Yawn. Poorly Filmed Snooze Fest.

Such a frustrating disappointment

The film creates a perfect balance between action and depth of basic needs, in the midst of an infertile atmosphere.

This is one of the best movies I’ve seen in a very long time. You have to go and see this on the big screen.

Shocking, brilliant, unforgettable. The most brilliant indictment of the idiocy of war. Don't be discouraged by the title or the fact that it is a musical. It contrasts the propaganda and misinformation with the real horror and cost in lives of the war. It does it with music and song and with readings. All based on fact.A film that you will remember for ever.

This is a superlative film. Though based on the Joan Littlewood stage play (itself derived from a Charles Chilton radio piece), the film has the creativity, visual sense and sardonic wit of Len Deighton throughout. Apparently, it also was Len who had the brainstorm to set the fantasy sections at Brighton, which worked brilliantly! Inexplicably, he asked for his name to be removed from the writing and producing credits. (Later, after swearing off the film industry, he got his revenge with his novel "Close-up.") Whatever "corporate changes" (in the sense of group-think) were made to his script, it still works. And it works extremely well. Not only as an anti-World War I piece, but as a powerful critique of the British class structure and the amoral diplomats and generals who sent millions, nearly a generation, to early graves. I can't think of another film that has so artfully blended satire, farce, tragedy and history. This film is "Dr. Strangelove" caliber, but it's a musical, using the patriotic tunes of the day with the sarcastic alternate lyrics that the troops themselves created.Kudos go to first-time director (now Lord) Richard Attenborough, and a stellar cast that was essentially the British Pantheon, circa 1969.I have never seen anything remotely like this, and I doubt if I ever will again. Emotional? If you don't have a few tears by the time they're playing "No, We'll Never Tell Them,"...better check for a pulse.

Richard Attenborough's directorial debut eventually got eclipsed by his other movies, but "Oh! What a Lovely War" is definitely one that everyone should see. The movie focuses on World War I, telling the story through the eyes of several members of a giant family in Brighton. To give you an idea of what kind of movie this is, there are some ugly scenes of the war juxtaposed with musical numbers. It's a sharp - but hilarious - satire every step of the way. No doubt people saw the film as an analogy to the Vietnam War at the time of its release. Not only does the movie do a great job showing the absolute futility of war, but there's a stark contrast between the battlefield and the palaces, where the ruling class remains conveniently detached from the realities of the war.Probably the most effective scenes are the Christmas Truce and the cemetery. The former shows how these soldiers, trained to see each other simply as "the enemy", suddenly saw each other as human beings, and thereby questioned the purpose of the war. The latter shows the result of the war, and how the cemetery has essentially become a monument to mass slaughter. Millions of young men used as cannon fodder, all so that Europe's imperial powers could stay in control of Africa and Asia.A who's who of British cinema dots the entire film. Laurence Olivier, John Gielgud, Michael Redgrave, Corin Redgrave (who died earlier this year), Vanessa Redgrave, Maggie Smith, Ian Holm, Susannah York, Dirk Bogarde, Ralph Richardson and others make appearances. Jane Seymour also makes her debut in an uncredited role.Like I said, this is definitely one that I recommend. I can't stress enough how great it is, just showing how terrible war is, all the while staying humorous. Without a doubt, you HAVE to see it.

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.