Unlike other war films at the time, that seem more romanticize. This film shows the tragedy of the 'Great War' in detail. This detailed thought-provoking war film is a great watch. It's a must watch to anybody over patriotic or looking for heroism, because in its depiction of the horror of war, All Quiet on the Western Front presents a scathing critique of the idea of nationalism, showing it to be a hollow, hypocritical ideology, a tool used by those in power to control a nation's people. Directed by Lewis Milestone, and based on the Erich Maria Remarque novel of the same name. The movie tells the story of six German soldiers who volunteered to fight in World War I, and it chronicles their demise intellectually, spiritually, and physically as the war drags on and on. All Quiet on the Western Front is considered a realistic and harrowing account of warfare. Without spoiling too much of the film, it's seem so real. The movie is an intense watch, even with today's standards. The movie is pretty gory, and graphic for a film of the 1930s with scenes with machine guns and poison gas. Lots of unromantic visions of fear, meaninglessness, and butchery. It's a hard watch to certain people. Due to its anti-war message, a lot of countries banned it, like Australia, Italy and Austria. The worst had to be, Nazi Germany. Since the movie perceived anti-German messages, Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party banned the film in their country in the 1930s and early 1940s. During its brief run in German cinemas in the early 1930s, the Nazis led by Joseph Goebbels disrupted the viewings by setting off stink bombs and releasing white mice in the theaters. It wasn't until 1952, when West Germany re-released the film in theaters without much protest. It's weird that Universal Studios would product the film like this, at the time because it's tell the war in German perspective, the enemy. This was indeed, rare to do in film, even in today's open world. Show the war in the eyes of the enemy. While, the movie is set in Germany, the movie is pretty English in speaking for the mostly English speaking audience. The movie is worth watching in German dubbing. It's a must-do. If you can't speak German, the film has a lot of visual symbolism to tell the story of the war. A good example of this is, Kemmerich's boots (Ben Alexander). You really see the emotional disconnection that war cause, because when Kemmerich is on his deathbed, the most pressing question among his friends is who will inherit his boots. It's disturbing. In Remarque's view, this pragmatism has a hugely destructive impact on a soldier's humanity; main character, Paul Bäumer (Lew Ayres), for instance, becomes unable to imagine a future without the war and unable to remember how he felt in the past. Another great scene with Paul is that with the dying French soldier. You really see, how Paul is trying to keep his humanity alive, while also keeping himself alive. Great acting from him and all the actors. Another symbol in the film is butterflies. You see it, throughout the film. It derives in part from Remarque's childhood hobby of collecting insects and mounting them in a case. In the film, it seems to represent the innocence and joy of nature. In the film final iconic scene, where a soldier is shot while trying to grab a butterfly. This scene is different from the book, and was inspired by an early scene showing a butterfly collection in Paul's home. The scene was shot during the editing phase, so the actors were no longer available and Milestone had to use his own hand, instead of the main actor. Some of the faults of the film could be the film's opening prologue. It felt a little detracting, as if they were trying to appeal to everybody, without trying so hard, not to offend people. Another is the mid-scene with the French women. Yes, I guess, it was there, so the movie wasn't too depressing, but it slow the movie, way down. For the most part, the movie is very accurate to the war. Overall: Does an all time, classic stand the test of time? Yes. I think it's better than the 1979 remake. The black and white film footage really makes the war very eerily to watch. In 1930, it really deserve to win the Academy Awards for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Writing and others. In 1990, the film was selected and preserved by the United States Library of Congress' National Film Registry as being deemed "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant." Since the movie is still own by Universal Studios, most copies of the film are well preserved. Watching in HD Blu-Ray DVD is in the way, to go, when watching this film. If you really like this movie, read its sequel, 'The Road Back', which shows members of the 2nd Company returning home after the war. It's a must read. Anyways, All Quiet in the Western Front is one of, if not the, most effective war films ever made and it works.
Review of All Quiet on the Western Front
All Quiet in the Western Front is a haunting look into a life of a soldier in the trenches of World War 1.
25 January 2015
Warning: Spoilers