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“Oh! What a Lovely War” takes on nothing less than the immense task of encapsulating the entirety of World War One into two and a half hours. This is a story of courage and sacrifice beyond comprehension, and of stupidity and heartlessness on a truly monumental scale. But the courage and sacrifice are not, as in the usual telling of tales, that of a handful of heroes, but of an entire generation. And the stupidity and heartlessness belong to the military and world leaders of the day. As monarchs, generals, and politicians wallow in luxury and privilege, the ordinary soldier wallows in mud – and brutal death. This is a story that will make you gasp and cry `never again.’ And you know your cry is in vain.
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A notice after the opening screen credits states something that must be kept in mind throughout the film: “The principal statements made by the historical characters in this film are based on documentary evidence, and the words of the songs are those sung by the troops during the First World War.” Therefore, to underscore the absurdity of an international effort that did its utmost to murder an entire generation, much of the dialogue of the historical characters, comfortably ensconced away from the fighting, sounds absurd. Is it really possible, for example, that General Haig, after considering the huge loss of life on both sides, could have said something like “in the end, the Germans will have five thousand men and we will have ten thousand, so we will have won”?. Apparently so.
The men in the trenches, on the other hand, had the unenviable choice of facing probable death or mutilation on the battlefield, or facing the firing squad for cowardice if they deserted. They express themselves in the memorable songs of the day, many of which are rich in gallows humor (”hanging on the old barbed wire” is one cheerful refrain). But despite its gruesome themes, there is not one drop of blood in the film: when death comes, it arrives in the form of a bright red poppy.
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Those who cannot relate to epochal events except through the eyes of a circumscribed set of characters may have trouble with this film. And some may find frivolous a film that depicts human tragedy through upbeat song and dance numbers (all of which are wonderfully staged and performed). But recall that the words sung are those of the actual participants in the unfolding tragedy. “We’re here because we’re here because we’re here” underscores the troops’ view of the meaningless sacrifice. If their impious words set to beloved hymns seem offensive, perhaps it is because when life is at its bleakest, humor can help save one’s sanity.
This film, directed by the great Richard Attenborough, is a work of genius; it delivers a message that is all-too-relevant for our times.
I first saw this film on the big screen in London when it was first released. I have been waiting for this film to appear on any video format for years. I can only hope that this is not the edited version. Shown on television only rarely and severely edited the film loses its sarcastic wit and anti-war feelings.
The very idea of setting a musical retelling of the WWI, from the English point of view, on Brighton Pier’s Fun Fair is audacious to say the least. “England Put the Kibasch on the Kaiser” truly begins the fun and shock. Maggie Smith’s appearance as a Music Hall star is wonderful as she exhorts the troops to sign up. All of the songs, excepting the title one are from the era and provide enough feeling to swamp your feelings. Hooray! I shall use it in class Winter Quarter. It will be a revelation to those who have not seen it!
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