It fell off a bit in the second half, when things stopped catching fire and blowing up and everyone kept dying, and perhaps also because by this point I'd been wedged into row F of NFT3 for two hours without any supper.
But wow, what a brilliant film! The characters, the dialogue, the way the costumes and scenery subtly changed as the years passed! I'm often a little afraid of watching much-loved classics (I haven't seen Citizen Kane either), but I'm glad I caught up with this one.
My favourite bit was when [Spoiler (click to open)]Clark Gable picks Leslie Howard up in his arms and carries him into the bedroom. Cor.