One Of The Best Anti-War Films Ever Made

Rating: 9/10 (22 May 2020)

Pros:
1. The costume design is fantastic and it almost makes you forget that the movie was filmed nearly 20 years after World War One ended.
2. There is amazing chemistry between all of the characters, and it really is the life-force of the film.
3. The nationalist singing hall scene is well-sung, really entertaining, and it genuinely sent shivers down my spine.
4. Jean Gabin (Le lieutenant Maréchal), Pierre Fresnay (Le captaine de Boeldieu), Julien Carette (Cartier - l'acteur), and Erich von Stroheim (Le captaine von Rauffenstein) all give fantastic performances.
5. The humour is well-crafted and hilarious, and the witty remarks never fail to produce a laugh.
6. The score does an amazing job at cementing the feelings of mischief, adventure, as well as heartbreak.
7. The death of Le captaine de Boeldieu is an utterly saddening moment, especially when Le captaine von Rauffenstein resigns himself to closing his eyes.
8. The movie provides a subtle critique of war by showing that men of the different armies (whether they be French, German, or British) have many similarities. Le captaine de Boeldieu explicitly acknowledges this when he pardons Le captaine von Rauffenstein for shooting him, by stating: "French or German, duty is duty."
Cons:
1. The first 13 minutes were massively out of sync with the audio. I'm not sure whether that was the film, or just Mubi messing up. Either way, it was incredibly distracting.
2. The second half of the movie starts to drag a little bit.