check
Emily Watson – big check
Cinematography – check (some of those shots, wow)
Art Direction – check
John Williams’ music (assumably) – check
Sentimental story – check
Spielberg – check
Multiple Tony-winning play – check
Holiday (ish) release date – check
I could go on & on & on. This teaser didn’t blow me away. But as mentioned, it looks gorgeous. And I’m a sucker for Spielberg/horses/WWII-themed anything.
I can’t imagine that this wouldn’t go over well with MANY branches of the Academy young & old. We’ll see.
It won best play at the Tonys, so we know the story goes well with one academy. Though I don’t know the history of the Tony voters or how they like to vote, so probably just a good omen.
Looks good.
Looks promising.
Spielberg’s only done one movie since “Munich”, so getting another of his two-movie years is pleasing.
If this was the year after say NCFOM or Hurt Locker won I would say it’s not the front runner but considering the last winner I can’t argue that it is.
“And I’m a sucker for Spielberg/horses/WWII-themed anything.”
That, in a nutshell is a problem with anyone who tries to put Spielberg’s work into a nutshell. They always get it ever-so-slightly off. Alawys. For all of your lengthy checklists you don’t even know what you are talking about – (hint: you’ve got a wrong World War there).
It may seem like I am being picky but this is so representative it’s not even funny.
And I am so sick of all this “sentimental” crap. Guess what? Toy Story 3 is sentimental. Slumdog Millionaire is both sentimental AND manipulative. But you don’t see that, do you?
It still amazes me how people don’t realize how many horrors Spielberg shows in his movies. When it hits, it hits hard and he is absolutely unafraid to get very dark. There are scenes in, say, Amistad that are virtually unmatched in their brutality in the world of major cinema. Don’t be fooled by the music, he is a very dark director.
And from someone who knows the story. Lassie in the slightest. The story is actually being told primarially from the point of view of a horse. It’s much, much closer to “Au Hasard Balthazar” in tone and story. This trailer IS a bit misleading in that regard. It’s… going to be a very unusual film.
More importantly – understand that the job of this trailer is to get people into theaters. It’s all put together in a certain way. Yes, the music is sweet but it ain’t going to be like all the time.
I think it is jawdropping. Spielberg’s ability with visuals is unmatched. I always get something I didn’t expect and it’s always better.
The play is pretty awful. Impressive flashy puppets covering up a simplistic, dull children’s theatre play that’s just boring and pretentious enough to convince the asshole audience members paying $130 a ticket that it’s art.
… sorry, was that too strong?
Anyway, it’s the tearjerker, and financial hit – which is general what wins the Tony – if you look at any Tony predictions article, virtually every prognosticator had it under the “Will Win” category, and NO ONE had it under “Should Win” (Good People, David Lindsay-Abaire’s followed up to Rabbit Hole, starring Frances McDormand was most folks’ choise for “Should Win”).
Anyway, just my two cents. And the trailer for the film looks no better.
*follow-up. and *choice. Yikes.
Can the horse be nominated for an acting award?
Now that I’ve got that last response out of my system (why do I always feel I like I have to be so defensive, over the trailer, no less?) and a few more minutes have passed I have something related to Oscars to say about this film that I hope some posters on here will find insightful.
The reason this film will very likely do well, especially with the director’s branch (I am stressing this fact here) has nothing to do with it’s subject matter or prestige factor (and by the way, Kris – true prestige isn’t something you can fake – this isn’t jab, I’m sure you know this).
No, it has to do with Confidence. This film has it. It comes through every frame. Not the fact that it looks a certain way. There are films where directors expriment and try things and it comes out looking beautiful. This director just DOES. And it is, definiely, absolutely a director’s film. And in that regard, it’s more Social Network than King’s Speech though it is a very very sketchy and faulty comparison (I appologize that I cannot think of anything more appropriate at the moment).
Note how stylish this film is. And bold. It looks like no World War film (Spielberg or otherwise) that’s I’ve seen. He is going for a very specific look here and it’s a bold look and he is not pulling back. Absolute Confidence. Even in tiny 360p.
And that’s what’s so appealing to me.
@Andrew M
Ignore the immature and obviously bitter comments general butt fucker. War Horse, while lacking the hefty narrative that Good People or even Jerusalem had, was a technical achievement that gave the audience a unique theatrical experience. Not a perfect piece and not even my choice for the best play on broadway this season, but it was a triumph of craftsmanship and staging that wasn’t matched by any production that contended with it.
As for what Tony voters like, it’s not all boxoffice, in fact a lesser known show can benefit from a win and turn a stead fast profit. I will admit that they do like spectacle and will and they do like to be entertained. I’m not sure if the academy would vote for things like Book of Mormon, Avenue Q (Okay, that one was only nominated), or Spring Awakening. They do have taste without pretention, and I will say that they have a better understanding for their medium than Oscar voters seem to have of their own.
The Tonys aren’t just about box office. If they were, “Avenue Q” would never have beaten “Wicked”, the most successful new production of the 2000s.
Looks so pretentious and bait-y, I can’t imagine them not falling for it. The brilliance of the play is the staging not the actual script (which is pretty thin actually).
Appologies for the statement about Avenue Q, it did win best musical, which only further proves general buttfucker is wrong.
Geez, Maxim. Sorry I pissed you off so much with my check-off list. And I do, in hindsight, see that I typed the wrong World War.
That said, my check-off list was simply a knee-jerk response to the teaser trailer. I obviously have no clue whatsoever if this movie will be any good. It could stink. I was just stating what I was seeing on the screen. This IS an site about Oscar discussion and possible Oscar contention, right?
