For the first hour of this, I was thinking: "gee, this is awfully light-hearted for a WWI movie". Then right at the halfway point, shit gets real. The ensuing battle scenes are absolutely harrowing, and still hold up. That first march through the woods is utterly chilling. This is marvelous filmmaking that seems way ahead of its time. The film ends on a bittersweet note that I must admit choked me up a little. Besides the slapsticky bits in the first half, this deserves its esteemed reputation.

Masterful war scenes. The first half is pleasant but a bit boring, however, the second half would lose all it's impact without it. A fantastic and hardening depiction of war.

sakiz, sigara, savas

#818

724

The first big/famous/good antiwar movie. Still works well today

# 780

The narrative wanders a bit and the final 10 minutes are pretty manipulative, but the rest of the film is superb. An excellent war film that takes you through the different emotions and thoughts of young enlisted man in WWI.

798

suffers only a bit from not being able to choose its genre, and therefore cant explore it to the fullest. this movie has some of the most grueling and horrific war scenes i've ever seen--that even 80 years later hold their power. the ending is a bit abrupt, but serves to bring the spirits up i suppose.

The excellent battle scenes in this war film evoke the terror and disorientation of the fight. However, rather than make it a dour, two-hour affair about the scars of battle, Stallings writes a romantic story to frame the action, using it well to offset the pain and struggle of the battle. The film also documents life as a soldier off the battlefield, using much of the first hour to show marching, waiting, and carousing. Its attention to detail and its heart make it one of the great war films.