This movie definitely isn't the sort of thing that would be for everyone. It's not the most ideal for suggesting to a person unfamiliar with older movies that they watch as their first one. It's much of the time very serious and not much about it that's "fun". Some of the acting is overly earnest, and perhaps a bit weak, or in the case of one particular actor (Robert Barrat) decidedly way over the top (and quite annoying). Some of the message is "hit you over the head with it", to make sure you "get" all the points. Yes, all that's readily evident, that this isn't a work of art or one of the overall best early sound movies, even to someone who watches very old movies frequently.

Despite the imperfections or weaknesses I've mentioned, this is, nonetheless, an ideal intelligent movie about the post-World War I experience that many endured during the height of the Great Depression. The film serves as a fascinating, excellent time capsule, and a great example of how very topical, hard-hitting, and non-sugar-coated Warner Bros. movies of the early 1930s were. This is a winner on a multitude of counts.

Once you recognize and accept the idiosyncrasies, this is a very good film, that makes all the points it sets out to, is overall well acted, the core relationships depicted are beautifully handled, this features a very fine, touching performance by the great, wonderful Aline MacMahon, Loretta Young is absolutely luminous and perfect, and Richard Barthelmess was the ideal person to star, with all his earnest conveyed goodness and honourable "everyman"-ness, as the unfortunate hero who just can't seem to get dealt a fair hand in post-war life.

This would be a good early '30s film for someone to watch who's already at least a little bit acclimated to other movies of that era, and who likes history (as I certainly do), particularly post-Great War and Depression era history (both definitely my "thing" - thus why I'm so crazy about Silent and Pre-Code eras films). It would also be an ideal movie for, of course, a fan of either Richard Barthelmess, Aline MacMahon, and/or Loretta Young (again, check, check, and check for me). In either case you'd be very pleased and satisfied with this.

Watch this with the right attitude and the right intentions, rather than to play the critic, and I think you'll find this to have been well worth the time, and a rewarding, thought-provoking viewing experience.

Please check out the following list of titles and celebrities I've created TMDb threads for: https://www.themoviedb.org/list/118052