The First Great War Movie

Rating: 10/10 (15 July 2005)

Ever since Saving Private Ryan, the genre of war films has been changed for good. They all put war in full perspective, focusing on the special effects like explosions, gun shots, and their results on soldiers. But, some movies just use that to carry the film. For the most part, war has an impact on the mind. "Shell shock" and other mental breakdowns are the result of warfare.
All Quiet on the Western Front focuses on German Soldiers from recruiting in schools right up to fighting in the trenches. This war is not fought not just on the field of battle but in their heads. With their teachers influencing them to fight the good fight and die for your country, the boys think it is gonna be fun and exciting. Boot camp is a wake up call and they don't like it. They despise their commanding officer and play tricks on him. Soon it is time to go to the front, the Western front. Their they meet other soldiers, much older and war savvy. The battle there is to find food. Constant bombardment from shells by the French force the German's to stay in their trenches and try to wait it out. This could go on for days but for these men, they have no choice.
Through the course of the movie, the men talk about why they are fighting and how nobody knows. Women, good food from home, and the small luxuries they left behind are all tossed aside to fight a war they don't even understand. When the war gets to the men, they make rash choices. Men are dying all around them and all they can do is sit and talk about something else. This piece of anti-war propaganda really does a fine job of illustrating the hardships and harshness of war. The first world war is turned into the first great war movie.