All Quiet on the Western Front (2022)

Starring: Felix Kammerer, Albrecht Schuch, Aaron Hilmer, Edin Hasanovic, Daniel Bruhl, Devid Striesow, Sebastian Hulk, Andreas Dohler
Directed by: Edward Berger
Rating: R
Genre: Action, Drama, War
2022

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: German students enlist to fight for glory in the Great War, but soon discover the horrors of war.

Review:

Tim: There is something so incredible about the story in All Quiet on the Western Front. I loved the story in Erich Maria Remarque's shattering 1928 novel. It was adapted into one of the first great war movies, 1930's All Quiet on the Western Front, a powerful film that won 2 Academy Awards. 92 years later, we get this German film that continues the long tradition of excellence, delivering an exceptional film that won 4 Academy Awards and is undoubtedly one of the best movies of 2022.

I was familiar with the story, but that doesn't blunt the overpowering emotions you feel watching this film. It's so interesting from an American perspective- the film depicts Germans, the famous bad guys from history. I'm not suggesting the Germans did not commit atrocities in this war or the next, but it's so fascinating to watch from this perspective. The soldiers here are teenagers, unversed and unwise in the ways of the world. As the film progresses, you get to a point where you're not watching German soldiers, you're watching human beings. And, their suffering, their fears, their trauma, their desire to live is poignant and beautiful and inspiring. I love that this story breaks through all the ideologies and categories that we use to separate ourselves and connects us with these characters on a human level. Edward Berger's brilliance in this film starts here- as the film progresses, you begin to love these characters. You want them all to survive, even if you already know that won't happen. Starting with the characters first and putting their humanity on display is what makes this movie so great.

It helps that Berger directs an absolutely dazzling film from a technical standpoint. This film won Best International Feature and it undoubtedly deserved it. It's one of the best made movies of this year or any year. The film won the Academy Award for Best Original Score. I absolutely loved the use of music in this film. It's one of the most noticeable in any movie I've seen in a long time- it perfectly pulls you into the story and elicits the right emotions at the right times. The scoring for this film was utterly brilliant and I loved that Volker Bertelmann won. The film also won Best Cinematography and Best Production Design and those are both well-earned wins. All Quiet on the Western Front is so beautiful in its depiction of the worst and the best of humanity. The trench warfare, running into the opposing army with bayonets, the planes firing overhead, it's all depicted so feverishly brilliantly that you feel like you're there. The cinematography was excellent- every shot of the film compels you to lean forward. The sets were extensive and so meticulously constructed. This is a movie made with great care toward getting the details right. It says a great deal about this film that it won 4 Academy Awards, while also being nominated for a total of 9. The other nominations were Best Picture, Best Makeup and Hairstyling, Best Sound, Best Adapted Screenplay, and Best Visual Effects. I honestly think it should have won several more of those, too. The film is that good.

The cast is excellent, but I want to primarily highlight Felix Kammerer and Albrecht Schuch. One of the hardest parts of war movies is to allow the individual characters to stand out. This is difficult when they're helmeted up, wearing identical uniforms to thousands of similar soldiers. Berger allows so much time for these two to emerge as definitive, remarkable characters. I grew to love Paul and Kat and I fiercely wanted them to survive this conflict. Kammerer is stunning as Paul. He brings such vulnerability and humanity to the role, you feel what he's feeling, even during his most stoic moments. Paul is such a tragic figure- enlisting against the wishes of his parents and then immediately learning the error of his ways. He's a reluctant killer, a survivor, an ideal protagonist. Kammerer goes through hell in his performance- the scenes where he's coated in mud, the physicality required of him, it's just a brilliant performance from beginning to end. Albrecht Schuch manages to steal so many scenes as Kat. At first, he appears so cool and calm, a war veteran surviving by any means necessary. As the film progresses, we learn more and more about this character and our heart just breaks for him. I loved Kat by the end of this film, due to Schuch's insanely good portrayal of this complex, wonderful character. This is truly why the movie is great- because Paul and Kat feel real to us, we're deeply invested in their struggle.

The rest of the cast is good, too. Aaron Hilmer has a few nice scenes throughout. I loved the casting of Daniel Bruhl, one of the more recognizable German actors in Hollywood today. His character plays an important role, although he's never the focus of the film. Having a terrific actor like Bruhl was essential for these scenes, because they aren't as compelling as the ones with Kammerer and Schuch. Fortunately, Bruhl's acting talent holds our attention through those.

It's pretty obvious how much I loved All Quiet on the Western Front. It's a long movie, but the run time was needed to tell this story. Edward Berger accomplishes something so beautiful here. This is one of the greatest antiwar movies of all time, which is fitting given the incredible 1930 film and the amazing original novel. I loved this film, it's technically exceptional and has so much heart and humanity in it. This is one of the better movies I've seen in a long time.



Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating- 8



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: All Quiet on the Western Front (1930), Das Boot, The Red Baron