There is only one cinematic statement against war that is more powerful: "Saving Private Ryan".

Rating: Null/10 (26 February 1999)

No remake can quite capture the gritty reality brought to the original motion picture through the early, "faster" film and less speedy camera shutter. Black-and-white is so much more horrific and bloody than color filming. War is death, mud and darkness. Violent death and waste are conveyed via acting, not spread around the set by prop managers or special FX. Reading Remarque's book adds insights that are not onscreen, and should be an essential follow-up to viewing the film. I agree with the earlier comment: "... Western Front" should be shown in schools. The absurd wastefulness of war has seldom been made so clear.