Oh! What a Lovely War (1969)

The working-class Smiths change their initially sunny views on World War I after the three boys of the family witness the harsh reality of trench warfare.

Director:

Richard Attenborough

Writers:

Charles Chilton (based on Joan Littlewood's Theatre Workshop Production by, and the members of the original cast), Ted Allan (after a stage treatment by)

Stars:

Wendy Allnutt, Colin Farrell, Malcolm McFee

Won 1 Golden Globe. Another 7 wins & 8 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Wendy Allnutt	...	Florence Victoria 'Flo' Smith
Colin Farrell	...	Harry Arnold Smith
Malcolm McFee	...	Frederick Percy 'Freddie' Smith
John Rae	...	Grandpa Smith
Corin Redgrave	...	Bertram Biddle 'Bertie' Smith
Maurice Roëves	...	George Patrick Michael Smith
Paul Shelley	...	Jack Henry Smith
Kim Smith	...	Richard 'Dickie' Smith
Angela Thorne	...	Elizabeth May 'Betty' Smith
Mary Wimbush	...	Mary Emma Smith
Vincent Ball	...	Australian Soldier
Pia Colombo	...	Estaminet Singer
Paul Daneman	...	Czar Nicholas II
Isabel Dean	...	Sir John French's Lady
Christian Doermer	...	Fritz

Storyline

A movie about World War I based on a stage musical of the same name, portraying the "Game of War", and focusing mainly on the members of the Smith family who go off to war. Much of the action in the movie revolves around the words of the marching songs of the soldiers, and many scenes portray some of the more famous (and infamous) incidents of the war, including the assassination of Archduke Ferdinand, the Christmas meeting between British and German soldiers in no-man's-land, and the wiping out by their own side of a force of Irish soldiers newly arrived at the front, after successfully capturing a ridge that had been contested for some time.

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Plot Keywords:

song | world war one | anti war | reference to rupert brooke | family relationships | 

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Taglines:

The Musical Shot In The Arm !

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Genres:

Comedy | Musical | War

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Certificate:

G

Did You Know?

Trivia

The final scene involved the placing of over sixteen thousand individual crosses on the Sussex Downs. Each cross had to have a hole dug for it in order to hold it steady in the ground to stop it from falling or being blown over. The final track back from the graves, shot from a helicopter had to be done several times, due to problems with high winds and camera shake.

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Goofs

When Sir John's car drives off after his conversation with Harry, a modern car can be seen reflected in the window.

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Quotes

Sir Edward Grey: [as war breaks out] The lamps are going out all over Europe, we will not see them lit again in our lifetime.

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Crazy Credits

Opening credits prologue: 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

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Connections

Referenced in What Did You Do in the Great War Daddy? (2007)

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Soundtracks

Onward, Christian Soldiers
(uncredited)
Music by Arthur Sullivan
Arranged by Alfred Ralston

User Reviews

A Masterpiece

It is a mystery to me why this film isn't on everybody's top ten films listing. It is truly a masterpiece of acting and direction, and without doubt the best anti-war film I have ever seen. Yet it was never released on video, and it took over 20 years of waiting to see it repeated on television and tape it for my collection.

It is all the more telling for its simplicity - none of the many great actors taking part delivers a weighty pronouncement on the evils - or otherwise - of war; it is enough to see the awful toll posted on the cricket scoreboard that keeps the daily tally of dead. The ordinariness of the Smith family, who lose every last one of their young men to the conflict, the cheerful patriotism of the proud families waving their loved ones off to war, and the stupid banalities of the officers who daily send their men out to be killed only serve to highlight the absolute futility and waste of WWI and all the wars that followed.

Scenes of upper class twits at play while their servants are dying to preserve their privileges; the officers' ball where military leaders try to score points off each other, concerned only with protocol and promotion; and the brilliant black humor of the outdoor church service are juxtaposed with scenes from the trenches as we watch the young men die one by one, all the more harrowing for their cheeky humor and fatalism.

Why this brilliant film has been allowed to sink without trace is baffling; I first saw it in the early seventies, and today it still has the same impact. And sadly, it is just as relevant now as it was then - a testimony to our inability to learn from our mistakes.

Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English French German

Release Date:

3 October 1969 (USA)

Also Known As:

Oh! What a Lovely War

Filming Locations:

Twickenham Studios, London, England, UK

Box Office

Gross USA:

$801,591

Company Credits

Production Co:

Accord Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

144 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.39 : 1