The Big Parade

This is one of the most pleasant surprises for me. The Big Parade is a film that deceives. With all the trappings of a great film, I certainly wouldn't have expected something so natural and charming. It's really not so much a war film as it is a fable about friendship and youth in full swing. Although the war scenes themselves are very convincing, they are not without the cooperation of friendship and courage. The scenes with the main character's friends after enlistment, when they are not yet in immediate danger, are truly charming and entertaining. It is dominated overall by John Gilbert, the darling of the silver screen. A young, handsome, likable everyday hero. He also picked up his little French girl as elegantly as if it happened today. I have no complaints about this film at all, as this is the purest American film about the United States joining the war that has ever been made. The story of man goes hand in hand with history. And as so many times before, cheers to the new musical accompaniment by Carl Davis. (18/05/2012)

The runtime may be unbearable for many, but from the beginning Vidor unfolds a full-fledged story that became a model for future filmmakers and their dramatic war opuses with pacifist overtones. The opening part in a French farmhouse could have been a little shorter, and the depiction of the battle was a bit irritating with the nonsensical behaviour of most of the soldiers, but as a silent film still based mostly on static shots and ingenious multi-exposures here and there, The Big Parade works extremely well and its simple message is strong enough in the end. The scenes in the trenches, in particular, crowned with an almost Remarque-esque poetic cigarette with the enemy, are truly excellent examples of pure filmmaking... (09/12/2015)

A beautiful example of how it's possible to combine a serious topic with comedy. The theme is war and how it affects individuals from different walks of life, but there are sequences, quite lengthy ones, that are essentially silent comedy, as well as purely romantic moments. Originally, it's primarily a romantic story, and King Vidor gave it the backdrop of war, which complements it excellently. It’s touching and funny, even though it happens in the same moments. (07/07/2014)