Except for Clara Bow, I did not recognize the main actors in this movie, but that is not unusual for a silent film. So when I saw Gary Cooper, I was stunned, especially when it turned out that he only had a bit part. It is hard to believe that the producer of this movie did not immediately see his star quality. As for the two principal male characters in the film, the one named Dave is obviously doomed. The sad farewell to his parents is the first clue. Then he tells his friend Jack that he thinks the next mission will be his last, and asks him to see that his parents get his medal. Finally, he forgets the teddy bear that is his good luck charm. I'd call them clichés, but for all I know, this may be the first movie in which they occurred.
The only serious flaw is a scene in Paris where Jack starts seeing bubbles. It goes on way too long, almost as if the director was so excited by this gimmick that he just could not get enough. There are plenty of action sequences to make up for this, however, much of it quite graphic, including a pilot spitting up blood, and another with blood spurting from his chest, something normally not seen in movies until the 1960s.
And, of course, no WWI movie would be complete without men climbing out of their trenches, charging the German lines, and being slaughtered by machine-gun fire. In one scene, a soldier who has been blinded carries another soldier who cannot walk. Together, they continue to move toward the Germans along with the others. I don't know what they thought they would do when they got there, except die, which is what they did. I guess we are supposed to admire their dedication.
The only serious flaw is a scene in Paris where Jack starts seeing bubbles. It goes on way too long, almost as if the director was so excited by this gimmick that he just could not get enough. There are plenty of action sequences to make up for this, however, much of it quite graphic, including a pilot spitting up blood, and another with blood spurting from his chest, something normally not seen in movies until the 1960s.
And, of course, no WWI movie would be complete without men climbing out of their trenches, charging the German lines, and being slaughtered by machine-gun fire. In one scene, a soldier who has been blinded carries another soldier who cannot walk. Together, they continue to move toward the Germans along with the others. I don't know what they thought they would do when they got there, except die, which is what they did. I guess we are supposed to admire their dedication.