Parents' Guide to Oh! What a Lovely War

Movie G 1969 144 minutes
Oh! What a Lovely War movie poster: A drawing of a woman holding two flags aloft atop a soldier's helmet is surrounded by the faces of others

Common Sense Media Review

Kat Halstead By Kat Halstead , based on child development research. How do we rate?

age 11+

British musical about contrasting World War I experiences.

Parents Need to Know

Why Age 11+?

Any Positive Content?

  • Oh! What a Lovely War: John Mills wears the outfit of a senior army officer, surrounded by celebratory streamers
  • Oh! What a Lovely War: A group of soldiers with rifles lay low in a muddy trench
  • Oh! What a Lovely War: Maggie Smith holds her arms aloft as she sings onstage

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What's the Story?

In OH! WHAT A LOVELY WAR, World War I breaks out and groups of young British working-class soldiers enlist under the promise of bringing pride and glory to their country and families. But behind the scenes, the powerful politicians and senior officers are pulling the strings and crunching the numbers, making sure to maintain the smiling, patriotic face of the war on the "Home Front," while soldiers lose their lives by the thousands on the front lines.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say : Not yet rated
Kids say : Not yet rated

Decorated with Golden Globe and BAFTA awards, and enlisting an A-list cast of British acting greats, this wartime musical comedy is a powerful movie that still has poignant messages today. John Gielgud, Laurence Olivier, Maggie Smith, Ian Holm, Ralph Richardson, and multiple Redgraves star in the impressive ensemble cast of Oh! What a Lovely War, directed with confidence by the late great Richard Attenborough. A clever mix of realistic war scenes, poignant moments, bawdy satirical songs, and stylish theatrical touches keep viewers on their toes as the tone shifts between the powerful coldly calculating "acceptable losses" from afar, the chit-chat at the champagne balls of the upper classes, and the flag-waving patriotic masses. At the core is the young working-class soldiers whose view of the war they were sold through rose-tinted glasses slowly turns a tragic poppy red.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about how war was portrayed in Oh! What a Lovely War. Do you think it's an anti-war movie? Why? What did it say about how war was experienced differently by various groups in society? How to talk with kids about violence, crime, and war.

  • The movie mixes realistic war scenes with satirical musical numbers and theatrical flourishes. Could you tell that it was adapted from a stage musical? Were there parts you thought translated better to the stage or to the screen? Can you think of any other movie adaptations of stage musicals, and how do they compare?

  • The movie has an ensemble cast, so there are no real "main" characters. Did that affect how invested you were in each character and their experiences? What other ensemble movies can you think of and how do they compare?

  • How was drinking and smoking depicted in the film? Were they glamorized? How has our behavior when it comes to drinking and smoking changed from when the movie was set and filmed?

Movie Details

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Oh! What a Lovely War movie poster: A drawing of a woman holding two flags aloft atop a soldier's helmet is surrounded by the faces of others

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