It’s unfortunate that Netflix’s All Quiet on the Western Front wasn’t given a theatrical run. This is one of the best war films I’ve ever seen, up there with the likes of 1917, Apocalypse Now, Platoon, Saving Private Ryan, Hacksaw Ridge, The Deer Hunter, Full Metal Jacket, and The Thin Red Line. While it’s ultimately not quite as memorable as these, there is not much of a gap where each mentioned above receives an Oscar nomination (or win) for Best Picture. Still, All Quiet on the Western Front can’t even get a theatrical release. 2022 is a different era than 1978, 1986, 1998, 2016, or even 2019. The film doesn’t do itself any favors with its no-name cast or the fact that it’s filmed in German. However, this film is incredibly well made and overcomes any obstacles that may preclude viewers from enjoying it.
I was surprised to learn this film is a remake of Lewis Milestone’s 1930 monumental movie and Best Picture winner, based on Erich Maria Remarque’s 1929 anti-war novel. However, All Quiet on the Western Front does not glorify war. More than your average film of this genre, director Edward Berger (All My Loving, Jack) delivers a haunting portrayal of the sobering realities of any war, his revolving around the German/French offensive of World War I.
Watch my video review of All Quiet on the Western Front above.
Borrowing many elements from the fabulous 1917, Berger takes us deep into battle, allowing us to slosh through the muddy trenches while tearing off the bloodstained dog tags of fallen soldiers or to spring from a bunker and rush toward an unnamed enemy, bullets whizzing by, death was not a question of if or even when, but more a question of how slow and painful death might be.
We spend most of the film with the lead character, Paul Bäumer (newcomer Felix Kammerer). This 17-year-old patriot forges his parent’s signature to become an infantryman, along with three of his closest friends, helping to protect and advance a German front stretch of land that twists through France and Belgium as they “fight for the Kaiser, God, and the Fatherland,” as a senior officer promises in a speech declaring a certain future victory.
Paul and his comrades quickly learn that war is anything but elation, pride, and glory that had lured them. Immersed in battle almost as soon as they are entirely in uniform, Paul and his friends instantly realize that the dream of one day returning home intact, to experience the comforts of a hot meal, a soft bed, and someone to share all of what they previously took for granted fuels their desperation for everyday survival.
The enemy in All Quiet on the Western Front is purposefully never mentioned. Whether it be the French, the British, the Americans, or the Russians, it doesn’t matter who Paul, his comrades, and the Germans are trying to defeat. The real enemy in Remarque’s novel is war itself, especially those who make overarching war decisions and put their soldiers in the same physical danger they won’t have to experience. The real enemy is those using propaganda to recruit ordinary people with the promise of victory and the accolades that will come through marching through Paris after a few successful battles.
A
All Quiet on the Western Front is magnificently shot. Taking advantage of modern technologies, this rendition of the story puts us into the battle in ways that a film made ten years ago (let alone 90) could never do. It’s a visual masterpiece, rivaling even 1917 in allowing us to feel part of the battle sequences, the dread leading up to each, and the resulting sorrow. We never feel as close to any of the characters as in 1917 or Saving Private Ryan, though I believe this is intentional. There is no joy in All Quiet on the Western Front. Berger doesn’t need to bring in a backstory for his characters to summon additional empathy. It’s already layered plenty thick.
All Quiet on the Western Front is a movie that should be experienced by all who enjoy war films.
Plot 10/10
Character Development 9/10
Character Chemistry 8/10
Acting 8/10
Screenplay 8/10
Directing 9/10
Cinematography 10/10
Sound 10/10
Hook and Reel 9/10
Universal Relevance 9/10
90%
Movies You Might Like If You Liked This Movie
- 1917
- Saving Private Ryan
- Dunkirk
- The Thin Red Line
- The Forgotten Battle