The first German version of the anti-war novel, All Quiet on the Western Front, (previously filmed in 1930 to Oscar glory and an excellent 1979 TV movie,) as co-written and directed by Edward Berger, is an outstanding work of cinema.
Amid World War I in 1917 France, young, enthusiastic German soldiers are sent to frontline trenches and bloody fighting. Paul Bäumer (Felix Kammerer) and his buddies are quickly disillusioned by the grim realities of warfare where soldiers are dying en masse, fodder in a hopeless war. The months roll by, and then German emissaries desperately attempt to reach an armistice to avoid countless more casualties. As the conflict is ending and new recruits arrive, Paul and his remaining comrades desperately struggle to survive the remaining moments of the war.
There are powerful visuals and effective use of sound with remarkable contrasts between intense combat and the subsequent stillness and silence. The impressively choreographed, battle scenes heighten in scale with tanks and planes, and yet the most effective moments are horrifying and traumatic during close quarters and hand-to-hand fighting. Filled with painful ironies, the film makes a point to depict what it is like to kill another person and to see a comrade fall. It attempts to show how Paul and his friends struggle to survive harrowing conditions yet maintain a shred of humanity.
Though
the narrative in this version deviates somewhat from previous versions (especially
with its diplomatic subplot), this is an impressive achievement of adapting
familiar material for a new audience. It
also shares its DNA with Paths of Glory
with the class contrasts and the vanity of military leadership. As one of only a handful of truly great films
on WWI, it is in rarified company.
****
of **** stars Netflix
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