On the screen, I saw potential for a lot of branches liking the film. And I was also mentioning my general like of Spielberg films (who is talking about horrors? And I agree about Spielberg films) … horse films … and World War (I) stories. I’m not allowed to like those types of films and mention them in my post?
I just don’t see what fired you up. :(
I can’t decide if I’ll like this. When Spielberg is good, he is AMAZING… E.T. is my all-time favorite movie, Schindler’s List in unparalleled dramatic storytelling, Raiders of the Lost Ark and Jurassic Park are high concept blockbusters at their best, etc., etc. He’s done so many damn good movies it’s impossible not to love him.
But, let’s face it, there’s a lot of times he just rests on his laurels and churns out total crap because he knows it will sell and it’s easy for him. Everything from the pointless Always to the overwrought Hook to the forgettable War of the Worlds and the execrable Kingdom of the Crystal Skull warns me to think that if I’m not totally blown away by it, then I’ll probably just hate it.
What’s sad is that even Spielberg’s lesser movies tend to be decent, but just knowing that he’s capable of such great filmmaking and chooses to churn out junk makes it really hard for me to trust that I’m going to like this movie. The trailer isn’t giving me much hope that it’s going to be one of his better efforts.
And, for what it’s worth, as far as Spielberg and the Oscars go, my two cents:
1) Munich deserved Best Picture and Best Director, in my humble opinion, so I wonder if any goodwill towards his last major contender will carry over at all into the campaign for this.
2) No one has ever won an Oscar for a performance in a Spielberg movie, though many have been nominated. I wonder if the desire to recognize Spielberg’s contribution to the field of great performances in the last 40 years will help someone win an acting Oscar for this film.
Both thoughts are probably way off, but they’re just things I find myself contemplating.
This site couldn’t definitely use a like button on comments.
My thoughts were *could* but my fingers typed couldn’t.
***As I look over Kaminski’s filmography, I realize I’m a bit of a fan. The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, Minority Report and Schindler’s List have given us some visually arresting images, artfully delivered, and some unforgettable moments.***
Odd you don’t mention “Saving Private Ryan” in particular, which he won his second Oscar for.
This looks like Spielberg’s most interesting movie since Minority Report.
How can someone say anything but this looks gorgeous? Bunch of cynics
Everything else aside (good or bad), it DOES look beautiful.
“Odd you don’t mention ‘Saving Private Ryan’ in particular, which he won his second Oscar for.”
“Saving Private Ryan” was surely deserving, but “The Diving Bell and the Butterfly” had more psychological impact on me, as did “Schindler’s List,” and “Minority Report” deserves to be mentioned (consider it filing a minority report).
I have to admit I actually saw “Snow Falling on Cedars” before “Saving Private Ryan,” so the impact of the beach landing scene perhaps wasn’t as strong as it might have been.
@ SJG
“Munich” would definitely have been my choice that year.
It’s pretty that’s for sure, and very effective. As far as I’m concerned, Tintin teaser > War Horse teaser, but I have high hopes for Horse.
I have a confession, I prefer Crash over Brokeback Mountain. :O
Anyone else get a huge Lawrence of Arabia vibe with that one shot of the horse on the horizon with the sun in the corner?
FYI, Frank Marshall confirmed on Twitter that the music in the trailer is indeed from John Williams’s original score.
Ick.
@ SJG:
I agree with your thoughts on Spielberg.
I do believe that Munich at least deserved a Best Picture nomination also.
It is odd that after having so many of his films nominated for Best Picture, only one has won. That surely is a plus for Spielberg. Jaws, Raiders, ET, Color Purple, Schindler’s List, Saving Private Ryan, Munich.
A split this year perhaps? Spielberg gets BP, Fincher gets his consolation BD prize.
***I do believe that Munich at least deserved a Best Picture nomination also.***
Which it got.
Bor-ing. As in cure for insomnia and sleep apnea. The fact this movie is even being SUGGESTED for Oscar consideration for only one reason (Spielberg) just shows how God-awful 2011 has been, movie-wise.
Forget 7-8-9 or 10 nominees, it’s gonna be a struggle to pick even five.
It’s kind of mind-bogglingly insane that Crash won over Munich. But that’s the Oscars for you. A joke.
Can’t wait for this. All you Super 8 fans THIS is Spielbergian. Super 8 is Colombusian or Robbinsian but not Spielbergian. Hopefully this, Lincoln and Robopocalypse (the book is sensational) will make up a late career stellar run from Spielberg.
@Dean – As much as I love Niels Arestrup, his role seems far to minimal to warrant a nomination.
And if I’m going to be a voice of dissent, I’d much rather be the only one. Yes, it is very pretty, with swelling music that could easily win over the Academy. I’d be entirely shocked if it failed to receive a Best Picture nomination. From all this trailer reads, it’s pretty much a complete lock for a nomination.
As for my own opinion, it looks like typical Spielberg Oscar fare. He’s working off the Academy’s sentimental heart strings, which quite often dominate over their sense of cinematic integrity. That’s what won out with “The King’s Speech”, and the same could happen here. This trailer leaves me relatively unmoved, and mostly with the thought of, “Oh, that’s a pretty horse.”
Filipe: jajaja, i prefer Crash too!
made me cry
Tintin and Filipe I prefer Crash too. That was a week year and Crash is so better than almost every other movie that I remembered from that year (the only exception is Brokeback Mountain, an amazing movie, and second best movie of that year). Are you Latin by the way?
For the longest time, I preferred Crash to Brokeback (and supported the Crash win). In the years since, I’ve changed my tune. But I’ve always thought Crash was excellent.
I’ve always felt that “Do the Right Thing” and especially “City of Hope” handled similar themes and subjects better than Crash did.
It’s a S. Spielberg movie so it will definitely be a great one.