Film Review: All Quiet on the Western Front (2022)
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Image source: Netflix
By Seth Marshall
Easily the best war-related film in the last two years, All Quiet on the Western Front is an excellent adaptation of Erich Maria Remarque’s classic eponymous novel. Directed by Edward Berger, the newest adaptation of the novel doesn’t flinch from showing the horrors of the First World War, showcases superb acting by a mostly unknown cast, and uses excellent cinematography to tell the story of Paul Bäumer, the main character. A notice to readers; some of the details discussed below will give away elements of the plot, so consider yourself warned against spoilers.
From the outset, it should be said that the film is not an exact retelling of the novel; there are a number of key differences. At the start of Remarque’s novel, Bäumer is already a veteran of the Western Front. We are never told when the start of the novel is set, but it seems likely that it is supposed to be later in 1916 or early in 1917, which would be appropriate, as Remarque himself was sent to the Western Front in spring 1917. The novel also begins with the story of Franz Kemmerich, a soldier who has lost his leg to shrapnel and eventually dies in the hospital. Berger’s film opens by depicting a German infantry charge, focusing on a soldier named Heinrich. Heinrich, clearly horrified by the death of several of his comrades and terrified by what is taking place around him, pushes forward and is eventually killed. The film then makes a point of showing Heinrich’s uniform being removed, boiled, dried, patched, and present to Bäumer, then the new recruit. We also see Paul and his comrades, eager to join the war, excitedly march off towards the front- this depiction presents somewhat of a problem; it’s unlikely that such a positive attitude would have been found among new recruits in 1917- this depiction is much more like how the new soldiers marched off to war in 1914. The new film also includes a number of characters and subplots not seen in the movie. One is the story of Matthias Erzberger, a German politician portrayed by Daniel Brühl who was responsible for leading the German delegation at the signing of the Armistice, which ended the shooting. Another is the fictional character of General Friedrichs, played by Devid Striesow, who refuses admit defeat and continues to order his men into executing pointless last-ditch assaults which all fail. Friedrichs character recalls the generals in Stanley Kubrick’s Paths of Glory, who having never visited the front and seen the tactical realities for themselves, continue sending their men to their deaths.
A third significant change is that a large portion of the novel is spent following Bäumer as he takes leave from the front and returns to his home village, where he feels himself a foreigner in his own hometown. In the novel, Bäumer finds himself completely unable to relate to almost anyone at home; most people simply have no concept of what conditions were really like at the front. The only exceptions are Bäumer’s mother, who is deeply concerned for her son and seems to understand that he has fundamentally changed, and a handful of other veterans around town who have spent time at the front. This portion is excluded from the film, as is another portion of the novel which sees Bäumer sent to a hospital for a period of time after being wounded in the arm.
Paul Baumer is remarkably portrayed by Newcomer Felix Kamerer. Image Source: Netflix.
The horrors of war are at the forefront in this film. image source: netflix
Perhaps the largest difference between the novel and the film is that rather than taking place over the course of months, possibly years, the film is mostly set during the last four days of the First World War. Much of the film follows Bäumer and his squad as they take part in an attack on the French lines on November 9th- initially successful, the French counterattack with St. Chamond tanks (replicas built on much more modern BMP infantry fighting vehicles) and flamethrowers. Two of Bäumer’s friends are killed, including one burned down by a flamethrower while attempting to surrender. Neither side appears interested in taking prisoner; Bäumer is absolutely horrified by the graphic nature of his comrades’ deaths. We then see him fall into a crater alone, where he mortally wounds a French soldier with his knife but is forced to listen to the man slowly succumb to his wounds, an episode taken straight from the novel.
In general, though the film is not an exact retelling of the novel, it fully captures Remarque’s ideas while retaining the characters, substance, and a number of anecdotes from the book. The film’s director, Edward Berger, and cinematographer, James Friend, have done a magnificent job of selecting shots and scenes which tell the story so very well. An intensely melancholic soundtrack underscores the themes of the film. The most surprising element of the film’s production is that the actor portraying Paul, Felix Kamerer, has never previously appeared in a film, but delivered a superb performance. Kamerer is backed up in his role as Paul Bäumer by seasoned actors Albrecht Schuch and Daniel Brühl, playing Stanislaus “Kat” Katczinsky and Matthias Erzberger respectively, who both stand out in their performances. The supporting cast don’t blend into the background either; their characters all seem very real and relatable. In comparison to 1917, All Quiet on the Western Front reflects the direct experiences of someone who fought in the First World War and was left psychologically devastated by their experiences. This is not to say that that 1917 is not an excellent film, for it certainly is; 1917 stands as more of a reflection of memories of the First World War, told from the British (and thus a winning) perspective. The two are by far the best adaptations on the subject of the First World War in perhaps decades, but they do come from fundamentally different backgrounds.
As an aside, though All Quiet on the Western Front was by far the most successful novel which came out of the First World War period, perhaps the most successful memoir in Germany was Storm of Steel, by Ernst Jünger. Unlike Remarque, Jünger recalled his extensive war experience as hugely revealing experience, and not as a purely negative period in his life. Comparing the two authors next to one another, they stand as nearly opposites. Remarque was conscripted into the German Army in 1916 at age 18, joined the 15th Reserve Infantry Regiment at the Western Front on June 26, 1917, and was only at the front for a little over a month before being seriously wounded during the Battle of Passchendaele. He would spend nearly the rest of the war in hospitals; he is finally released from the hospital a week before the war ends. By contrast, Jünger joins the German Army just after the outbreak of war in 1914 at age 19, joining the 73rd Hanoverian Regiment at the front in December 1914. Over the course of the war, he advances in rank to Captain and eventually commanded a company of elite storm troopers (infantry specializing in breakthrough tactics during the First World War) during the German Spring Offensive in March 1918. He was wounded seven times in the war, most seriously in August 1918. Jünger found out in the hospital that he had been awarded the Pour le Mérite, Germany’s highest award for valor. After the war, both men’s views did not ingratiate them with the Nazi regime that took power in 1933- Remarque’s books were outright banned, and he eventually moved first to Switzerland and then the US. Jünger, whose book was not seen as anti-war or political, did not leave the country but served again in the German Army during World War II, before being forced to resign in 1944 following the assassination attempt on Hitler because of his anti-regime activities. Both men continued to write for the remainder of their lives, Jünger in particular becoming well-known in Germany for his philosophical works; Remarque would die in 1970 at age 72; Jünger would live all the way until 1998, finally dying at age 102 despite all of his wounds received 80 years earlier.
erich maria remarque, picutred after the war. image source: bundesarchiv.
Ernst junger poses in his uniform in this post wwi photo. photo source: bundesarchiv.
Overall, the latest iteration of All Quiet on the Western Front is an outstanding film, perhaps one of the best of 2022. It retains the anti-war message of the novel, that “this book is neither an accusation nor a confession, and least of all not an adventure, for death is not an adventure to those who face it.” It is a very human and at times personal experience which provides one of the best glimpses into the conditions faced by many infantrymen in the First World War. I cannot recommend this film more highly.
Sources
1. Remarque, Erich Maria. All Quiet on the Western Front. Translated by A. W. Wheen, Random House Trade Paperbacks, 2013.
2. Jünger Ernst. Storm of Steel . Translated by Michael Hoffman, Penguin Books, 2016.
3. Ruggenberg, Rob. The Heritage of the Great War / First World War 1914 - 1918, https://greatwar.nl/frames/default-hitlere.html.