By Colin Ahern — Opinions Editor

Originally finding its form as a novel in 1929, written by Erich Maria Remarque, All Quiet on the Western Front has been released as a film. This film offers a glimpse into the final hours of the German military during the First World War. In an attempt to dispel the glorified view of war that nationalism cultivates, the film explores the journey of a young man from his enlistment through the horrors of war. This anti-war film has been referred to as one of the greatest war movies since Saving Private Ryan.

Between the commitment to realism, a moving soundtrack, and strong cinematography, it is no wonder that Germany has submitted All Quiet on the Western Front for consideration for the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film. The film has also achieved a near perfect score on Rotten Tomatoes.

The film retains many political elements that are in the likes of Jojo Rabbit, as well as the gruesome realism that has made Saving Private Ryan so well known. The opening scene of trench warfare is very clearly a reference to Saving Private Ryan’s opening scene of the beach landings in Normandy.

Since being released on Netflix, All Quiet on the Western Front has found its way to the top 10 films on Netflix and the best non-English film after two weeks.

The content of the film is fictionalized but is based largely on the experiences of the original author. It is notable that this is not the first adaptation of the novel, but it is the first German-made version of the novel. This allows a more varied perspective in war cinema since films that depict Germany’s defeat are often non-German films. 

This film opens conversations about the value of honor and nationalism. While these themes are sometimes considered to be problems of the past, they grow more prominent every day with the current conflicts going on in the world.

Similarly, All Quiet on the Western Front depicts the futility of war and how life after war is not always accessible for veterans. Particularly in conversations between soldiers, it is made clear that war changes people in ways that cannot be easily undone.

By resurrecting conversations about these quandaries, the film succeeds in perpetuating the necessary conversations brought about by the book. 

All Quiet on the Western Front can be found on Netflix and contains a great deal of violence and mature themes.

Bishop’s students would be well served to watch this film, particularly in light of the recent Donald Lecture. While the Donald Lecture focused on the Holocaust and the Second World War, All Quiet on the Western Front provides a strong perspective on the militaristic aspect of war in the early twentieth century. 

Photo By Owen Gabbey