Fellini does WW II - A great war movie

It is so rare to see a film that examines war from all perspectives and motivations, all tied through the ages by the lineage of the castle and its owner. More rare still is the depiction and appreciation of the aesthetic of war, of its seduction of power. The surreal attack scenes in the manicured, statuary dotted garden (the picture of peace and order), the blossoming gouts of earth and flame, dared to portray the, literally, fatal attraction of war, all playing out with an ironic musical score. The leavening of its dry humor put me in mind of another film's strange take on war: Kelly's Heroes. So unlike other war movies, they both present a very realistic and effective portrayal of war, outdoing the more usual fare.