Review of All Quiet on the Western Front (1930) by Chris W — 29 Jul 2011

Not only is this a great adaptation of a wonderful book, but it holds up as just a great film in its own right.

I don't know what other films were nominated, but I can see why this won Best Picture way back in the day. It's a very powerful and haunting anti-war film that looks at World War I through the eyes of an (at first) idealistic young German student.

This film is over 80 years old, but it holds up remarkably well, Not only is the message timeless, but, aside from the quality of the print, this could pass for something far younger than what it is. The battle scenes are well staged (complete with some speeding up to give them a disorienting, chaotic quality), and the black and white cinematography really adds to the starkness and devastation that comes hand in hand with war.

The performances are pretty good, and desite having to tone down the content, there's still several very unforgettable sequences and images, and the film still manages to get its point across and be very unsettling at times.

You should really give this film a watch. It's a fine adaptation, and just excellent filmmaking in general. It is old, but it's still relevant and is one of the finest war-related films to ever be released.