It was hard for me to care about the characters here. Frederick gets a nurse pregnant in World War I, though he knows full well that it will ruin her career. He then deserts the army to see her - though, true, he is an American citizen working as a volunteer ambulance driver in the Italian Army, so it's not quite standard desertion. He was simply selfish, so even if he did love Catherine, it was hard for me to care about his loss.
Frank Borzage made a lot of important movies at the beginning of the sound era, so it's not surprising that there are interesting touches here. Borzage clearly gives it an anti-war perspective.
But the last scene, Catherine and Frederick's last scene together played over the LoveDeath from Wagner's Tristan and Isolde, was just too overwrought for my tastes - or too underplayed to live up to the music, I'm not sure which.
If you can just watch this for another love story, it might be interesting. It just didn't work for me.
Frank Borzage made a lot of important movies at the beginning of the sound era, so it's not surprising that there are interesting touches here. Borzage clearly gives it an anti-war perspective.
But the last scene, Catherine and Frederick's last scene together played over the LoveDeath from Wagner's Tristan and Isolde, was just too overwrought for my tastes - or too underplayed to live up to the music, I'm not sure which.
If you can just watch this for another love story, it might be interesting. It just didn't work for me.