For me, it was the cinematography and the lighting. I mean, I know its been said before but it just seemed so ahead of it's time. The scene where Kirk Douglas is walking through the trench and the camera is cutting from his view and the soldier's view was brilliant. Of course I enjoying everything else about the film but those stuck out to me in particular, what about you?
"The world doesn't just go away when you close your eyes, does it?"
There first thing that drew me to this movie was the realism of a B&W movie. Like you said it was the cinematography. I like that it's based off actual events in France during the First World War. I love Stanley Kubrick work. Kirk Douglas is a great actor too.
<“Every man of courage is a man of his word.” - Pierre Corneille>
It's a war movie that is about an irrationality of the armies.
The film's topic and theme are so strong and memorable for me.
Thumbs Up, Thumbs Down and a Wagging Finger of Shame
Definitely pacing. The movie is lightning fast, every scene delivers exactly what it supposed to, there's no fat. It also consists of perfectly framed still shots or moving in one direction camera so it never looks like rushing somewhere. I'm really addicted to this kind of direction, but few directors can achieve that.
sharethe anti-war message that it delivers. How the war and its politics badly affect its own men in another way beside ptsd