All Quiet on the Western Front
3.5/4
One of the most interesting movies that Netflix has ever made is Edward Berger’s adaptation of Erich Maria Remarque’s classic anti-war book All Quiet on the Western Front. Thanks to sweeping cinematography, a haunting musical score, and faithfulness to its beloved source material, this movie is a masterpiece that very much deserves the numerous Oscar nods it’s received.
I loved the screenplay, which is by Berger, Ian Stokell, and Lesley Paterson. These writers do a beautiful job in making their writing stay true to Remarque’s anti-war themes while adding their own modern touch to the material. A great example of staying true to Remarque’s writing is how the film shows the politics of war and how willing politicians were to let World War I just roll on while they sat at home. Scenes like that really make the movie for me. Also, Berger’s direction does a great job at getting the best out of his actors, as well as interpreting his own unique ideas to the film. I felt personally offended that he wasn’t nominated for best director—he does that good of a job.
Also, the acting is spellbinding. This is particularly true with lead actor Felix Kammerer. He plays Paul Bäumer, a young high-school student who enlists in the German army after being told that war is like one big adventure, but he’s forced to learn the hard way about the brutal nature of war.
Through his brilliant performance, Kammerer conveys his character’s anger at the war. This makes the viewer really believe that this actor has gone through all of those horrible things that he went through in the movie. The supporting cast does a great job in their roles but Kammerer really is the standout performance of the whole movie.
I also want to mention James Friend’s stunning cinematography and Volker Bertelmann’s haunting musical score. Friend’s cinematography is stunning and totally immersed me into the setting of World War 1. Bertelmann’s score is also fantastic and really gives the audience a very unsettled feeling about the war it’s portraying. These two men should start making room on their mantles—they’re now my top picks to win in their categories.
The only thing I didn’t enjoy about this movie is the choice to make it streaming. I mean, come on, man: this movie cries out to be seen on the big screen.
All Quiet on the Western Front is an engaging ride for audiences—it showcases what makes Remarque’s work so memorable but also explores its own version of the story.