La grande guerre

La Grande guerra is one of the underseen, undervalued hordes of sublime European films that never see the light of day.

In the 1960s in the centre of London there was the Academy, Oxford Street, Curzon, Mayfair and one of two other cinemas where the delights of the European cinema were on view. I have lived in Oslo since 1990. It is a cinema friendly city, but overloaded with Hollywood rubbish like most Bruce Willis actioners, or Nicolas Cage going for the money and not to expand his substantial talents as he has done in the past.

This is not intellectual snobbery, just a cry from the heart about the lack of quality that is so endemic in current films.

"Crouching Tiger, Flaming Dragon" - I forget the real title is an example of American audiences accepting the quality of non-US movies.

"Die Hard"-type movies are good only to perhaps release aggression. It shows the typical obsessive need for America to breed only heroes. The villains with the fantastic exception of John Malkovich are usually superb English actors with foreign accents. Alan Rickman in "Die Hard" and Jeremy Irons in one of the mindless sequels.

U571, now the most popular film in video shops where I live is such a devasting con-trick. A real piece of history when a British submarine acquired the Enigma decoding machine which made a significant difference for the Allies to get advance information about German war plans. The heroes are American. Sickening. Dramatic licence is one thing, but fraud is another. The event occurred six months before the US even entered the war. These are well-known complaints.

Reminds one of the crassness of putting of Warner Bros. promoting "Objective Burma" in the autumn after the end of the war. Depiction of Errol Flynn (unfit for war service) winning against the Japanese military with not one British soldier in sight.

Reminds me of the stories of a close friend and veteran of World War II. The US Army using earthmoving machinery to dig trenches when the British had shovels, the often sidelining of American troops due to the prevalence of veneral disease. The stories of British and other troops relieving American positions with a quarter of the manpower.

In movies, with the exception of garishly-suited black pimps in stretch limos, the villains in movies and TV series used BMWs, and other European cars, which also were often beset with engine problems. Unlike the perfection of GM, Ford models etc.

_Don't get me wrong. With the exception of a mad Bellevue, New York psychiatrist I had once Americans are certainly charming, friendly people.

La Grande Guerra is one of the thousands of films that ought to be revived every 10 years like a classic Disney feature.

To the ghost of Mario Monicelli,

Ciao ancora! The Great War/La Grande Guerra is the second movie directed by you that I watched over the last two weeks. I come from a patriotic country. And the only war films I have seen are mostly the American and British ones and the awful Indian ones. But your film was unique compared to all of them. It is almost a film which a commercial film audience could enjoy though I guess the hardcore patriots would not identify with the two cowardly lead characters. But they are characters anyone with a soul could relate to. Your film hardly ever had a dull moment. It was hilarious. There were so many instances when I laughed my ass off.

The traitorous deserting characters were so tongue in cheek. The characterization is pure genius. The Destouches character from Celine's Journey to the End of the Night came to mind while I watched Oreste and Giovanni stumble through their life in the army. You did a great job portraying the horror of war despite the antics of the two protagonists. It is always the poor and the wretched who are doomed to fight the wars of the rich. Not an original message, but your treatment of this theme was unique.

Vittorio Gassman is such an amazing actor. In India, someone who looked like him would never play a loser. Now I have watched three movies where he plays total losers.

I will be stealing more of your movies over the next few weeks, Mario.

Best Regards, Pimpin.

Monicelli is another genius and poet of the Italian cinema. We can only bless him for the long list of masterpieces he created for all of us: I soliti ignoti, Guardie e ladri, L'armata Brancaleone and of course La Grande Guerra. Two cowards, one from Rome (Sordi) the other from Lombardy (Gassman) try to save their lives during one of the most tragic moments (for Italy) of the WWI (the defense on the river Piave). While in some parts the film is truly a blame against the horrors of war, in other parts is somehow patriotic. Even the tragic final changes the protagonists into heroes, but really a strange kind of heroes, very different from the American icon (muscles and bravery). In conclusion, you will find a lot of fun but also thoughtful moments. I beg everyone who read this message to see this movies, it's truly one of the best ever.

I saw this in Czechoslovakia way back in 1960's and still remember it. I am glad it lists here as a "comedy", it sure is one. That is why it will not be available to us on video of any format in any language under any circumstances. It subverts the "enetertainment' concept. An alternative ? Try Roberto Begnigni, the schlemiel nouveau.

Italy, 1916. Roman Oreste Jacovacci (Alberto Sordi) and Milanese Giovanni Busacca (Vittorio Gassman) are reluctantly recruited to Italian army during Austria-Italy war . They both attempting a great number of schemes to get out for fighting and working . Giovanni bribes Oreste, believing to his fake pledges to make him evading the army . Both of whom try in every way to avoid serving the army but their circumstance dictates otherwise , as the destiny make them meeting again on the train headed to the front. However , Oreste stolen money to Giovanni they become friends and in first times are allocated to a secondary front . As two Italian soldiers find themselves in the mists of Austrian front , much against their will . Here they spend some months in relative peace and Giovanni finds time to have affair with a whore named Constantina (Silvana Mangano married to producer Dino De Laurentiis) . But war is getting everyday closer and unfortunately, they fall in the hands of a stiff officer Lieutenant Gallina (Romolo Valli) and a tough sergeant (Livio Lorenzon) . During the most important battle among Italians and Austro-Hungarians, when the Italians had to defend the river Piave from the Austrians , Giovanni and Oreste are in charge to deliver a vital message to the Italian headquarters , but they are trapped . Austrian officer (Gerard Herter) that, under life menace, starts an interrogation to find out the Italian message . The Great War is hell at its hottest , men at their mightiest , the screen at its greatest!

This is an amusing film about two rogues called to serve the army in the WWI , as all the Italian youths , as the Italian Army fought against the Austrians during World War I , being excellently re-enacted by including movements of large numbers of soldiers during battle frames that are well come-to-life . This is a zany comedy seeing the misfit couple in all kinds of troubles involving Italian Army . This entertaining Sordi and Gassman recital provides too much amusement in detailing the duo's exploits in the wartime front . Slightly muddled but generally nice performed . Lots of comedy and hilarious dialog , including some spectacular battles with hundred of extras provided by actual Italian infantry . The film relies heavily on the continuous relationship between Albert Sordi and Vittorio Gassman , but it doesn't makes tiring , neither dull but entertaining . The main premise results to be two bungler as well as coward soldiers who under twisted circumstances turn into heroes . Special mention to Silvana Mangano as prostitute Costantina who falls in love for Giovanni . Very good Italian support cast such as Folco Lulli , Bernard Blier , Romolo Valli , Carlo A'Angelo , Livio Lorenzon and Gerard Herter , among others . Evocative and adequate photography by master cinematographer Giuseppe Rotunno , Federico Fellini ordinary . Imaginative as well as sensitive musical score by the great Nino Rota , conducted by usual Franco Ferrara .

The motion picture was well directed by Mario Monicelli who gets to capture the same period feeling during the Great War . Mario Monicelli was born in 1915 Tuscany and died in 2010 , Rome ; being a good writer/filmmaker expert on comedies . As he was a writer and director, known for The army Brancaleone (1966), La ragazza Con Pistola (1968) , The marquis of Grillo (1981) and his greatest hit : Rufufú (1958). In fact , his movies Rufufú (1958), The Great War (1959) were Oscar-nominate for "Best Foreign Language Film". Furthermore , The Great War won Golden Lion in Festival of Venice .