I've seen it. I first found out about it because I loved Soy Cuba so much (which I think is even more visually stunning) and they were both directed by Mikhail Kalatozov. If you haven't seen Soy Cuba, do yourself a favor and check it out.
I think it's very good. The love aspect of the story is great, but I think the war aspect is a little weak.
Btw, not that I would ever discourage anyone from buying a Criterion DVD, but you can get Chinese DVDs of the film on Ebay for about five bucks.