ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT

This German adaptation settles for broad pacifist themes and mostly forgets to add the moments of quiet poetic power that made the 1930 version such a timeless classic.

The 1930 version of All Quiet on the Western Front remains one of the all-time great war movies, both in terms of message and in the way it progressed film art with its brilliant use of engaging camera moves and innovative sound design.

Living up to that legacy was always going to be a struggle for the new, German version of the tale, which is probably why the makers diverge quite a bit from both the 1930 film and the novel it's based on. The addition of a subplot involving the Compiègne armistice talks appears a smart move for example, as it highlights the futility of the soldiers still risking their lives in the trenches poignantly.

But unfortunately it also kills the momentum of the film and breaks the connection the audience is supposed to have with the young soldier at the heart of the story. That's an obstacle the picture sadly never overcomes.

Thus, All Quiet on the Western Front settles for broad pacifist themes but - apart from a wonderful prologue - mostly forgets to add moments of quiet poetic power that made the 1930 version such a timeless classic.

release: 2022

director: Edward Berger

starring: Felix Kammerer, Albrecht Schuch, Daniel Brühl