"When it comes to dying for your country, it's better not to die at all."

Rating: 8/10 (19 May 2007)

Based upon Erich Maria Remarque's 1929 novel of the same name ('Im Westen nichts Neues,' in German), Lewis Milestone's 'All Quiet on the Western Front' stands as one of the first great war films, a powerful condemnation of human war and conflict and only the third recipient of the now universally sought-after Academy Award for Best Picture. A vividly realistic account of the effects of War World One on young soldiers, the film also boasts some solid acting, grueling cinematography and an unforgettable message, highlighting so poignantly the sheer folly of war.
Perhaps the most curious thing about this film is that, despite being an American production, it follows the misfortunes of a young group of German soldiers. All our German characters speak in fluent English with crisp American accents, though this significant lapse in historical accuracy is extremely effective in allowing us to forget that these men are, after all, the perceived "enemy side" in WWI, enlisting our sympathy towards their plight. No longer is the German army portrayed as a mass of faceless, babbling, immoral evil-doers, but each man feels pain, sadness and terror just like any other person would. In this case, it is the English Army who is reduced to becoming the faceless enemy, though the filmmakers stop well short of condemning their actions. In many scenes, it is made irrefutably clear that, with the exception of the politics of their respective governments, there is little difference between the soldiers of either side. Indeed, remove their uniforms, and two opposing soldiers could conceivably become the best of friends. Many of these soldiers are young and scared; many have wives, children, families to come home to; many will ultimately never return from combat.
Particularly poignant is the film's conclusion, as the story's main protagonist, Paul Bäumer (Lew Ayres), is fatally shot whilst reaching towards a quivering butterfly, his outstretched hand falling limp just centimetres from the only remaining thing of beauty in the sullied war zone. This final scene was different from the ending in the book, and, indeed, so late was the decision to shoot it that the director himself was forced to double his own hand as Paul's. 'All Quiet on the Western Front' is considered exceptionally graphic for its era, and the Milestone, in order to illustrate the full horrors of war, did not shy away from including brief glimpses of lifeless bodies and severed limbs.
Perhaps a bit melodramatic at times, and not always riveting to watch (some sequences move a bit slowly), Lewis Milestone's classic war film is, nonetheless, not an experience that you are likely to forget anytime soon. Indeed, war is hell, but too often we simply forget that war was hell for the other side, as well...