In my opinion to make a good war movie is quite difficult. As to write a good war novel. Lattuada, later (in)famous for other movie choices, did a lot of efforts to make a reasonable plausible WWI movie. If you don't know much about WWI you will find a little bit difficult to get some references. Anyway, HMS Hampshire looks as a real British Armoured Cruiser despite her behavior on rough seas is questionable. Trenches are well done, but there is a mixture of British and French soldiers, so the starting of 1918 offensive doesn't look as "Michael". Mustard gas, or what it is, is quite impressive. And German Uhlans and horses with masks and protections against the gas is something I remember since I was 14. The movie is not a masterpiece, but I do appreciate the efforts to make a realistic WWI movie.

Like almost everyone else who has commented on this movie, I can only wonder why this has never appeared on video.I recall seeing it at about age 12 on the "The Late Show," circa 1972. I too recall the poison gas attack and the weirdly garbed horses. (I don't recall the more horrific bits I've seen described here; they were likely cut out for the TV audience.) But the scenes I REALLY liked were the ones involving the death of Lord Kitchener aboard the HMS Hampshire, almost exactly 90 years ago. The scenes of the doomed cruiser approaching the minefield in the storm were really chilling, as I recall.Don't recall the musical score, but the comments of the others now have me curious. Get this one out on video!

The gas attack scene is impressive without a doubt... and there is certainly here a chillingly accurate rendition of the horrors of war... The comparisons with later films such as Jacob's Ladder are fine as long as this one gets the nod as the superior one (no cheap letdown surprise in the end!).But what makes this film stand out for me is that it breaks a barrier - an important one even for the ''sexy year'' of 1969...For the first time ever to my knowledge we had two major female stars embrace in such a suggestive way it left nothing to the imagination and it was thus the first ''big'' sapphic display with two stars! We would have to wait until the 80's for another such exhibition - Catherine Deneuve (the new Capucine?) and another Suzy (Susan Sarandon) in The Hunger.Capucine was a major star - bigger than Suzy Kendall at the time. She had co-starred with William Holden, Peter Sellers and David Niven... To see her cast as this very sapphic Dr.Saforet was indeed... surprising. Both actresses perhaps paid with their careers for their daring avant-gardedness here, in this most unique war film, or so it seems...

When people ask "what's the most memorable movie scene for you", this is the movie I remember. The mounted German soldier, he and horse in gas masks, emerging from the clouds of poisonous gas. Chilling and unforgettable. The rest of the movie was fascinating and enjoyable, but that scene stays with me. I saw it late one night on the tv and have always wanted to see it again.