Although this war film, made in the middle of the war at its most critical moment in 1943, starts most regularly like all war films with a great battle, extremely well filmed, but this dramatically violent introduction leads to a totally different side of the war: a hospital train transporting wounded away from the war up to the mountains, and one of the wounded is Rossano Brazzi, here still very young. The main story of the film is about the patients and the personnel of this train, with many human and poignant moments and scenes, Rossano Brazzi himself dreaming away of his love and his baby, and his forbidding mother who wouldn't accept their union nor allow any marriage, and his wonderful subordinate (Carlo Romano), the only humorous or comic character of the film. The music of the film is very sparse but offers some unforgettable moments, like when all the wounded sing together to pass the time while waiting for a bomb attack to fade away. The mood of the film is very similar to the Russian classic "Ballad of a Soldier" 14 years later, it's the same kind of total concentration on just humanity as a contrasting opposite to the war, and humanity ultimately prevails - the end is simply glorious. It's a great story of another side of warfare with fascinating and skillful cinematography all the way, and all the actors are convincing, even the stern professor.