Movie Review

Film: All Quiet on the Western Front

All Quiet on the Western Front is a film about what soldiers endured in the trenches of World War 1.  Made in 1930, it was a powerful and timely reminder of the realities and horrors of war. The story follows Paul as he enlists, fights , and sees his friends die for ‘the fatherland’ of Germany.  Director Lewis Milestone allows the audience to connect ideas to create a new understanding of the nature of mankind as well as the nature of war by presenting subtle cues in the music, cinematography, and script. It is through this careful crafting that the film evokes strong emotions in each viewer.

                The cinematography of the film helped convey the message that war is not glorious and dying for one’s country is nothing but throwing your life away. The establishing shot is of two servants opening the doors in a grand house in a German town. The audience sees out to the street, where a parade of soldiers is traveling through, spreading the patriotic spirit of serving one’s country. Then the camera seemingly travels through a window into a classroom, the festivities outside are audible but they dull and the focus is brought to the students inside. Their teacher gives a well written and emotionally appealing argument for joining the army, and he spreads the mania from the street into the boys. The camera then shows a wide shot of the room again, this time, the windows are open, further solidifying the idea of the boys being exposed to and consequently mislead by the mania spreading throughout Germany. More windows and doors are used throughout the film in a similar manner. Another example of cinematography communicating important messages within the film is when we are shown the face of the soldier manning a machine gun. What sticks out here is that showing this soldier’s face once would have sufficed to communicate that he was causing all the deaths we see through close-ups, yet we are shown cross shots of his face periodically. Each time the length of the shot shortens until we only see him for a few seconds, aligning the image with the sound of machine gun fire. The soldier becomes more like the machine he is operating. His humanity is taken away with each magazine he uses. There is also a moment when two of the main characters are discussing a poster of a woman and the audience can only see them because of a mirror beside the poster.

                The script was very compelling. The discussions the characters have together help lead the audience to an understanding of the senselessness of war. Every moment of realization was made more meaningful by how the characters expressed this new awareness through the art of words. The movie was based on a book of the same name by Enrich Maria Remaque was most likely a great source and inspiration for the screenwriters, Maxwell Anderson , George Abbott, and Del Andrews.  Alongside the actual words, the script also provided scenes that show change. If we had not seen Himmelstoss as a mailman first, his harsh attitude as he trained the soldiers would have seemed normal. As he throws off his personality and his goodness is consumed by his power, we see a different type of injury. His very soul has been sacrificed for his title. We are also shown individuals as opposed to the collective on both sides of the conflict: French and German alike. As Paul spends time watching over a Frenchman he has stabbed and making love to a little mademoiselle, he sees them as more than just his enemies. He sees them as his fellow humans, but then killing other humans is much more damaging than killing “the enemy” so he falls back into viewing them as a collective.

                The soundtrack was another mode of conveying the theme, which is somewhat expected, but in such a surprising way: about a third of the way into the film, all background music disappears. Through the last portion of the film, the only music is either sung by the soldiers or played on a harmonica. The harmonica and the chorus of soldier boys were both used to emphasize the youth and innocence of the soldiers. It showcase their humanity and vulnerability. The silences in between were tools as well.  Once in a long while there would be a complete lack of sound, no bombs fell, no rounds of artillery were fired, no conversation took place, just silence. In those silence moments, there was a clear message that resonated better with the audience than any amount of sound could have. These soldiers were suffering the unthinkable and they were just boys.

                Symbolism was used not only to communicate ideas, but also deep emotions. A pair of boots announced death, a butterfly made you understand how fleeting each life is. These everyday things were pumped full of meaning by careful crafting and execution. Each symbol was shaped. The boots were mentioned early and gained meaning as they were passed from one to the next as the war took their lives. The first time, we saw the death, but the next few scenes simply showed how many owners the pair had within a few minutes.  At nearly the end of the film, we learn about Paul’s sister’s butterfly collection and how they caught them. After his friends have been killed and he knows he doesn’t belong in his home any longer, we see him still fighting in the middle of France. He has become a hardened man. As he looks through the sight of his rifle, he sees a butterfly light just outside the safety of the trench. If this moment had not been proceeded by the proper set up, this odd detail might have been over-looked. Instead, the audience can feel the imminent danger. I actually covered my face and burrowed further back into my seat. I knew this was the end of him. As Paul slowly and carefully reaches out to capture the butterfly, he leans further and further out into the open, into the line of fire of the enemy. We see his hand inches away from the butterfly and hear the enemy fire. The hand falls still.

                The movie showed the realities of war. It fulfilled the disclaimer showed at the beginning of the film about how it meant not to accuse but to show the horrors every soldier endured.  Both through the actual story and how it is presented, the film successfully communicates the realities of war. Through conversations, images, sounds, and silence, the audience is transported to the front lines with Paul and share in his terrors and his joys. By showing the inherent goodness within each person, the dehumanizing effects of the war were striking and unmistakable- it turned men into the basest form of themselves. In order to cope, they had to bury emotions deep within themselves until they could feel nothing. And yet, in the middle of such a situation, they showed the best sides of themselves in addition to the worst.