Terrible acting, screenplay and direction.

Sadly Over-hyped

Don't listen to the negative reviews

what a terribly boring film. I'm sorry but this is absolutely not deserving of best picture and will be forgotten quickly. Entertaining and engaging cinema? No. Nothing performances with flat faces and mistaking silence for subtlety.

Richard Attenborough's directorial debut, this brilliant satirical musical is a scathing exploration of the futility of war and a fascinating exploration of the affect that it has on ordinary people, both soldiers and those on the home front. Based on the 1963 stage play of the same name by Joan Littlewood which was itself based on the radio play "The Long Long Trail" by Charles Chilton of "Journey into Space" fame, it is a highly stylised depiction of World War I which uses the extremely catchy music hall songs of the period to great effect. A great contrast between the mostly incompetent officer class and the decent, honest, doomed Tommies is seen throughout the film.In the film, Brighton Pier is Britain in a microcosm and the early enthusiasm with which the war was greeted is conveyed by Field Marshal Haig selling tickets to it on the pier. The relentless slaughter of the war is wonderfully juxtaposed by the relentless jingoism of the songs. This is perhaps best illustrated by the scene of shell shocked soldiers, most of whom are exhibiting the thousand yard stare, set to the tune of "Pack Up Your Troubles in Your Old Kit-Bag". Another great example is the fact that the number of British casualties (1,500,000) can be seen in the background while Haig and his staff sing "Oh! It's a Lovely War". The sheer traumatic effect of the fighting on the Tommies is depicted magnificently. My great-grandfather served in the Connaught Rangers on the Western Front and received two Distinguished Conduct Medals. He and his two brothers were all lucky enough to survive but he never recovered from his experiences. At night, he would often sit by the fire with his head in his hands. Like many of his fellow soldiers, he would probably be diagnosed with PTSD today.Towards the end of the film when the Armistice is signed in the Brighton Pier fantasy world, the dignitaries are unable to see Jack Smith. While he is later revealed to be a ghost, I took this as being representative of the elite being blind to the effect that the war had on the people. What is really interesting about the film is that, while millions of deaths are described or implied, we never actually see anyone die on screen. The closest that we come to it is near the beginning when the Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife Sophie fall over after they get their photograph taken, which represents their assassination. Throughout the film, the appearance of poppies foreshadows death. The most powerful shot in the film is the final one featuring thousands of white crosses. It manages to be both beautiful and heartbreaking.The cast list of the film reads like a Who's Who of British cinema. John Mills was cast against type as the extremely unsympathetic Field Marshal Haig, the film's most memorable character and the closest thing that it has to a villain. He plays him brilliantly as an obstinate fool who cares little for human life. Dirk Bogarde and Susannah York are perfectly cast as a pair of toffs who believe that the war is a great game which the soldiers love. Vanessa Redgrave has a great cameo as the suffragette Sylvia Pankhurst who, interestingly, is the only character in the film who directly says anything against the war itself as opposed to its mismanagement. The role was not exactly a stretch for her as she was and is well known for her activism. At the time that the film was made, she was an active campaigner against the Vietnam War. Her father Michael plays General Sir Henry Wilson, one of the more sensible members of the general staff, while her younger brother Corin plays Bertie Smith but none of them have any scenes together. Laurence Olivier has a very entertaining cameo as Haig's predecessor Sir John French, who cannot remember the name of the woman who has accompanied him to the ball. It also features great appearances from John Gielgud, Kenneth More, Ian Holm and Maggie Smith, among many others.Overall, this is one of the best anti-war films and best musicals that I have ever seen. I think the reason that it was ignored by the Oscars was that it could easily be seen and was almost certainly intended as an indictment of not only World War I but the Vietnam War as well.

*Spoiler/plot- Oh! What a Lovely War, 1969. Follows the major British emotions and actions of WW1 internationally all through the war with music, sarcasm, and songs.*Special Stars- John mills, John Gielgud, Ian Holm, Antony Ailey, Edward Fox, Dirk Bogard, Vanessa Redgrave, Ralph Richardson, Maggie Smith, Susannah York, Jame Seymour. DIR: Richard Attenborough.*Theme- War is not good for people or other living things...(except when it's defensive and necessary).*Trivia/location/goofs- Every time a poppy is seen someone dies, beginning with the photographer giving poppies to Grand Duke Ferdinand at the start of the film. The song "La Chanson DE Craonne" ("Adieu la Vie"), sung by Pia Sablon in the film, commemorates a mutiny in 1917 by French troops. Merely singing it was considered an act of mutiny, and it was banned in France until 1974. During the war, a reward of one million francs and immediate honorable release from the Army was offered for the identity of the author, but never claimed. It showed the famous Christmas front-line trench truce. *Emotion- A weirdly staged simplistic preachy anti-war Broadway play feature film produced during the height of the Vietname War by the British. A terrible theme premise and an even more typically erroneous Progressive view equating the first world war with the Vietnam struggle. The film allegory is not factual but it's oddly enjoyable to watch the producers and cast to try make the wars comparable. The songs are catchy and there is dark humor in this show to personalize the comic book roles. The only worth of this production is seeing the 'time capsule' inane stupidity of the cast and crew struggling with why warfare happens between countries. WW1 was a more serious topic (millions dying) and should have been more correctly dignified with a better treatment. Those millions should not be trivialized or used in such a binary 'black & white' fantasy musical romp. Terrible!*Based On- The original Broadway production of "Oh, What a Lovely War" opened at the Broadhurst Theater in New York on September 30, 1964, ran for 125 performances and was nominated for the 1965 Tony Award for the Best Musical. Did not win.

It surprises me that this film does not have a higher cumulative rating on IMDb. Brilliantly conceived and painstakingly carried out, "Oh! What a Lovely War" is a tribute to the inanity of war and those who glorify it, driven home by the real life conflicts that dotted history since the film's release in 1969, during the American conflict in Vietnam.The film relies heavily on symbolism to tell its story and to make its points. It does not need to make light of facts; it just presents them and contrasts them to other facts, relying upon the viewer to make connections and form opinions. For example, we see a general reporting daily combat losses which are added on a scoreboard. He reads off the totals as if he is reporting on a skirmish on the football field. He follows it with a report of the amount of ground taken during the conflict: "Nil."There always seems to be a need for those who promote war (politicians and military personnel) and those who served in the military and their relatives (who mourn them and seek to justify their losses) to seek value in war. This film, perhaps better than any other, points out war's futility and the hypocrisy of many who are engaged in its undertaking.The film is about WWI specifically. It is a good choice. The intervening years give the viewer an objectivity in evaluating the conflict, comparing its costs with its results. It shows that many of war's trappings--militaristic songs, patriotic fervor, the creation of heroes, the promotion of conflict--ring hollow when considering its overall results.

As others have said, I first saw this film in the theater in 1969 and loved it. The marvelous Maggie Smith was at the top of her game and Juliet Mills was never more beautiful or appealing. I have been waiting for "Oh, What a Lovely War" to be re-released on DVD ever since there was a DVD, so it's a treat for me that the day has finally arrived. This great film dramatizes in song and dance the events leading up to World War I and the human tragedy that resulted. It is based on a British musical of the same name. Despite its sometimes antic tone, it conveys an underlying sense of dread and sadness during a time when nearly a whole generation of young British men died. I suspect that its tragic tone is the reason many IMDb voters haven't rate it higher than they have. I have had the original cast recording of the stage musical upon which the movie is based since the '70s and this film does it justice. It is beautiful and it is moving. Not to be missed, 10 out of 10.