War Horse (2011)

Young Albert enlists to serve in World War I after his beloved horse is sold to the cavalry. Albert's hopeful journey takes him out of England and to the front lines as the war rages on. In 1912, a teenage boy named Albert Narracott witnesses the birth of a Bay Thoroughbred foal and subsequently watches with admiration the growth of the young horse, galloping through the fields at his mother's side. Albert's father Ted buys the colt at auction, despite a friend pointing out a more suitable plow horse for his farm. Ted promises to pay rent to Mr Lyons by plowing and planting a stony hillside field with turnips. Albert names the horse Joey and devotes much time to training him. However, a rainstorm destroys the turnip crop, so Ted sells Joey to the young cavalry officer Captain James Nicholls as the First World War starts. Albert tries to enlist in the army but is too young. Joey is trained for military operations and becomes attached to Topthorn, a black horse. The two horses are deployed to France with a flying column, but the Cavalry charges are hopelessly obsolete, and Nicholls and most of his fellow cavalrymen are killed. On the German side, two young brothers capture Joey and Topthorn and use them to pull an ambulance wagon. Joey and Topthorn are then put to pulling German heavy artillery, an exhausting task that kills horses quickly. By 1918, Albert has enlisted and is fighting in the Second Battle of the Somme. Joey escapes and gets entangled in barbed wire in no-man's land, where he is freed by a British and a German soldier. Albert, temporarily blinded, hears about the horse and reunites with Joey. Albert regains his eyesight as the war ends and plans to buy Joey, but Emilie's grandfather outbids him. However, Joey chooses to return to Albert, convincing the grandfather to give him back. Albert returns with Joey to his family's farm.