In which I swoon over Scenery+Settings

I've done posts in which I've gushed nonsensically over dresses and frills. I've done about fifty of those, when it comes to that. (Well, sliiight exaggeration is allowed now and then.) I've done posts in which I've exclaimed in - oh horrors of horrors - capital letters my fondest love for certain fictional characters. (No, I did not mention Mr Knightley in every one of those posts. Hush.) I've talked about all kinda stuff. 

But I've never really gushed over that BEAUTIFUL scenery in those movies. And those often-ignored Settings. So I am to do so now.

Okay, before we talk about ANYTHING, I'm going to point out that Cinderella has the best inside settings ever. (I haven't seen this yet, but OH I KNOW IT.)

Now we can carry on.

The Sound of Music has THE most GORGEOUS Scenery EVER. Well, I never, and all that jazz. It's all so greeny blue and bluey green and free, free and melodious. It seems to chirp out music - GAH. The Sound of Music is such a pretty movie. Remember that scene where Maria sings about the Hills being Alive, and she goes and swings between the trees? That is SO pretty.

I love that the Sound of Music ends AND starts with mountains and grassy hills. And oh, the way the wind BLOWS on the grass and makes all those RIPPLES.

God really is the most amazing artist ever.

And also the gazebo scenes. Like, it's sooo gorgeous and romantic. With all the moonlight shining through the glass, and the garden all quiet around them. Also, all the inside scenes. I know it's easy to have beautiful interior settings when the movie is about a stinking rich Sea Captain with expensive dance floors, but STILL.

Ahh, you know the scene where they DAAANCE. The Laendler dance?!! That scene's BEAUTIFUL too. :-D

Yeah, I'm going to shut up.

BUT THIS MOVIE IS BEAUTIFUL. Just look. Those white-topped mountains looking so splendid and royal above all the green hills. I want to go on a hike now.

War Horse is not my favourite movie (1. Because it's too horsey. I'm not a huge horse fan. And 2. Because it's a War movie and War movies tend to make me upset.) BUT what I have always loved about War Horse, from the first time I watched it, was the scenery. Seriously, Albert's farm was situated in the prettiest place ever.

I still want to go and live there.

Lark Rise to Candleford has SUCH gorgeous scenery! All the yellow golidness of the fields, the lovely English countryside, the villages, the forest. I. NEED. TO. VISIT. THIS. PLACE. (Gah, wouldn't it be the coolest thing ever? To be able to visit all these filming areas. I'd love to visit Lark Rise and Candleford. Of course, I'd imagine all the characters to be there, but still. :-D)

Yeah, the scenery is gorgeous.

I love also that, after a while, because you see the scenery often (seeing as there are many episodes), that you soon recognise those trees and that path. I love this show like crazy.

We just finished episode five of Season three yesterday - I've witnessed some CRAZY Minnie-Alfie cuteness (shut up you two why are you so cute and please ughhhh ahh (!!!)) and I am becoming very good friends with Daniel, who I Really Like. :-)

Testament of Youth also has some Very Exclamation Point Worthy scenery. Let the pictures speak for themselves. (Besides I am very touchy when it comes to Testament of Youth. I'd rather not talk about it. One doesn't talk about Testament of Youth. One cries about it.)

*snifffff*

And of COURSE, Downton Abbey. The show with All the actors, All the plot lines, All the quotes and All the good scenery. This show has everything and that SO includes the most perfect perfect PERFECT scenery. Possibly out of every movie, Downton Abbey has my favourite scenery.

Duh, the inside settings are wayyy to gorgeous too.

Just look. Sink in it.

I could go on and on about beautiful movie settings and beautiful movie scenery, but this shall be all for today, Jeeves. Have a lovely Sunday! :-)

War Horse 2011 ~ Review

We watched this movie recently for my sisters birthday, and here's a review! This was the second time I watched this, and it was nice to recognise more actors the second time. This, dramatic, epic and moving story is about a horse, Joey, who gets sold, bought, and tossed around from owner to owner. He was happy with Alfred Naracott, but had to be sold when the First World War arrived, to be used in the army. Rest assured, all ends well with Joey, but there are many, many sad things about this movie.

 

 

I thought Alfred Naracott, the main character and owner of the horse, was very well cast. Alfred is a handsome young lad (he reminds me a little of John-boy, Emma ;) who, when he is determined to do something, he does it- whatever is in the way. He's tough, strong and has a passionate love for horses. He loves Joey dearly and it almost breaks his heart when his father is forced to sell it when a war breaks out.

 

Alfred was very well acted by Jeremy Irvine, who also acted in a very late production of 'Great Expectations' (which I have not seen). He had a very smart accent, and- he was just really good.

 

 

His parents, Ted and Rosie Naracott, were also very well cast by Peter Mullan and Emily Watson (Miss Potter, The Book Thief, The Mill on the Floss). Ted Naracott, a dreamy, empty-headed man who always seems to take the wrong decisions, and Rosie, a sensible and practical sweet lady, who constantly worries about her farm (understandable!)

