All Quiet on the Western Front
All Quiet on the Western Front
Starring Felix Kammerer, Albrecht Schuch, Aaron Hilmer, Moritz Klaus
Directed by Edward Berger
Starring Felix Kammerer, Albrecht Schuch, Aaron Hilmer, Moritz Klaus
Directed by Edward Berger
During the Civil War, General William Techumseh Sherman gave the now-famous quote: "war is hell," and we've gone through numerous wars since then, and haven't seemed to grasp that simple statement. Why average citizens would volunteer to go somewhere and fight and die for their country is something I don't understand, but I can respect their decision to do so - to me, war is like a giant chess board. The kings and queens on each side sit comfortably out of the way of battle while the generals, sergeants, and other military leaders play the rooks, bishops, and knights, while the soldiers on the front lines are the pawns: sacrificial pieces that are nameless, numerous, and who means little to nothing to the king and queen. Perhaps I'm just cynical or unpatriotic, but I'd never willingly volunteer to fight in a war, especially one that seems utterly pointless, although one wouldn't know it at the time. World War I is infamous for being called the Great War, but there was nothing great about it: in the end, millions of soldiers died for little to no gain, sacrificing their lives for the glory and vanity of the elite. The 2022 remake of the Oscar-winning 1930 original (and based off the classic novel by Erich Maria Remarque) shows the true depravity of war, how there's nothing glamorous about it, and in the end it ends up costing more than it's worth.
As the Great War rages on, young German patriot Paul Baumer (Felix Kammerer) and his friends Albert Kropp (Aaron Hilmer), Franz Muller (Moritz Klaus), and Ludwig Behm (Adrian Grunewald) excitingly join the German military in hopes of fighting a war that'll result in them being hailed as heroes, and witnessing the romance of war. On the first night of battle, however, their romantic dreams are shattered by the sheer brutality of the war, and all they can do now is keep fighting and try to keep their sanity in the midst of the bloodshed.
It's no surprise "All Quiet" earned nine Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture, because its predecessor (not the forgettable 1979 outing) was also nominated for Best Picture and won (even though I seriously doubt this one will, since it's a Netflix film and the Academy hates Netflix for some reason, also because there's much stronger work out there). Still, it lives up to the original in every aspect and heightens it due to modern day technology that gives an even more personal feel to the war, almost like you're there in the trenches with them (also no wonder the other nominations span the technical categories, but again I doubt they'll win against the likes of certain blue aliens), and you sense the fear, terror, and sheer hopelessness that these men went through, knowing that's probably what happened to the real soldiers during the time.
While most war films have glamorized the aspect of war, ever since "Saving Private Ryan" came along Hollywood has showed a more true-to-form look at war and the hellish landscape it envelops. There's no bright lights shining on our heroes, but rather dark clouds, rain, and a sense of chill that burns through our souls as we witness how futile the war was, and the cost of life that's not worth the price. Soldiers are treated like the aforementioned pawns in this war and it's clearly evident in the film's opening scenes, when the clothes of dead soldiers are washed, cleaned, and repurposed for the new crop of soldiers coming in. It's haunting but also not surprising, as oftentimes these wars exist for the vainglory of those who start it, obviously most recently the war in Ukraine, started because Russian President Putin wanted the land, and doesn't care how many Russian soldiers die in order to attain it.
The film follows four friends who excitedly volunteer to fight for their country, but all-too-late realize the mistake they made in doing so. Director Edward Berger adapts the work from Remarque and provides stories for the four men you meet, along with a side story not included in the book centering on the real-life German vice-chancellor Matthias Erzberger (played by Daniel Bruhl) who brokers peace with the French to end the war, which serves as a stark contrast to the war raging on the front lines: we see seemingly endless lands of dead and mangled bodies with gunshots and bombs exploding, and the next we see well-dressed men in fancy rooms eating fancy food while they talk about peace. It's strange because we've always believed that the Germans were evil (and many were), but even some German soldiers were good people (kinda reminiscent of a former President who said there were "good people" on both sides of a different event), and we're not supposed to care for these soldiers because they were fighting on the wrong side of history, but their stories are so profound and so relatable it's hard not to feel emotionally connected to them, which only adds to the sadness as you realize not all of them will make it out alive.
