Oh! What a Lovely War (1969) – Film Review

Director: Richard Attenborough
Cast: Laurence Olivier, John Gielgud, Maggie Smith
Certificate: PG

By Sarah Morgan

‘Who wouldn’t join the army?/That’s what we all inquire/Don’t we pity the poor civilian/Sitting beside the fire.’

So state some of the cynical, tongue-in-cheek lyrics in the title song of Richard Attenborough’s directorial debut, released in 1969, more than 50 years after the period it depicts. The film’s strong anti-war message packed a punch then, at the height of the Vietnam conflict, and they’re just as powerful now.

The production actually started out as The Long Long Trail, a 1961 radio play by Charles Chilton before Joan Littlewood and her Theatre Workshop turned it into a huge stage success two years later.

“Fast and loose”

The film version was produced by novelist Len Deighton, of The Ipcress File fame, photographer Brian Duffy and Attenborough; the latter was brought the project by his old friend John Mills, who felt he had the right stuff to direct such a large, important subject, despite his lack of directorial experience.

Mills was right, although Attenborough was no doubt helped by the fact that his cast is pretty much comprised of many of his pals from the industry, as well as a few up-and-comers, who add gravity to the satirical tale.

It begins with discussions between diplomats over the future of Europe, then depicts the assassination of Archduke Ferdinand, sparking the start of the so-called Great War.

From there, we follow the fortunes of members of the Smith family as its menfolk join the army, while the women play their own roles at home. Their activities are interspersed with the actions of their supposed superiors, who play fast and loose with men’s lives, treating them as pawns in a chess game rather tha, living, breathing people.

“Hits hard”

Songs popular among servicemen during the conflict are used to illustrate the mood and feelings of the characters. In less skilled hands, they could appear jarring, insensitive and thoughtless, but Attenborough makes them sombre yet sharp, in that you’re left in no doubt of what an utterly terrible conflict it was, with millions slaughtered – many of whom had joined up, with little idea of what they were getting into, but who felt it was their patriotic duty.

Even if you don’t agree with his viewpoint, Attenborough’s cast is worth tuning in for alone – where else can you see three members of the Redgrave clan, Maggie Smith, the aforementioned Mills and his daughter Juliet, Ralph Richardson, Ian Holm, Edward Fox, Suzannah York and Dirk Bogarde sharing the screen? The subject matter hits hard and leaves you with no doubt that there’s no such thing as a lovely war, but there’s a lot of fun to be had in spotting the stars too.

The film stands on its own two feet – it needs no embellishment – but there are several special features included in this release too, including an excellent three-part making-of documentary that includes several interviews with participants who are, sadly, no longer with us, including Attenborough himself.

Sarah Morgan( Writer )

Sarah Morgan studied film journalism at post-graduate level with the BFI and has been writing about TV and film for PA Media’s newspaper, magazine and new media customers since 1996. She’s also written for a wide range of other publications, both online and in print, including the book Offbeat and Intermission magazine, and is a regular contributor to the Talking Pictures TV podcast. When she isn’t watching movies, she’s collecting and reading vintage crime and horror paperback books or, for her sins, watching her beloved Sheffield Wednesday.

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