All Quiet on the Western Front uses haunting history, immersive set pieces, and engaging cinematography to produce a captivating anti-war film that makes intense pathos on the monstrosities of war.

 

The weakest part of All Quiet on the Western Front is its beginning portion, set before the ensemble cast of young men is shipped off to a horrifying war, unbeknownst to them. Since the audience isn't given a proper background of who the young men are before they enter this war, their characterization and connection with the viewers become minimized. Due to this being a remake of a classic film, the alterations could've been much more worthwhile to the final product if director Edward Berger had focused on the progression of morality for individuals affected by the war. Who were these men? Part of the point is that their identity is just a number, as shown at the beginning of the film, but there would still be a more robust connection if they had backgrounds the audiences were aware of.

 

The attention to detail in reusing dead soldiers' clothes, the desperate measures taken for sustenance, and the realistic war scenes all propel the film's goal of lasting impact. The film drags a bit with a confused sense of pace, where our characters are left to wander aimlessly, albeit there are moments of solace within the community the soldiers create. 

 

While the narrative subtly prepares us for the oncoming slaughter of young men who are oblivious to the war, they are going into and are absorbed by the infectious patriotism spreading across Germany. Peter Jackson's They Shall Not Grow Old offered audiences a rare visual feat of documentary filmmaking about WWl. It portrayed the mistaken urgency of British citizens towards the war, just as All Quiet on the Western Front posed the same frustrations for Germans. In the near future, we may see a string of films building upon the horrors of WWl from different perspectives.

 

Instead of using the remake to expand upon the political accords and difficulties with resolving the war, time spent on characterization would've rewarded the audience all the more. For example, the meetings with high-level politicians are needless to further the story of the soldiers. Instead, simple rejections of commands would've sufficed, such as General Friedrichs's refusal to surrender would've been a convincing moment of egotistical war general gone power hungry if left to stand on its own at the finale of the story.

 

From a technical standpoint, trench warfare and action scenes are of the highest quality in modern war cinema, propelling viewers as close to the atrocities of war as possible. As a result, the actual carnage of WWl finally feels accurately displayed by a film that doesn't hold back from portraying the barbarity of this war. Rather than using a gimmicky narrative like Sam Mendes' 1917 does, All Quiet on the Western Front strings together a tale of devastation and regret.

 

The shift from optimism to immediate dread is sudden as Paul and his friends soon realize the horror that has been hidden from them. The knowledge and execution of historical warfare are haunting, especially during the sequences that reveal the slaughtering by poisonous gas and the opening scene, where we only get a daunting peak at what's to come. The guilt and remorse of murder are given special attention in a film where people become slain in mass. Then, during a battle sequence where the German forces are being driven back by flamethrowers and tanks, Paul becomes cornered like never before. Being pushed into a desperate situation where fight or flight takes over like never early, Paul's understanding of his function in this war becomes agonizing. After witnessing the murder of his close friend, even after they surrendered, Paul scurries into a hole to hide, only to find himself having to execute an enemy soldier to keep his position hidden. In this moment of violence lies the most potent moment of the film. Soldiers followed orders throughout the battle, stitching their wounds physically and mentally. It isn't until the moment that Paul stabs and covers the mouth of the enemy soldier while begging for his forgiveness that the humane qualities of man flicker. This heartbreaking scene serves as a reminder of our ability to become numb enough to humankind, which can lead to our demise.

 

The heartbreaking deaths of the leading characters, Paul, Kat, and Tjaden, represent the inevitability of war's lasting impact, death in many forms. Tjaden's death comes from the inability to accept reintegrating into society as a disabled, different man. The difficulty of reentering society with PTSD or being disabled from war is a standard war film trope that remains a disturbing reminder of the vanity of warfare. Kat's death was shadowed by an impending doom where luck was running out.

 

Paul's death remains the most notable due to the circumstances that put him back on the battlefield. Unable to reckon with defeat and the lessons taught by his family and society, General Friedrichs launches one last assault before the set time of ceasefire at 11 a.m. Those unfamiliar with this story most likely felt the foreshadowing as the film wants us to know the irreparable carnage that awaits Paul. A long history of arrogance and hubris-driven violence stemmed from years of misconceptions about resolving wars. History is the guidebook that tells this film's harsh, repeated lesson that society misses or ignores. All Quiet on the Western Front implores audiences to sympathize and pay attention to the importance of the film's theme. While All Quiet on the Western Front doesn't carry its harrowing subject matter to the level of a triumphant feature, the grueling journey the film takes us through is necessary and builds a cogent case for being a critical cinematic piece for posterity.