The Great War

"The great battle spectacle of our time!"

1959 2h 17m IT

🙌

8.1

BANGER

★8.1TMDB · 380

ComedyWarDrama

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Italy, 1916. Oreste Jacovacci and Giovanni Busacca are called, as all the Italian youths, to serve the army in the WWI. They both try in every way to avoid serving the army.

“The great battle spectacle of our time!”

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Cast

Vittorio Gassman
Giovanni Busacca
Alberto Sordi
Oreste Jacovacci
Silvana Mangano
Costantina
Folco Lulli
Bordin
Bernard Blier
Capitano Castelli
Romolo Valli
Tenente Gallina
Vittorio Sanipoli
Maggiore Venturi
Nicola Arigliano
Giardino

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Mario Monicelli
Writers: Luciano Vincenzoni, Agenore Incrocci, Furio Scarpelli
Languages: German, Italian
Countries: France, Italy

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

ERA

Did you know

67 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

Dialogue crosses 2 languages: German, Italian.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

International production across 2 countries: France, Italy.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Directed by Mario Monicelli, shot by Roberto Gerardi. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Nino Rota. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Adriana Novelli shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Vittorio Gassman and Alberto Sordi and Silvana Mangano carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "The great battle spectacle of our time!".

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Mario Monicelli directs. Roberto Gerardi behind the camera. Nino Rota scores. Adriana Novelli cuts. Produced in France, Italy. Dialogue in German, Italian.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

167 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
2Dialogue crosses 2 languages: German, Italian.
3International production across 2 countries: France, Italy.
4Directed by Mario Monicelli, shot by Roberto Gerardi. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
5Original score by Nino Rota. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
6Editor Adriana Novelli shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
7Vittorio Gassman and Alberto Sordi and Silvana Mangano carry the top of the cast.
8Marketing tagline: "The great battle spectacle of our time!".
9IMDB entry: tt0052861 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.