War Horse, and Imagining Peace

We went to an outstanding movie at the Tuesday: Steven Spielberg’s War Horse.

My spouse asked me more than once, “Are you all right?”

It is one of those films that elicits strong emotional response. I would guess I wasn’t alone among the surprisingly large crowd in the dark, quiet theater.

War Horse opened Christmas Day and is set in World War I England and France. There are a great plenty of reviews. Take your pick.

My personal reviewer—the friend who urged us to see the movie—was my friend, 90-year-old Lynn Elling, Minneapolis, (see photos) born shortly after WWI and a veteran of the Pacific theater in WWII. Lynn was an officer on an LST in both WWII and Korea, who saw in person the carnage at places like Tarawa.

Lynn and Donna, his wife of 67 years, saw the film opening day. The Elling’s Christmas letter, received some weeks pre-release, urged receivers to see the film.

Lynn’s visit to Hiroshima in 1954 cemented his lifelong dedication to seeking enduring peace in our world; he is tireless in his quest.

Lynn’s story can be found here.

Sure, War Horse is simply a story, as are most movies we attend. But it elevates the better side of humanity, even in the horrid reality of war.

I would suspect its timed release on Christmas Day in some way was meant to mirror the oft-told story of the Christmas Day Truce on the WWI battle lines. There are endless renditions of this true story. Here’s the portal to them—take your pick.

There is truly an opportunity for peace on earth, and it is the people like ourselves who will make it happen.

See War Horse for yourself. I don’t believe the two hours and twenty minutes will disappoint.

The writer blogs regularly at outsidethewalls.org/blog.