Memorable but Overshadowed by Bigger more Expansive WWI Anti-War Movies like Paths of Glory (1957) and Others going as Far Back as 1930 with All Quiet on the Western Front, this is Nonetheless a Striking Example of a Filmed Play Using Still Photos and some Subtle but Effective Cinema Techniques like Dissolves.
It is a Downbeat Affair that one would Expect from such Material and the Comedic Touches of the Bored and Drenched Trench Combatants Playing with Rats makes more of a Pathetic Statement about the Mental Disintegration of All the Soldiers and not just the Ones who Snap and go for a Walk back to England.
The Film doesn't say Anything New on the Futility or the Mismanagement of the War to End All Wars, but Rather Reiterates the Ridiculousness of an On Field Court Martial with Little Substance to Prosecute on Hand as Everyone on Both Sides of the Mock Trial tries to Verbalize that which No Words can Describe.
The Movie has Many Touches of Symbolism and the Final Scene is Unforgettable. The Movie was Mostly Forgotten but has been Rediscovered along with a Newfound Appreciation for Director Joseph Losey's Work. He is one of the those that Contemporaneously was Ignored but has since Gained a Cult Following.
It is a Downbeat Affair that one would Expect from such Material and the Comedic Touches of the Bored and Drenched Trench Combatants Playing with Rats makes more of a Pathetic Statement about the Mental Disintegration of All the Soldiers and not just the Ones who Snap and go for a Walk back to England.
The Film doesn't say Anything New on the Futility or the Mismanagement of the War to End All Wars, but Rather Reiterates the Ridiculousness of an On Field Court Martial with Little Substance to Prosecute on Hand as Everyone on Both Sides of the Mock Trial tries to Verbalize that which No Words can Describe.
The Movie has Many Touches of Symbolism and the Final Scene is Unforgettable. The Movie was Mostly Forgotten but has been Rediscovered along with a Newfound Appreciation for Director Joseph Losey's Work. He is one of the those that Contemporaneously was Ignored but has since Gained a Cult Following.