Before All quiet on the Western Front, this film really is a first anti-war film based on the terrible experiences of the excited soldiers who got slaughtered in the first world war. You can see the excitement beaming from the face of the young American soldier as he ships out from his Southern home, rushing off to join the army, much like in All Quiet on the Western Front when the German students rush out to join the army.
The scene of him in no-mans land rushing out to save his screaming friend and then laying in the ditch with the German soldier who he shot trying to save him by giving him water, is so disturbing for the time. It is completely true that this film laid the groundwork for anti-war films to come. Especially All Quiet on the Western Front.
The trench fighting is the most remarkable scene from this movie and really sets a precedent for how highly detailed, highly choreographed battle scenes can effectively show the brutality of war just through the sheer dedication of the filmmaker in unveiling the actions in as clear a manner as possible.