There are lots of great pre-code films that really hold up, this is not one.
Technically, it's pretty cheap. Very obvious matte paintings and process shots, and these are important because there's plenty of war stuff, driving trucks through the mountains and so on. Long scenes that give you plenty of time to notice the brushstrokes.
Photographed very boringly, and without even clever shallow DOF solutions to make the backgrounds look far away. Also, the romantic scenes are literally filmed soft focus.
And way, way, way too much of this is the romantic scenes. Really crippled the story to focus on that, with the war as a sort of backdrop.
And even then, Gary Cooper is not yet a very good actor (or not well directed?) and his character is a heel, at best.
Technically, it's pretty cheap. Very obvious matte paintings and process shots, and these are important because there's plenty of war stuff, driving trucks through the mountains and so on. Long scenes that give you plenty of time to notice the brushstrokes.
Photographed very boringly, and without even clever shallow DOF solutions to make the backgrounds look far away. Also, the romantic scenes are literally filmed soft focus.
And way, way, way too much of this is the romantic scenes. Really crippled the story to focus on that, with the war as a sort of backdrop.
And even then, Gary Cooper is not yet a very good actor (or not well directed?) and his character is a heel, at best.