Oh What A Lovely War
1969
Richard Attenborough's directorial debut OH! WHAT A LOVELY WAR is a riotous, thought-provoking satire on the follies of war, based on the stage musical of the same name. Set during World War I, the story revolves around the Smith family, whose five sons enlist in the army only to end up as cannon fodder. Told through the words .. Read more
| Starring | Vanessa Redgrave, Laurence Olivier, John Gielgud, John Mills |
|---|---|
| Director | Richard Attenborough |
| Genres | Drama |
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Oh What A Lovely War
Richard Attenborough's directorial debut OH! WHAT A LOVELY WAR is a riotous, thought-provoking satire on the follies of war, based on the stage musical of the same name. Set during World War I, the story revolves around the Smith family, whose five sons enlist in the army only to end up as cannon fodder. Told through the words and music of soldiers' marching songs, the harsh reality of war is offset by a distinctly irreverent British humour. And who said war had to be depressing?
| Starring | Vanessa Redgrave, Laurence Olivier, John Gielgud, John Mills, Maggie Smith, Ralph Richardson, Ian Holm, Dirk Bogarde |
|---|---|
| Director | Richard Attenborough |
| Studio | PARAMOUNT HOME ENTERTAINMENT (UK) |
| Run time | DVD: 2 hrs 18 mins |
| Certificate | |
| Genres | Drama |
| Language | DVD: English |
| Released | DVD: 30 Oct 2006 Production year: 1969 |
| Format | DVD |
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Critics' reviews
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Joan Littlewood's Theatre Workshop play on the excesses and follies of war got misplaced in transition, and producer... read more on Time Out
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Most helpful member's review
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16 out of 21 people found this review helpful
Pass the mustard gas..
The BEF got off lightly - Haig could have forced them to sit through this tosh. A two year stint in a muddy trench in Ypres surrounded by bits of my dead friends would have been more fun than sitting through a twee surreal 'comedy' musical about World War I (set in Brighton - try to ignore the 1960s tower blocks). This film is good for a party game, however - Attrition: How long can you refrain from hitting 'eject'? I lasted 33 minutes 16 seconds.. and that took some going, believe me.
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Most recent members' review
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1 out of 1 person found this review helpful
Oh What a Lovely War
After 40 years this is still the finest anti war film ever made whilst at the same time being wonderful entertainment beautifully made in Richard Attenborough`s first directorial role.
A pure joy to experience over and over again. A shame that films are not made to this standard any more -
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Oh What A Lovely War
Richard Attenborough's directorial debut OH! WHAT A LOVELY WAR is a riotous, thought-provoking satire on the follies of war, based on the stage musical of the same name. Set during World War I, the story revolves around the Smith family, whose five sons enlist in the army only to end up as cannon ...
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