Why do so many people love this film?

Rating: 3/10 (24 October 2001)

It amazes me that there is little negative commentary about this film. Ok - I recognize that is has been hailed as one of the great movies of all time, but I strongly disagree.
What do people see in this film? It is way too long (a common critique of realist cinema) and the characters are very unsympathetic. I certainly didn't feel any great pacifist sentiment from this film, except for feeling that war is silly especially when officers are most concerned about the length of women's hair in Paris.
Finally, what can this film possibly offer for a female audience? The response from female contributors on this site has been positive - something which surprised me. There are no strong female characters, and the movie takes place in an all-male environment that has no allure for the female viewer. Renoir made some good, socially relevant, interesting films, but this one.... Thumbs Down.