After 90 Years, Still a Powerful and Relevant Film

Rating: 10/10 (3 April 2020)

90 years after its release, All Quiet on the Western Front remains a masterpiece as well as a powerful warning against the jingoistic drumbeat to war and vapid nationalism. This film adaptation was released just a year after Erich Maria Remarque's novel achieved critical acclaim, and 10 years after the armistice with The Great War still well within memory of soldier survivors.
It must have been seen as a risk to film in English and release in America a story that was sympathetic toward German soldiers, especially as the Hays Code was adopted (though not yet widely enforced) in the year of this film's release. Its likely that enforcement of the Hays code would have severely impaired this powerful film, as it did many other films over the subsequent three decades. Kudos to Director Lewis Milestone and German-born Producer Carl Laemmle for emphasizing the common humanity that resides in both victor and vanquished.
Even as an early sound picture, Director Lewis Milestone the took full advantage of the new medium to drive home the dangers of war with every whistling mortar shell that pounded the earth.
A particularly powerful performance was turned in by Lous Wolheim, one of the most physically unforgettable actors you will ever encounter on the screen. This would be among his last screen appearances as he died an untimely death the following year.
In short, this is a great move, still relevant, well written, directed, photographed, edited and acted. All involved pushed the social and technical boundaries of the time to create a stunning film that nearly a century later remains relevant, timely, and worth your attention.