Genre: Drama; Action.
Director: Edward Berger
Writers: Ian Stokell, Lesley Paterson & Edward Berger, based on All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque
Starring: Felix Kammerer, Albrecht Schuch, Daniel Brühl & Sebastian Hülk
All Quiet on the Western Front may draw instant comparisons to the Sam Mendes’ 2019’s title 1917 (which was a great box-office success and it received 10 Academy Awards nominations, including Best Picture), but Edward Berger’s movie feels like a far more grounded tribute to the lives changed (and lost) because of WWI. In fact, All Quiet on the Western Front is no “one mission movie” - there’s no message to deliver, no one to rescue – it is a far more complex take, a piece of anti-war manifesto, a critic to nationalism, a lullaby to an entire generation of young men who “didn’t come back” from the trenches.
We follow Paul Bäumer (played by Felix Kammerer) as he enlists the German army alongside his friends seeking to be considered a nation’s hero. You can see the excitement in his eyes and you can sense how naïve they are and how dumb they look, considering the audience has already watched a sequence where you follow a dead soldier named Heinrich being stripped from his uniform, which gets cleansed and stitched up and it ends-up in Paul’s hands when he enters the army. That’s the moment audiences feel a shadow being casted over the life of the young Paul. What comes next is a sequence of despairing moments where the young lead goes from a young frail man who will never survive dawn to a survivor and a true fighter. We see the movie through Paul’s eyes and the character is beautifully constructed by Kammerer, who has some of the most expressive eyes you’ll see in movies this year and he somehow manages to keep a naïve and bright smile outside of the war field, when he’s bounding and finding some moments of joy with his comrades, with his friends, with his army family.
The major depart from the source novel is that this adaptation of All Quiet on the Western Front doesn’t lie solely on Paul since it adds the narrative of Matthias Erzberger (played by Daniel Brühl) and General Friedrichs (played by Devid Striesow) as they play a role in the political maneuvering where one just wants to end the war and spare men’s lives and other just want another chance to fight for his country’s glory. That’s the narrative that shows how meaningless the war is: a fight for a piece of land at the expense of thousands of lives, having the young soldiers living miserably and eating poorly while the political figures feast and decide how many more can die so they can keep fighting for their political ambitions.
It's the contrast between these two narratives that point the audience the anti-war message.
In terms of acting, All Quiet on the Western Front is an ensemble movie. The movie’s essence is (clearly) its narrative purpose and the sequence of events does not offer big acting shows. Still, the best acting comes from Albrecht Schuch as “Kat” a man that has already endured years of war and he takes Paul under his wing. But what could be a cliché young man/mentor interaction turns into a brotherly friendship. There’s two scenes where Schuch truly shines: one where Kat receives a letter from home and tells Paul how it feels like enduring so many years fighting in the trenches; and the beginning of the last act when they know war is to be over. It’s a soulful performance of a damaged man who was already hurt by life way before he came to the war fields and Schuch embraces his character’s story and crafts a layered Kat. It’s a beautiful and subtle performance and Hollywood (and the world) should have Schuch under the radar for years to come. Had he have an “acting showcase” clip here and I believe all world would have fallen to his knees.
As for Edward Berger, I admit I don’t know his previous work, but he sure is in full command of his craft here. He’s able to provide the perfect blend between narrative and the technical aspects – craft and substance in perfect harmony. The movie’s approach is always raw and visceral, specially in the war sequences, with some tender moments of young soldiers bounding with each other being handled with sensitivity, but the movie is always beautiful. In fact, I consider All Quiet on the Western Front to craft one of the most impressive cinematography works, courtesy of James Friend – even in its bloodier and muddier moments, the movie always looks stunning. Also, the production design work by Christian M. Goldbeck is another highlight, especially the trenches sets and the war fields. The costume design might not be beautiful, but it does sell the narrative the soldiers clothes have to tell, and the practical visual effects are able to surpass many big-budget Hollywood productions. The dynamic editing work by Sven Budelmann is key to the movie’s pace (the movie is almost 2 hours and a half long and I never felt it) and it elevates the thrills of every war scene. Finally, Volker Bertelmann’s score feels like a punch – it is an aggressive score that blends perfectly with the movie’s tone – elevated by an amazing sound work!
In the end, All Quiet on the Western Front does not feel like just “one more war movie”. This one feels quite relevant in comparison to Hollywood’s War Horse of 1917 and it is equally crafted. Watch it for the spectacle. You will feel somehow angry and sad in the end. It’s not an uplifting movie, but war is not an uplifting reality. This is a movie that honors the boys who never returned home!
One of the best movies of the year.
RATING: 9 / 10
Oscar potential categories:
- Best Picture
- Best International Film
- Best Director
- Best Supporting Actor (Albrecht Schuch)
- Best Adapted Screenplay
- Best Editing
- Best Cinematography
- Best Production Design
- Best Visual Effects
- Best Original Score
- Best Sound
Comments