watched “war horse” at the lincoln center theater last saturday. it explores the profound bond between man and animal. the first world war forms the backdrop to the story and the message is definitely anti-war. not only are all men fighting on all sides humanized but the utter futility, waste and destruction of war is highlighted throughout the show. i was shocked to learn that 8 million horses were killed in world war I – compare that to 10 million soldiers. it’s almost a 1:1 ratio. the play talks about how barbed wire, machine guns and eventually the tank made the horse obsolete and changed the rules of war. who could have imagined video game style drones back in 1918… it took the handspring puppet company years to design the horses seen in the show. they move their ears and tails and breathe and rear and trot with almost as much beauty and elegance as real horses. animated sketches are projected onto a chunk of wall hanging in the background to provide much needed context to the action on stage. stunning.
