The Great War

The Great War

Year: 1959

Runtime: 137 mins

Language: Italian

Director: Mario Monicelli

WarComedyDrama

Italy, 1916. Oreste Jacovacci and Giovanni Busacca are called, as all the Italian youths, to serve the army in the WWI. They both try in every way to avoid serving the army.

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Timeline & Setting – The Great War (1959)

Explore the full timeline and setting of The Great War (1959). Follow every major event in chronological order and see how the environment shapes the story, characters, and dramatic tension.

Time period

1916

The narrative begins in 1916, during Italy’s World War I campaigns on the Alpine front. Soldiers train, travel by train to the front, and endure the tense rhythms of frontline duty. The story tracks the mounting pressure, the constant threat of attack, and the eventual clash that defines the Italian struggle on the Piave front.

Location

Italy, Piave River region, Caporetto front, Austro-Hungarian border

The action unfolds on the Italian front of World War I, shifting from a military district to the front lines and outposts near the Piave River. Key sequences take place on trains heading to the front and in the perilous outposts close to enemy lines. The setting underscores the harsh reality of conscripts facing danger, capture, and difficult moral choices in a war that reaches its peak around Caporetto.

🏞️ Italian Front 🗺️ World War I ⚔️ Frontline

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 19:05

Main Characters – The Great War (1959)

Meet the key characters of The Great War (1959), with detailed profiles, motivations, and roles in the plot. Understand their emotional journeys and what they reveal about the film’s deeper themes.

Oreste Jacovacci (Alberto Sordi)

A cautious, initially self-serving conscript who is driven by fear but forms a fragile bond with his comrade Giovanni. He struggles with the urge to protect himself while grappling with the moral implications of their choices. His actions oscillate between pragmatism and loyalty, and he ultimately faces death with a resolve rooted in protecting his friend.

🤝 Loyal 🗡️ Cautious 🧭 Pragmatic

Giovanni Busacca (Vittorio Gassman)

Hot-tempered yet capable, he shifts from anger to solidarity as war tightens its grip. His pride and courage push him to confront danger, including humiliating encounters with the enemy, while his loyalty to Oreste sustains their partnership. He shares a fierce dignity even in moments of vulnerability, and his fate mirrors the cost of refusing to surrender to fear.

🔥 Bold 🤝 Loyal 🛡️ Dignified

Capitano Castelli (Bernard Blier)

A captain in command who presides over the mission and the soldiers’ fate from above the front. He embodies military discipline and practical decision-making under pressure, and his perspective is shaped by the harsh realities of provisioning, strategy, and risk. He remains distant from the intimate sacrifices of his subordinates, unaware of the men’s ultimate fate at the moment of their escape.

🎖️ Authority 🧭 Duty

Sergente Barriferri (Livio Lorenzon)

A seasoned sergeant who stands as a link between higher command and the men on the ground. He embodies the routine, procedural side of war, guiding the troops through training, marches, and the daily grind of front-line duty. His steady presence helps illuminate the soldiers’ shared experience amid the chaos of combat.

🪖 Soldier 🧭 Loyalty

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 19:05

Major Themes – The Great War (1959)

Explore the central themes of The Great War (1959), from psychological, social, and emotional dimensions to philosophical messages. Understand what the film is really saying beneath the surface.

🤝 Friendship

Two very different men start with mistrust but are forcefully bound by shared peril. As they navigate fear and scarce resources, their bond becomes a counterweight to the war’s chaos. The friendship is tested by moral choices under extreme pressure, revealing how comrades can outlast personal cynicism. Ultimately, their loyalty to one another shapes the course of their fate.

⚖️ Duty vs Self-preservation

The soldiers are drawn between fulfilling their duties and surviving by any means necessary. The prospect of passing information to the enemy to escape illustrates the conflict between responsibility and self-protection. Choices are framed by fear, pride, and the sense of belonging to a unit under threat. The film uses this tension to explore the fragile line between integrity and expediency in war.

🕯️ Sacrifice

The narrative culminates in a collective act of self-denial for the greater good. The characters face execution rather than betray their comrades or their country. Their courage persists in restraint, even as fear threatens to overwhelm them. The ending underscores how sacrifice, even when misunderstood, becomes the war’s quiet, defining moment.

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 19:05

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The Great War Summary

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The Great War Timeline

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