Many poignant, telling moments abound in this thoughtful observation on the nature of war and the evolution of society. It is one of the rare movies about war to highlight man's humanity, not inhumanity, to man. It is perfectly cast and well acted. Despite its virtues, I can't helping thinking that this film has been vastly over-rated throughout the years, perhaps considered a classic more for its theme instead of its actual execution. It has a choppy, episodic quality, with the touching sequences linked rather haphazardly.

I found this review:

The previous reviewer did a wonderful job of recapping this beautiful, moving film. But I'll add a word about the restored print used for this DVD--it's beautiful. One of the extra features on the disk is about the restoration process, and it's intriguing to see the side-by-side comparisons of the before and after versions. We watch a scene that, at first glance, is fine--only to see it spring to life with added details, deeper contrasts. The film would be a joy to watch even if it were scratched to bits; but this newer version is lovely.

I found this review:

Toward the end of Jean Renoir’s famous World War I film, an escaping French prisoner-of-war delivers the central message of the film: “You can’t see borders. They’re man-made. Nature could care less.” In this “war to end all wars” artificial borders are falling, not just national borders, but also the borders that separate classes. These classes are in evidence in the Wintersborn Schloss prison where the Commandant von Rauffenstein (Eric von Stroheim) feels a special connection with his prisoner de Boldieu (Pierre Fresnay). Both are stiff, haughty aristocrats, born to wear monocles and carry walking sticks. But their day, as de Boldieu ruefully notes, is passing. The new day belongs to the likes of Lieutenant Maréchal (Jean Gabin), a working-class everyman, and Lieutenant Rosenthal (Marcel Dalio), a wealthy Jew, who represent the upending of the old order, the dawn of a more democratic age. Almost devoid of violence, this war film delivers its message through the conversations of men, French prisoners and German guards alike, enduring enforced idleness far from the lethal trenches of France and Belgium. And it is crystallized in the relationship between Maréchal and a German farmwoman (Dita Parlo), who offers first shelter, then companionship, a human connection transcending national borders. This is a superlative film, one of the pillars upon which Renoir’s reputation firmly rests. The screenplay, by Renoir and Charles Spaak, is a marvel of economy and eloquence. Christian Matras’s restless camera has a way of exploring a room and bringing together the diverse activities therein. The performers are excellent. The naturalistic style of the down-to-earth Gabin and Dalio works well against the more theatrical, pretentious style of von Stroheim and Fresnay. The camp may appear too tidy, Parlo’s lovingly photographed face too unlined, but these “flaws” are part of the film aesthetic of the time.

I found this review:

Not a big war movie person. But, entertaining as well as enlightening to see the way enemy soldiers treated each other in WWI-with a certain amount of chivalry-that war has not seen since. Plus, the ending was suprising and uplifting.

I found this review: