Vittorio Gassman and Alberto Sordi don ill-fitting military uniforms in this anecdotal Italian service comedy. They play a couple of World War I soldiers, adept at sidestepping duty and responsibility, but courageous to the core when in a pinch. The film strives for the boisterous feel of What Price Glory, but at 118 minutes the material wears rather thin. Still, the reputation of director Mario Monicelli helped this uneven production win a Golden Lion award at the Venice Film Festival. Originally released in Italy in 1959 as La Grande Guerra, The Great War was distributed in the U.S. two years later.~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide