and I agree with everything you said:

>Filmmaking at its most pure and most powerful.
>The paradox of a film this old being so modern, the heart
>wrenching tragic beauty - from the story to the performances
>to the shots themselves.
>And any movie that can single-handedly claim to inspire every
>Robert Altman movie ever made has gotta be in the top ten.

Plus, this is a great example of why Criterion is so great - in addition to the film itself (a phenomenal print/transfer), the supplemental material was outstanding, both the stuff on the disc and stuff in the booklet. There was in-depth shot analysis, a break-down of how the original theatrical cut (which bombed hard) was different from the current version (which has existed since the late 50s), an "introduction" by Renior talking about the film, and a few informative essays placing the film in context (the imminent war, Renior's disdain for the bourgeois, etc.)

After one viewing, especially after enriching it with the supplements, I can see pretty easily why it's so highly regarded. Clearly a masterpiece. This might kick off a Renior kick similar to the Welles kick I went on over the winter...