Before “Saving Private Ryan” ther was this film. The “conversation with the dead soldier” was disturbing, and the “love scene” with the girl across the river was very cleverly done. Ending was a gut punch.
A masterpiece that holds up beautifully today (and leaves the recent version in the trenches). The battle scenes are, of course, powerful, visceral and horrifying...but I may be even more impressed with our hero Paul's time on leave (home and school will never, EVER be the same for him) and even the comedy relief and romantic interlude add to and intensify the movie's mood. Star Lew Ayres was so personally affected by the filming experience that he became a conscientious objector; not so for director Lewis Milestone, who when WW2 hit, made a number of prowar flicks. (Although his 1959 Korean War opus Pork Chop Hill is notably more cynical.)
Before “Saving Private Ryan” ther was this film. The “conversation with the dead soldier” was disturbing, and the “love scene” with the girl across the river was very cleverly done. Ending was a gut punch.
A masterpiece that holds up beautifully today (and leaves the recent version in the trenches). The battle scenes are, of course, powerful, visceral and horrifying...but I may be even more impressed with our hero Paul's time on leave (home and school will never, EVER be the same for him) and even the comedy relief and romantic interlude add to and intensify the movie's mood. Star Lew Ayres was so personally affected by the filming experience that he became a conscientious objector; not so for director Lewis Milestone, who when WW2 hit, made a number of prowar flicks. (Although his 1959 Korean War opus Pork Chop Hill is notably more cynical.)
This is the first one that's on my to watch list. It has been for a long while.
This movie proves that the Academy sometimes gets it right.
What film did he win best director for in the first academy awards?