All Quiet On The Western Front (2022)

The 1930 adaptation of the novel All Quiet on the Wester Front remains one of my favourite films of all time. It takes a very of-its-time and therefore upfront approach to highlighting the naiveté of young men wanting to go off to war, often employing the very earnest acting style of the time which can feel a bit campy in our eyes, yet remains a testament to the artistry of that silver-screen era. I argue the film remains as searingly powerful as it ever was and is a visually stunning film even by today's standards. 

But I am not one to feel a good movie can't be remade well reflecting perhaps different strengths and bringing new ideas to the material. For example I believe there hasn't been a bad film adaptation of Little Women, each offering an interesting take on the novel. It appears the novel Im Westen nichts Neues is also able to be adapted in numerous ways and each offering us something new. 

This German adaptation of the story is also a beautifully stunning film. It employs more subtly in its rendering of the tale of Paul, a young idealistic soldier who quickly finds himself in hell at the bidding of powerful men who aren't at risk during "The Great War". Yet despite this perhaps more realistic depictions, the horror of it all isn't muted. This All Quiet remains a terrifying portrait of violence in the name of politics, painted on the faces of those sacrificed. 

I've always felt one of the great strengths of this story is the way we as western audiences are made to identify with "the other side" by finding how the Germans, our enemies in that age, were just like us. Here, for the fist time I'm aware of, we are watching the film in German played by German actors and their humanity remains as essential to the story as it always has but perhaps even more. 

This film brings in background political negotiations adding another interesting element to the story which hasn't been there is versions I've seen. The most recognizable star of the film on this side of the Atlantic, Brühl, plays historical figure Matthias Erzberger who later in life was villainized and assassinated for his push for peace. It is especially poignant watching him struggle to negotiate within the German ranks and then with the French, to reach an armistice as the soldiers we are following continue to lose their lives in the battles. 

This adaptation hits many of the same story beats as the B&W film of the past and in each moment I found I was feeling something new, experiencing those incidents in a whole new light. Director Berger has crafted an exquisitely gorgeous film that never blinks in the face of true horrors, truly human horrors, the kinds of evil that we perpetrate on ourselves. He pays tribute to what was done before but brings us something incredibly new in each moment. 

Gorgeous and powerful with a strong cast and a haunting story, All Quiet On The Western Front is an enduring story told beautifully with a real passion for finding a better way. This new version lives up to the legacy of the story and breathes new life in to it and I hope its plea for peace will continue to resonate. 

All Quiet On The Western Front

Starring: Daniel Brühl, Albrecht Schuch, Felix Kammerer

Director: Edward Berger

Writers: Ian Stokell, Lesley Paterson, Edward Berger