From the opening shot to the closing credits, Edward Berger’s adaptation of Erich Maria Remarque’s 1929 novel, “All Quiet on the Western Front,” is a spectacle unlike any other. Released earlier this year at the Toronto International Film Festival in September, the film is a beautifully, yet horrifically, captured portrayal of the life of a soldier in World War I.
The story follows 17-year-old Paul Bäumer (Felix Kammerer), who enlists in the Imperial German Army with his school friends in the spring of 1917. The boys are enthusiastic to go off to battle, but their excitement quickly ceases once they come to experience first-hand the true gruesome horror that awaits them on the front. As the months go on, the war begins to reach the end as the German government begins to lay down their arms; however, some members of their command are more reluctant to surrender, causing the fight to continue. Paul’s dream of becoming a hero is shattered as he does his best, by any means, to survive and leave these days behind.
While this is not the first adaption of “All Quiet on the Western Front,” Berger’s astonishing direction – combined with the rich cinematography by James Friend – craft an excellent piece of cinema that truly captures the barbaric and chaotic nature that was the Great War, unlike any production of the source material prior to this.
The work stays faithful to the author’s vision in the novel, while bringing it to life in a cinematic scope unlike any other. While there has been a plethora of films related to the brutality of World War II, there are fewer films that come to mind regarding the First World War. It is no doubt that this will be considered among the greats in the years to come.
The film is a triumph in every aspect, from cinematography to direction and editing. For a nearly three-hour picture, the film leaves you on the edge of your seat as we follow Paul’s journey, hopeful that he will make it home and away from the grotesque danger of the battle.
The film’s editing is something truly special in portraying the juxtaposition of the conflict. As the young men – who are just beginning their lives – are to go off to die, mindlessly fighting in the dark trenches of death, the older men – fat in wealth and power – are the ones deciding who gets to come home and delaying the resolution to this conflict more through their careless actions.
Despite events in the film taking place over a century ago, the film’s message remains just as central in the times of now as it plays into the themes of anti-war. It’s interesting to note that European filmmakers have consistently continued to accurately portray the harsh realities of the conflict in their work.
As cliché as it may sound when it comes to the art of filmmaking, Central Europe has always cinematically pushed the boundaries of storytelling and evoking truth of war as opposed to other countries such as America. Our country has glorified these times, and American filmmakers have lost their touch when it comes to bringing to life these stories, turning them into one big mindless work akin to a video game rather than the actuality of war.
Perhaps it’s time to detach ourselves from the nature of American war filmography to understand the truth as it happened so often, brutally and realistically in Europe’s eyes, instead of glorifying years where boys are sent off to die before they could even begin to understand what life is. The work produced in Edward Berger’s “All Quiet on the Western Front,” is testimony to this difference in styles.
