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."
Italian cinema's reconstruction of wartime life is a notable contribution to understanding the First World War. It was the first time such a portrayal avoided propaganda associated with Fascism and the Second World War, which glorified Italy's war effort as successful and heroic. This work faced censorship issues and restrictions for young viewers. The anti-rhetorical nature of this depiction sparked early media reactions but played a more significant role in de-mythologizing patriotic and romantic historical accounts of the First World War.