It is so obviously easy to recognize here the Erich Maria Remarque's signature. This film offers every minute of its length to show how war is useless, horrible, the fight against the enemy lost in advance. This is definitely a propaganda, anti war film, beautifully done, because of the Doug Sirk's talent, but with no shade at all. Showing the German pacifist side offers less risk than to show real fighters on the front, under the enemy bombs, as the film industry will do later with DAS BOOT. I also prefer DIE BRÜCKE, made one year later or even STALINGRAD - 1993. Also German features. This film is very well documented about many details that only historians know. For instance, after killing civilians in cold blood ( partisans) in Russia - which was very often on the Eatstern front - the soldiers who participated to the fire squad were offered a bottle of vodka. And it shows very well how, in Germany, simple poor men could rapidly become powerful if they became members of the Nazi party. Watch out the scenes between John Gavin's character and his long time friend, a workless dude who suddenly gained much power - district leader. I was amused by the fat German soldier who talks about his wife, at home, waiting for him, a 200 pounds fat wife whom he was waiting to meet again. But once at home he did not recognize her because she lost weight, and because of that, this idiot decided to forget her.... The amusing thing here is that this fat soldier did not lose weight on the front, despite the food deprivation....ha ha ha.
