Powerful Anti-War Message

Rating: 8/10 (16 April 2002)

All Quiet on the Western Front was made more than seventy years ago, but the message is more powerful than ever - war is hell. Steven Spielberg said it in Saving Private Ryan, but he forgot a strong plot and strong characters. Here, even with some corny dialogue, All Quiet on the Western Front succeeds. The story follows a group of young German soldiers who go off to war, being patriotic and fighting for their country. They learn the hard way that war tears people apart. The ending ties the entire movie together, punctuating and bringing the anti-war message home poignantly and without sap. Highly, highly recommended. Probably the best that the early thirties has to offer.