All Quiet on the Western Front

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 All Quiet on the Western Front [2022] 

Starring: Felix Kammerer, Daniel Bruhl, Albrecht Schuch

Direction by Edward Berger, Original story by Erich Maria Remarque

Language: German


Well, I guess I'm just a snob. I normally do not like action movies, especially war movies because they are so incredibly cookie cutter. For weeks, I have been debating actually putting myself through the experience of watching this, but at the end I'm so incredibly glad that I did. I can definitely say that this is my top choice for Best Picture at the Oscars.

This may have been the single most harrowing, poignant, heart-wrenching, brilliant film that I have ever seen. Firstly, let's talk about the movie as a whole. In my experience, we learn about World War One from an American/British point of view, and so seeing the flip side of the conflict was incredibly eye-opening. Seeing the experiences of German troops, in a way, really humanised them. At the end of the day, soldiers were just pawns in a larger diplomatic game. 

An overarching theme of this movie was humanity in the face of conflict. It was so touching to see this represented in film. There was also an undercurrent of optimism: the characters would often fantasise about their lives after the war. These lighter, softer themes having a role in this otherwise dark and depressing movie made the film much more digestible. 

This softness is compounded by the fact that German is such a touching language. I don't know how to describe it, but there's a certain magic that comes with watching non-English films. Maybe it's because one doesn't get so wrapped up in the semantics of the language if they are watching with foreign eyes. 

This was a beautifully shot film. I don't know how to really describe it, but the cinematography of this movie surpasses all the competition at the Oscars this year. One feels as if they have been transported right to the Western Front. This, I think, goes hand in hand with the set design. Not a single detail was left ignored: from the mud and blood to the smoke of the artillery, everything worked like a well-oiled machine. 

Kammerer's character was not only written brilliantly, but it was performed excellently. It is difficult to imagine that it was his debut on the big screen! He had the skills of somebody who has been performing for decades. His performance was actually made better by the fact that he was surrounded by an incredibly strong cast. 

10/10 (I hope this film wins the Oscars). 

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