 

 

I believe everyone was excited to see Benedict Cumberpatch (Sherlock, Amazing Grace...) and Tom Hiddleston (Return to Cranford) together, side by side in this film! I thought Captain James Nicholls and Major Jamie Stewart were so funny together, always competition-ing and- just those two actors together was priceless!

 

SPOILER Tom Hiddleston died. END OF SPOILER

 

 

Alfred Naracott's friend Andrew Easton plays a rather minor role, but I have to add him because, gentle readers, he was acted by Matt Milne, who's the footman Alfred in Downton Abbey! I recognised him this time, and squealed when I saw Alfreeed!

 

It was so funny because Alfred in Downton is shy, polite and serious, and Andrew is silly, giggly and cheeky. His character was so different that it made me hysterical!

 

SPOILER He dies END OF SPOILER

 

 

Emilie is the girl who's into a surprise one morning when she finds two horses, Joey and the black one (forgot his name) in her grandpa's barn. She grows very fond of them both, but especially Joey. When the Germans steal away the two horses, she's immensely sad and almost breaks her heart. In fact she does because...

 

SPOILER She dies END OF SPOILER

 

Her grandpa was sweet and always concerned about his grand-daughter's health and care. I felt so sorry for him, because he ends up all alone. I really think he ought to end happy.

 

 

Emilie was a sweet girl, but her accent annoyed me a little. She's supposed to be French, but just to please us watchers, she speaks in a rather aggravating accent. Anyways, she was sweet and she deserved more than she had. I loved the scene where she puts the two horses in her bedroom.

 

 

But my favourite scene of all of the 'no mans land' scene. That's just such a beautiful, lovely, touching scene. I cried when I watched this. A British soldier spots 'War Horse' wounded and stuck in barbed wire in 'no mans land' (land not belonging to either party) and, after waving a white flag, goes to help the horse.

 

Then a German soldier comes out of his trench to lend the English soldier a wire-cutter. Together, the two soldiers who normally shoot and kill each-others men, become friends and help the horse. They decide who the horse belongs to by tossing a coin. The English one gets it. :D

 

Quotes in this scene:

 

English soldier: You speak good English.

German soldier: I speak English well.

 

English: In a weeks time we'll be shooting each-other here again.

 

German: How are things over in yonder trench?

English: Couldn't be better. And with you?

German: We smoke, knit pullovers and teach our rats how to perform circus tricks.

English: If you ever need some more you can call us 'cos we've got enough of them.

 

 

War Horse in his best scene- on his way to no-body's land. Don't ask me how they filmed this scene.

 

 

The Schroder brothers, two German soldiers, Gunther and Michael grow to like the War Horse as well. When Gunther becomes really worried because Michael (only fourteen) goes to fight, he takes the two horses, grabs his brother whilst racing on the horses and they both run away from camp. They hide in a wind-mill, but get found in the night.

 

SPOILER They get shot END OF SPOILER

 

Of course, I have to write something about Joey- after all, he is the main character. Apparently, Joey was acted by a different horse in every scene, but I didn't notice anything about that.

Normally, I don't care much about horsey movies, but -although it was perhaps a trifle too horsey- it was okay.

Anyway, Joey, was a magnificent horse- so strong and courageous. A true War Horse!

 

 

The ending made me cry. When Alfred came back on Joey and silently hugs his mother and father after a long, horrendous war, that just made me cry. To see at least one family together and whole. After all the horrible scenes of war, fighting, killing and horrible circumstances, to see one family again like they were before the war, was so touching.

 

I am rather sensitive when it comes to movies, so I cannot say I really enjoyed this movie. It was very lovely, and I certainly understand why people love it, but it's just too sad and too scary for me.

 

After watching this, one grasps the full meaning and one realises how horrendous the WW1 was. They show it so well- and show us the full reality of how it was. Downton Abbey shows it well, but here it's shown even better- it seems even worse than shown in Downton.

 

 

What those poor men must have suffered then! I cannot bare thinking about it. My father said his grandfather fought in WW1 and that when he- as a boy- asked him about it, he simply would not talk about it. That war haunted and hurt and killed millions- there wasn't anyone who, when the war ended, didn't mourn about someone dying.

 

This movie shows us how horrible it was. How it was for a soldier to kill and fight and too see and survive. Actually, hardly anyone survives (you'll know this if you read all the SPOILERS in this post.)

 

 

I would recommend this movie, but only for older viewers. This movie isn't exactly my sort of film because, as I said, I am very sensitive about those sort of movies- I just cannot see all those people and horses suffering- I just don't like it.

 

But that's just me- My sister and my parents and my brother loved it, and I really understand why. So if you're a strong type who is 'strong' enough to watch these sort of movies, I do recommend. If you're like me, I do recommend it, but I also recommend you closing your eyes in some scenes. I did.

 

This movie had witty scenes, some funny scenes, lots of moving and crying scenes and some violent scenes. 

 

Oh yes, the scenery at the Naracott's farm was BEAUTIFUL. Really. I want to go and live there one day. :-)

Have you seen War Horse?

What did you think of it?