All Quiet on the Western Front Movie Review
All Quiet on the Western Front is an epic anti-war movie that is very entertaining in how terrible the conditions are for the German soldiers, but also very sad due to the plight the young boys suffer in a meaningless war.
All Quiet on the Western Front is a 2022 war movie about a young German soldier and the terrors he faces during World War 1. The movie takes us through a journey of terrible war and the dilapidating conditions soldiers have to go through to fight in the war and stay alive.
💡 This post may contain spoilers.
Baumer
Paul Baumer, played by Felix Kammerer, is a young high school student who forges the consent letter to go to war. His mom is against the idea of him joining the German troops but he finds his way, along with his friends. The boys are excited and are certain that in a matter of only a few weeks, they'll be in Paris, having conquered their enemy all the way there.
The Trenches
The German troops engage the French in occupied territory, specifically a plain in Northern France near La Malmaison. The boys are quickly cast into battle, with little to no knowledge of how to fight or what they have really gotten themselves into. Before long, the French bombs start coming in and the troop hunkers down in a wooden bunker. Needless to say, it comes down in a matter of minutes.
Loss
Paul loses many of his friends, including several of his closest friends Albert Kropp, played by Aaron Hilmer, Ludwig Behm, played by Adrian Grunewald, and Franz Muller, played by Moritz Klaus. War is not kind and most of all to young boys recruited into the Imperial German Army just for the thrill of it. The boys are drawn in by a patriotic speech delivered by a school official. Unbeknown to them, even the clothes they are being given to wear to war are upcycled and belonged to dead soldiers.
Survival
By whatever luck, Paul survives the war for all of 2 years and is part of a platoon that is based near a French village. There he and his counterparts are mostly hungry, scampering for any meat as they only have access to boiled potatoes. Baumer and his close friend Stanislaus 'Kat' Katczinsky, played by Albrecht Schuch, decide to go and steal a goose from a nearby French farmer. The boys are thrilled with the feast which is one of their last joys before they are recalled to the front line.
No Mercy
War is lethal and murderous and Baumer is pushed to have to murder a French soldier by stabbing him. He barely survives after the French mount a heavy attack on their trench, even employing tanks. Baumer has to stab the man and only later realizes that he had a family and tries to help him. He's too late, however, and the soldier dies.
Armistice
The Imperial German Army is losing the war and is pushed to sign an armistice (peace agreement). Despite a lot of hesitation, the representative of the Germans led by Matthias Erzberger, played by Daniel Bruhl, signs the armistice and both nations agree to an 11 AM end of hostilities.
By this time Baumer and Kat are in a village where most of the troops are hunkering down with the wounded being treated. They lose one of their friends to suicide after he's badly injured and likely to lose his legs. The poor fellow says that the injury would ruin his dreams of becoming a police officer and kills himself.
The Farmer's Son
The next morning Paul and Kat go back to the French farmer's homestead to steal some food. This time Paul goes in and despite nearly being caught only manages to steal a few eggs. The two run away and are so hungry that they decide not to even cook the eggs. Kat excuses himself to pee in the bushes but is shortly shot at by the farmer's son who'd followed the two. Paul then has to carry Kat all the way back to base to get treatment for the gunshot wound.
You Shouldn't Have Bothered
Paul reaches base and takes Kat to the medic. The medic tells him that he shouldn't have bothered carrying Kat there as he's already dead. Baumer can't believe it. According to him, it is a small gunshot wound. The medic, however, says that it had caused poisoning in Kat's organs, causing his demise. Paul is distraught and can't believe his friend is no more.
Resisting Peace
Just as the boys are about to head out and return home, they are rounded up by an Imperial German Army commander General Friedrichs, played by Devid Striesow, who tells them they'll head back to the frontline before the armistice takes effect. According to him, they'll hit the French mercilessly and end the war with a huge blow to the enemy. Some of the group resist, but are immediately lined up and shot. Paul and the rest head back to the Western Front.
Life is just but Luck
Paul Baumer and the rest of the Germans ambush a relaxed French frontline on the plain. The French are quick to hit back and in the mess of it all, Paul Baumer is struck with a bayonet that pierces through his heart in a bunker. He can't believe it and moments later, there are calls for a ceasefire as it is already 11 AM and the armistice takes hold. Paul manages to walk himself out of the bunker for one last look at the peaceful sky.
Our Rating
All Quiet on the Western Front is an epic anti-war movie that is very entertaining in how terrible the conditions are for the German soldiers, but also very sad due to the plight the young boys suffer in a meaningless war. Thousands upon thousands die in the plain with the French only ceding a few hundred meters of ground in the end. The war and the death of all those souls are meaningless and that is very striking. We loved the movie a lot, even as it started with us laughing and ended in a sharp and biting sorrow. We rate it 9.5/10. Be sure to watch it and enjoy.
FAQ
What is the Overall Meaning of All Quiet on the Western Front?
The overall meaning of All Quiet on the Western Front is that war is meaningless and that the soldiers are sent to die only for the powerful to maintain their false sense of pride. As Kat puts it in the movie, give men power and they become "beasts".
How Disturbing is All Quiet on the Western Front?
All Quiet on the Western Front isn't all that very disturbing. It is a war movie so it is gory but it is not something you could liken to a horror movie.
How Many Oscars Did All Quiet on the Western Front Win?
All Quiet on the Western Front won four Oscars, including Best International Film, Best Original Score, Best Cinematography, and Best Production Design. You can read more about the 2023 Oscars below.
David Mania
