A Movie Ahead of Its Time!

Rating: 9/10 (13 May 2020)

Upon completion of All Quiet on the Western Front, I had a myriad of thoughts flashing through my brain. The thought on the top of my head was, "how on earth was this film made in 1930?" It is a film that is way ahead of its time, cinematically and thematically. The film is clearly an anti-war film that discusses the horrors of World War I, which only ended about a decade before. This is a powerful, thoughtful movie and its one that is relevant some ninety years later. This is one of the first war films in the sound era, and it really revolutionized how war films were made. Steven Spielberg later credited this film for his 1998 picture Saving Private Ryan, which is often heralded as one of the genre's best.
Lewis Milestone's film is based off the controversial book written by Erich Maria Remarque. The book, which details the horror of war, was banned in many countries because of its anti-war message. The book and film were banned in Nazi Germany because the Nazis thought Germany was put into a bad light and of course, the Nazis considered themselves a proud, nationalistic political group. Regardless, the message of the movie is correct. War is a horrible thing. World War I was a total war that was a slog for many European nations. Trench warfare was a grueling nature. Being stuck in the trenches, with no food and consistently under enemy fire, often took its toll. Through the eyes of the main character, we see that there is no glory to be found under war.
The one unique thing about the film, and still is amongst today's war films, is that we see the point-of-view from the other side. We see what unfolds from the eyes of Germany's new recruits, and keep in mind that this is an American film. I really liked that technique, but it almost backfired. The soldiers hardly seemed German. I could pass them off as American or British. Because the performances were masterful, the direction was excellent, and the message was clear- it does not really matter. It did take me some time to get used to it.
The film follows a group of schoolboys who are talked into joining the German Army during the first World War by their war-loving teacher. Their teacher hammered home the point of heroism and lessons of humility to be taught during the war. War means glory! The German recruits, led by Paul (Lew Ayres), quickly find out that this is not the case at all. Death, pain, and suffering are all around them. Surviving this brutal war will be a hard task. If not being shot or stabbed, they may starve to death. There is a scene where Paul tries to save a French soldier in a shell crater. A very harrowing and emotional scene that details the consequences of this war.
Lew Ayres gave a powerful, heartbreaking, and unforgettable performance in his role as Paul. He became a star after this performance and this role actually turned Ayres into a pacifist. His speech at the end made my eyes well up in tears. Trying to tell a bunch of kids, who want the path of glory all to themselves, is something no man nor woman would want to do. I also liked the performance of Louis Wolheim. Wolheim was noticeable for his brutish looks and his career took advantage of that. Here, he plays a mentor to Paul and he did a great job. He definitely deserves more recognition.
One of the reasons why I questioned if this film was actually released in 1930 (and yes, I know it was) was the look and the depiction of war in the movie. There may be no actual big battle sequences (outside of a few shots), but we see the mortars and the shells exploding at a rapid pace. We see how easy it is to be killed under the line of fire. That scene in the crater provides a great example. Arthur Edeson did an amazing job showing the terror of war.
If you like war films or films that are against worldly violence, I recommend All Quiet on the Western Front. It is a movie that will be relentless towards your emotions, so be forewarned. The film shows how ugly war is and also how the average person is lied to in order to join the military. There is no glory or fame. Just suffering and death. It is easy to see why the film was banned around the world, because it was sandwiched in the two World Wars. Each country depended on their citizens to fight these wars for them. But it ain't pretty.
My Grade: A-