The Big Parade (1925) :
Brief Review -
Hollywood's First Landmark Film in War genre and arguably the greatest World War I film of all time. The Big Parade by master director King Vidor set landmark for the Hollywood Industry in War genre when other industries were not scoring high. The overall set-up and presentation of the story is incredibly handled by the visionary director. From visuals to love story to explosive War zone to friendship and to self-pride, it has all the details covered accurately and with uttermost care. The film is about an idle rich boy who joins the US Army's Rainbow Division and is sent to France to fight in World War I. He becomes a friend of two working class men, experiences the horrors of trench warfare, and finds love with a French girl. I was bit disappointed when that french girl love angle was shown somewhere around the intermission point and i was like, what the hell is this? I mean he had a girl waiting for him at home and he's making love with another girl on temporary visit but then it was all concluded very well in the end. In the runtime 150 minutes, The Big Parade has many varieties like Patriotism, Drama, Family, Romance, Friendship, War Conflicts, the consequences etc. which makes a great combination as cumulative effect. The intertitles are also thought provoking you see- "What a thing patriotism is! We go for years not knowing we have it. Suddenly, Martial Music, Flags, Friends and it becomes life's greatest emotion". Don't tell me that doesn't hit your heart and brain. Vidor is a master storyteller, he knows how to express emotions and how to set things accordingly and that's what he did. Here, he could have had it trimmed little bit in that army camp portion and used it to explore the friendship segments but apart from that whatever it is, it's a breathtaking experience already.
RATING - 8/10*
By - #samthebestest
