Netflix’s All Quiet on the Western Front is a German-language film starring Felix Kammerer, Albrecht Schuch, Aaron Hilmer, Moritz Klaus, Edin Hasanovic, Daniel Brühl, and Devid Striesow, alongside other cast members. It is directed by Edward Berger, shot by Oscar-nominated cinematographer James Friend and written by Edward Berger, Lesley Paterson and Ian Stokell. This film swept the British Academy Film Awards and has also been nominated for multiple Academy Awards for good reason.
Critics have praised this film for sticking to the source material’s anti-war message and sharing the brutalities of fighting tirelessly. There is a perceived inherent honour in dying a martyr and this film shows how that is such a humiliating myth. Death on the battlefield is ugly, broody and most of all deeply afraid. No one on the battlefield dies happily and this sentiment’s representation is perhaps the greatest cinematic gift any filmmaker has given audiences.
While the cinematography, the music and the writing are surely the reasons why this film is the finest, and this writer will elaborate on them further. The reason why this film is so relevant and resonant in these times is because of its parallelism with the world’s obsession with control, military and violence. It puts to rest any indication that war is a necessary step in conflict resolution. Another reason why it is so relatable is that it shows leaders in a position of complacency and dereliction of duty.
Officers in the German High Command do not see the war taking place on the Western Front. Hundreds of soldiers die to extend their borders by 2 or three meters, to annex a laughable section of land. Focussing completely on the individual stories of the soldiers and the way the war has changed them, this film moves away from the glorifying and strategic aspect of war. In popular discourse, any kind of strategic and premeditated violence is seen through the lens of intellectual brilliance. There is something inherently magnetic about strategy and this film wants nothing to do with it.
The original novel did not show the armistice agreement between the two opposing sides but the film’s inclusion of the scene makes so much sense because there is desperation on both sides of the border but there are consequences only on one side. Mass murder is collateral damage when you win the war. The contrast between the decorated French military leaders and their soldiers is what makes this crystal clear.
Additionally, the idea that war makes everyone equal is so exquisitely expressed in the colour grading. Keeping the scenes low contrasted makes a world of difference. Paul’s struggle throughout this film is refreshing and the character development he goes through in order to reach the end is a fascinating homecoming moment of cinematic poetry. The fact that Paul starts fighting in a dead man’s clothes and will bequeath someone with the same fate is brilliant.
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Innocence and naivety are so high on the battlefield among cadets, but as days go by and resources become scarce, life becomes fragile and tense. Au Contraire, when the German High Command members feast on their food, throw scraps at their pets and complain about the war going nowhere, the glaring obviousness of class and privilege are visible. Someone said that not mentioning the difficulties of coming home from war is not doing justice to the source material. This writer has a different take.
The best way this film could have ended is by showing death. The anonymity and the desensitization of death when it comes to soldiers are so viscerally depicted that it is the only way the film would have made sense. In a country like India where war is brilliantly glorified and vied for, this film works as a salve. It shows why seeing the war through a soldier’s eye is important, and why there is such a divide between civilians and former military members.
Thematically, this film is excellent, and, the cinematography, writing, visual effects and music just add to its beauty. The low contrast shots depict the desolate and lonely nature of the battlefield, while the three-tone colour scheme maintained the suspension of disbelief brilliantly through the sequences. The gripping and unforgiving nature of the music proved why overt music is not needed to make an impact on audiences. The dialogues and character development are just cherries on top of the cake.
Content Warnings and Trigger Warnings are important for this film but work best when the viewer is caught off-guard by the blood and gore. It is a realistic and heartbreaking choice for the filmmakers to make which could have gone terribly but does a fantastic job of striking a balance between fear and awe. It is a marvel that the violence is artistic and depicts the gruesome nature of survival brilliantly. Paul’s relentless need for survival throughout the film and his descent into episodes of violence is the character evolution that brings the film back home.
Veronica Roth has written, ‘Honour has no place in survival,’ and this film emulates that axiom perfectly. It fully examines the way soldiers from both sides of the border debase themselves in order to secure a win and that is what makes this film difficult to watch. And if the film is difficult to watch, then it is definitely difficult to defend something similar in reality. Of all the anti-war films made before, this film, using gruesome violence and tall tales of gore staves away the desire to engage in conflict of this magnitude.
Watch the All Quiet on the Western Front Trailer Below
Check out the Oscars 2023 nominated film, All Quiet on the Western Front is currently streaming on Netflix. Do you think this film deserves to win an Academy Award for Best Picture? Let us know in the comments below.
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