The Great War

Set on the Austro-Hungarian front during World War I, the film follows Giovanni and Oreste, two friends reluctantly drafted into the army, with no desire to fight. They go to great lengths to dodge their duties, but as the war intensifies, they end up behind enemy lines—where their moral convictions are tested. Monicelli draws on the brilliant comic talents of Gassmann and Sordi, weaving a narrative that shifts seamlessly between irony and compassion. He masterfully flips the emotional script on both his characters and the audience. The result is a true classic—and one of the greatest pacifist films in cinema history.