During World War I, the Italian Army fought against the Austrians.
The Great War (La Grande Guerra), directed by Mario Monicelli, is a 1959 Italian comedy-drama war film. It relates the narrative of an eccentric duo of army mates during World War I; the film, while presented in a humorous tone, does not conceal the horrors and grimness of trench combat from the audience. The picture, which starred Alberto Sordi and Vittorio Gassman and was produced by Dino De Laurentiis, received the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival. Danilo Donati (costumes) and Mario Garbuglia were also in the cast (set designer).
It was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Foreign Film. In 1999, Ciak magazine reviewers named it one of the 100 most significant films in history, and it was added to the list of the “100 Italian films that must be conserved.” It had a big hit outside of Italy, particularly in France.