Oh What A Lovely War

This film should be shown every year on Remembrance Day. It's the clearest antidote to militarism, pro war jingoism and recruitment propaganda I have seen. Still as relevant today as ever, there are touches of genius here. It does no mean job of explaining how a few psychologically warped competing elites get us into wars and then spend the duration at dinner parties whilst the corpses get piled high. As Harry Patch said, we should give the politicians a rifle and let them fight it out themselves. This film is a cry from the heart for us to never be so gullible again. It is at least partly responsible for some of these cultural lessons being learned. As such it is as important a film as any ever made. Make sure you see it, your children see it and their children see it too. That way we may just have a hope of some true remembrance occurring before we send another generation off to be flag draped lambs to the slaughter.

This has aways been one of my favourate musicals. I love how it shows the goss incompidence of the army officers which was little changed during my army service during the 1960;s

Despite a hefty budget this film lacks the punch of the original stage show. In fact, the star-studded cast is a distraction - unknowns would have added authenticity.The pier setting must've seemed an awfully clever idea at the time, but it hasn't worn well. Two episodes have something of the original impact - the church service, and the Last Casualty. Even 'Blackadder' did this kind of thing better!

The songs alone make this film worth more than most war films. Written and directed and acted by British artists, it does not offend my taste or sense of what is right.

The film emphasises the lower class status of the British Tommies, and this is part of its agenda. It shows the war to have been based on an underestimation of the poor of the Western states.

In his commentary, Lord Attenborough remarks that he chose a beautiful song for the conclusion. The commentary fades out with his sobs for their typical song: 'And if they ask us how dangerous it was, O we'll never tell them, no, we'll never tell them'.

There is no bloodshed or violence in this film. The songs and battles are real.

Maybe it is a little dated now but then again, perhaps its just that it takes its time and allows itself to unfold. I am not a fan of musicals, but this is an exception as the jollity of the music, which is contemporary, is one of the key metaphors of the film providing as it does the idea of getting on with things and how great and glorious all this fighting is. I would recommend this film to anyone who is interested in this period, and as a seminal film in itself.