Quiet at the end

Rating: 7/10 (12 January 2011)

Paul (Lew Ayres) is at school when he signs up for war (World War 1). He is German. His whole class also signs up but this is only as a result of being brainwashed by ideas of glory by his foolish teacher. The whole class go to the war front where they meet a couple of old-timers including Kat (Louis Wolheim)..... How many do you think survive....?
A group of boys meet a group of war-weary men. The idea of the film is to sympathize with a whole class of schoolchildren as they go to war. Unfortunately, a classroom full is too many to remember so the audience watches and wonders as to who is who. Lew Ayres is the schoolkid "top dog" as the camera spends most time on him. Great - I know who Paul is. But who are the rest...? And that is the problem with the film in terms of cast. Louis Wolheim is memorable....but who is that other person....or that other bloke.....or him......
Maybe that's the point.......
The most memorable scene for me is the last image of all the new recruits marching onwards in the yuck conditions and turning around individually to face the camera. A repeat of a scene that happened earlier in the film when they were alive. A good ending.