Communication
As you watch War Horse, you will see lots of different people try to communicate with horses in different ways.
Look at this film still (click to enlarge):
- What do you notice about Albert’s body language?
- What does this image suggest about the communication between the boy and the horse?
- If you have a copy of the book, try to choose a passage narrated by Joey that might convey the emotion expressed by this image?
Now look at the other film still. It comes from the part of the film where Albert’s father tries to place a collar on Joey so he can take the plough.
- What do you think Joey is communicating to Albert and his father in this image?
- What do you notice about Albert and his father’s body language? What does it suggest about the attitude of each of them to the horse?
- A little later in the film, Albert eventually succeeds in getting Joey to wear the collar. How do you think he might achieve this?
Extension
In War Horse, we see that Albert’s sensitive communication with Joey helps them to build a unique friendship. When you watch the film, look out for examples of this including:
- Whistling like an owl
- Patting
- Moving backwards towards Joey
- Feeding
What do you expect each of these examples to look like? Draw a picture showing what you expect one or more of these scenes to look like. Label it showing how this action builds trust between the boy and his horse.