ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT
2022 | Dir. Edward Berger | 147 Minutes
2022 | Dir. Edward Berger | 147 Minutes
"All of this is like a fever. No one actually wants it, but suddenly it's here. We didn't want it, the others didn't want it. And yet, here we are. And yet, half the world is here. And God watches on as we slaughter each other."
During the First World War, teenager Paul Bäumer and his classmates cheerfully join the Imperial German Army but their dreams of heroism are quickly broken by the harsh realities of warfare in the brutal trenches of Northern France. As Paul watches his comrades fall in battle one by one and experiences other atrocities, his hope and humanity irreparably deteriorate. Meanwhile, German and French officials spend days negotiating a ceasefire long overdue.
An adaptation of Erich Maria Remarque's 1928 novel of the same name, Edward Berger's All Quiet on the Western Front illustrates in gut-wrenching detail the myriad of horrors soldiers faced during the First World War. Though the story has been brought to the screen on several previous occasions, most notably Lewis Milestone's 1930 Academy Award winning picture, Berger's take is a worthy reworking of the source material, depicting the intense, merciless nature of war in the age of industrial warfare without pulling any punches. Most provocatively, the film also sharply juxtaposes the carnage on the battlefield against scenes of passionless methodical negotiation between diplomats to end the bloodshed. It is an intense examination of how misguided nationalistic pride and false promises for superficial glory can lure young men into fighting battles they don't fully understand for their cold and uncaring leaders.
The feature's production design and cinematography work hand-in-hand to create a nightmarish aesthetic that is drained of color and convincingly filthy. The terrifyingly visceral combat sequences would not seem out of place in a horror movie, re-enacting the many, many awful ways to die in trench warfare. The battle on the French front line complete with tanks and flamethrowers is particularly gnarly. Volker Bertelmann's musical score is spare but striking, most notable during the transitions between the scenes featuring the soldiers and the scenes featuring the diplomats.
Felix Kammerer capably carries the bulk of the film as Paul, embodying the idealistic young man turned hardened soldier. As Paul's loyal comrade-in-arms Kat, Albrecht Schuch is fantastic, equal parts charismatic and tragic. In the role of German official Matthias Erzberger, the sole voice of reason, Daniel Brühl delivers a controlled and sympathetic performance.
The 2022 version of All Quiet on the Western Front is an appropriately bleak vision of futile and senseless warfare. Disturbingly, graphically violent and emotionally distressing with purpose, this anti-war picture is not for the weak of stomach or the faint of heart. Though the story takes place over a century ago, its powerful central message will remain relevant as long as young soldiers continue to needlessly go to war on the whims of vain and spiteful military commanders and heads of state.
FRAGMENTS
- It's frankly very surprising that this is the first German-language screen adaptation of All Quiet on the Western Front, nearly a century after the publication of the novel
- Though the subplot featuring the negotiations for armistice is newly written for this film, the way it is depicted with a distressing lack of urgency certainly strengthens the anti-war themes of the story
MCU CONNECTIONS
- Daniel Brühl (Helmut Zemo in Captain America: Civil War)
