The reconstruction of wartime life is, from a historical point of view, one of the best contributions by Italian cinema to the study of the First World War. For the first time a representation of that war was purged of the rhetoric of Fascist and Second World War propaganda, which continued the myth of Italy fighting a successful and heroic war, meaning The Great War had problems with the censors and banned for under 18s. One reviewer wrote "Its antirhetorical character brought press reactions right from the start of filming, but its public success contributed more than anything else to the de-mythologising of patriotic and romantic historiography which had always clouded the massacre that was the First World War under the oratory of ardour and sacrifice."
The recreation of wartime life is, from a historical perspective, one of the most significant contributions by Italian cinema to the examination of the First World War. For the first time, a depiction of that war was free from the propaganda rhetoric of Fascism and the Second World War, which perpetuated the myth of Italy's victorious and heroic campaign in the Great War, encountering censorship issues and being banned for viewers under 18 years old. One critic noted, "Its anti-rhetorical nature sparked immediate media reactions upon filming but its widespread popularity played a more crucial role than anything else in debunking patriotic and romantic historical narratives that had long obscured the true horror of the First World War through exuberant oratory."