Much like "1917," another great war film, "All Quiet on the Western Front" is elevated by its superb, Awards-worthy technical aspects that further drive home the film's theme of the horrors of war. Mixing Volker Bertelmann's score with the sound effects by maestros like Viktor Prasil, you get an unnerving sense of dread (especially during the three-note beats that sound like something straight out of a horror movie), along with Christian Goldbeck and Ernestine Hipper's production designs that show the ugliness of the trenches set against a stunning cinematic landscape by James Friend that highlights the natural beauty and the unnatural destruction of the land, and you've got a war film that might not end all war films, but one that you'll remember for the sheer brutality and futility of it all.
The Score: A+
As the Great War rages on, young German patriot Paul Baumer (Felix Kammerer) and his friends Albert Kropp (Aaron Hilmer), Franz Muller (Moritz Klaus), and Ludwig Behm (Adrian Grunewald) excitingly join the German military in hopes of fighting a war that'll result in them being hailed as heroes, and witnessing the romance of war. On the first night of battle, however, their romantic dreams are shattered by the sheer brutality of the war, and all they can do now is keep fighting and try to keep their sanity in the midst of the bloodshed.
It's no surprise "All Quiet" earned nine Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture, because its predecessor (not the forgettable 1979 outing) was also nominated for Best Picture and won (even though I seriously doubt this one will, since it's a Netflix film and the Academy hates Netflix for some reason, also because there's much stronger work out there). Still, it lives up to the original in every aspect and heightens it due to modern day technology that gives an even more personal feel to the war, almost like you're there in the trenches with them (also no wonder the other nominations span the technical categories, but again I doubt they'll win against the likes of certain blue aliens), and you sense the fear, terror, and sheer hopelessness that these men went through, knowing that's probably what happened to the real soldiers during the time.
While most war films have glamorized the aspect of war, ever since "Saving Private Ryan" came along Hollywood has showed a more true-to-form look at war and the hellish landscape it envelops. There's no bright lights shining on our heroes, but rather dark clouds, rain, and a sense of chill that burns through our souls as we witness how futile the war was, and the cost of life that's not worth the price. Soldiers are treated like the aforementioned pawns in this war and it's clearly evident in the film's opening scenes, when the clothes of dead soldiers are washed, cleaned, and repurposed for the new crop of soldiers coming in. It's haunting but also not surprising, as oftentimes these wars exist for the vainglory of those who start it, obviously most recently the war in Ukraine, started because Russian President Putin wanted the land, and doesn't care how many Russian soldiers die in order to attain it.
The film follows four friends who excitedly volunteer to fight for their country, but all-too-late realize the mistake they made in doing so. Director Edward Berger adapts the work from Remarque and provides stories for the four men you meet, along with a side story not included in the book centering on the real-life German vice-chancellor Matthias Erzberger (played by Daniel Bruhl) who brokers peace with the French to end the war, which serves as a stark contrast to the war raging on the front lines: we see seemingly endless lands of dead and mangled bodies with gunshots and bombs exploding, and the next we see well-dressed men in fancy rooms eating fancy food while they talk about peace. It's strange because we've always believed that the Germans were evil (and many were), but even some German soldiers were good people (kinda reminiscent of a former President who said there were "good people" on both sides of a different event), and we're not supposed to care for these soldiers because they were fighting on the wrong side of history, but their stories are so profound and so relatable it's hard not to feel emotionally connected to them, which only adds to the sadness as you realize not all of them will make it out alive.
Much like "1917," another great war film, "All Quiet on the Western Front" is elevated by its superb, Awards-worthy technical aspects that further drive home the film's theme of the horrors of war. Mixing Volker Bertelmann's score with the sound effects by maestros like Viktor Prasil, you get an unnerving sense of dread (especially during the three-note beats that sound like something straight out of a horror movie), along with Christian Goldbeck and Ernestine Hipper's production designs that show the ugliness of the trenches set against a stunning cinematic landscape by James Friend that highlights the natural beauty and the unnatural destruction of the land, and you've got a war film that might not end all war films, but one that you'll remember for the sheer brutality and futility of it all.
The Score: A+
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