"All Quiet on the Western Front": Uncompromising Depiction of the Horrors and Futility of War

One of the best movies on the true horrors and meaninglessness of war (among "Come and see", "Dunkirk" and "Ivan's childhood), "All Quiet on the Western Front" is the third attempt to adapt for the screen the novel of the same name by Erich Maria Remarque. The previous two were very successful at their time too, the version from 1930 directed by Lewis Milestone, won two Academy Awards. The television film from 1979 by Delbert Mann, won a Golden Globe Award and an Emmy Award.

It stars Felix Kammerer, who is brilliant in the role of Paul Bäumer and its his first time on the screen. The soundtrack is untypical modern music by Hauschka. Before watching this film, viewers should have in mind Dante's warning from his work "Inferno", written on the gates of hell "Abandon hope all ye who enter here", because there is lot of suffering and no light at the end of the tunnel and no happy ending in this film.

Author: Leni Geleva;