All Quiet on the Western Front: A Timely Update of Timeless Material

There is a reason why a fair amount of high school reading lists have All Quiet on the Western Front on them. It is a classic work of literature that chronicles the horrors of World War I and the ramifications beyond the battlefield. As the book has aged, regrettably, the lessons of the book have not been heeded and continue to be topical, even close to a century later. This latest adaptation on Netflix manages to capture the essence of the book in a way that updates it for modern audiences.

This adaptation of All Quiet on the Western Front is pretty faithful to the book and follows Paul Bäumer and his friends as they enlist in the German army to fight in World War I. Once they reach the front, they learn that war is not as glamorous as the propaganda made it seem as they are exposed to the worst man-made horrors seen in human history up until that point.

The movie is a success because of how well it manages to take the book’s sense of helplessness and translate it to live action. One of the key aspects of the book is the chaotic and brutal nature of war which is portrayed just through sheer sensory overload in the movie. It may seem like it is just noise or a lot is going on, however, this decision does a lot to keep with the “messaging” (messaging in quotes because author Erich Maria Remarque said that the book is not designed to take sides, just portray things as they were) of the original book.

The movie’s take on nationalism is a little on the softer side, not because it is not an important issue, but because it is more subtly interlaced throughout the entire film. While the opening about honoring the idea of war is still there, nationalism really comes through somewhat clearly in response to the failing efforts on the front as peace negotiations with the French are going on. It is a juxtaposition of the propaganda (specifically those who have bought in) and the reality of the situation is a stark contrast that works in the film.

The portrayal of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder is also carried over from the book to the movie, even though it was not called that at the time. The book identifies the disorder as a result of the new technological advancements in how to quickly and efficiently kill large numbers of people, which the movie also does very well.

All Quiet on the Western Front will probably take home Best International Feature in a few weeks at the Academy Awards, following its nomination for Best Picture as well. It is a German movie so it will need to be watched with subtitles which may be an issue for some viewers. That said, the movie is on Netflix included with the subscription so most viewers will be able to watch the movie at no additional cost to them.

Final Rating: 9/10