All Quiet on the Western Front

All Quiet on the Western Front (2022)

Alright I’ll be honest. I heard this title and genuinely thought: really? They’re remaking that 80’s film starring John-boy from The Walton’s? Surely not.

No no, I was correct. However, I didn’t realise that that haunting film we had to watch in high school was a TV remake from a classic Best Picture winner from 1930. Oh and celebrated bestselling novel by Erich Maria Remarque.

2022 vision, hindsight and Netflix have generously provided an authentic remake told from the German point of view. How refreshing.

Directed by Edward Berger and starring a host of deliberately fresh faces we are witness to a group of just-graduated friends excitedly signing up to join the Western front in 1917.

I won’t redundantly talk about the horrors of war but, Jesus, seeing these kids happily sold a lie only to discover within hours (within hours) that they’ve been duped is just traumatising.

If you don’t have time for the film just watch the first 10 minutes. It curtly demonstrates the absolute human debris of a politician’s fight, with the aid of a simple name tag. It’s a powerful  tactic. Hundreds of thousands of boys are carelessly extinguished over that front line within seconds. Actually, watch the last 10 minutes as armistice approaches.  It’s sickening. Actually watch it all.

10 Abominable Thumbs Up 👍🏻