REVIEW: All Quiet on the Western Front, One of the Best Pictures of the Year

All Quiet on the Western Front starring Felix Kammerer as Paul Bäumer, chronicles the emotionally heavy saga of a young German soldier who has bitten off more than he can chew in 1917 when fudging his parent’s signature on a draft card putting him on the Western Front of World War I.

Directed by Edward Berger and based on the bestseller of the same name by Erich Maria Remarque as the first-ever German adaptation, the story follows Paul and his companions who are seemingly not ready for the experiences that await them. After the bustling optimistic draft initiation, they are donned in fresh uniforms that they don’t realize have just been tailored, cleaned, and stripped from the blood-soaked bodies of those that just died days before defending the front line.

The film also stars Albrecht Schuch (Stanislaus ‘Kat’ Katczinsky), Aaron Hilmer (Albert Kropp), Moritz Klaus (Franz Müller), Edin Hasanovic (Tjaden Stackfleet), Adrian Grünewald (Ludwig Behm), Thibault De Montalembert (General Ferdinand Foch), Daniel Brühl (Matthias
Erzberger), and Devid Striesow (General Friedrich).

All Quiet on the Western Front is a major breakout role for Felix Kammerer who is new to the big screen. A stage actor and native to Vienna, Austria, Kammerer who read 15 books on World War I and had to take voice lessons to get a German accent just right, is the son and prodigy of two opera singers, Hans Peter Kammerer and Angelika Kirchschlager. Felix received his start with the Hörbiger youth ensemble and went on to train at the Ernst Busch Academy of Dramatic Arts in Berlin. He then went on to gain experience working with the Maxim Gorki Theater and then as a permanent member of the Burgtheater ensemble before landing his first lead role in what some are saying could take home the award for best picture as well as a slew of awards from nine other categories at the Oscars. All Quiet on the Western Front is the only non-English-language movie to make this year’s list of 10 nominees for best picture.

The story opens with a young soldier, Heinrich Gerber, who is fighting on the front line and running past bodies as he makes his way toward French soldiers before he meets his untimely demise in a mass grave, not before having his uniform stripped away, blood soaked, only to land into the hands of Paul to start the process over. The story takes us into the excitement and unknowing rapture of young teens who want to fight for their country and possibly win over a girl or two who are not ready for the deadly and horrific realities of war.

No more than 25 kilometers away from the Western Front in Chermizy, the soldiers are met for the first time with grenades and bodies as they hear “Gas!” and scramble for their protective masks. We see Paul reach to help another soldier before putting on his own mask and he is made to wear his even after the false alarm and drill are over in what seems to be a lesson for not getting his mask on fast enough. The men are then led to the trenches where they are made to use their helmets to help drain the flooding rainwater which is quickly rising to their knees. Paul has his first interaction with Katczinsky who offers a few words and some water which is the first moment of humanity that he experiences since heading to the front lines.

Before Paul knows it, they are screaming “The French are coming,” and bodies are mangled including his childhood friend. Paul finds himself blasted and waking up as he’s pulled out from rubble at the next hint of daylight and the war persists for over a year and a half until negotiations begin with an almost vindicated French. French dignitaries offer liberal politician Erzberger 72 hours to admit defeat on France’s terms and a meeting happens in the middle of the woods on a train in Compiègne much to the despair of General Friedrich who wants to have the soldiers fight till the end. The 72 hours cannot come soon enough as bodies continue to accumulate and we see the atrocities of war while leaders are contemplating and filled with doubt on whether their somewhat stale croissants were made fresh that day in the middle of a war zone.

All Quiet on the Western Front is a massive undertaking and a masterpiece in war storytelling. Cinematically beautiful the film boasts these muted greys, greens, and browns with sharp contrast making the blood-spilled red and flesh tones bounce off the screen giving air to the humanity trying to break through on the battlefield. The film is deeply immersive with the help of incredible photography by James Friend, and Sven Budelmann on editing, score by composer Volker Bertelmann, authentic costuming by designer Lisy Christl, and production design by Christian M. Goldbeck.

The cast naturally comes together in this epic drama and Felix Kammerer holds his own as a newcomer and is incredibly natural on camera. He has an unspoken innocence as he melts into the character of Paul. Albrecht Schuch is endearing as Kat who becomes a friend to Paul as he tries to lead the men to maybe not a likely victory, but definitely a chance at survival. There are so many moments between Kat and Paul that weave a bigger story than the one on the battlefield; one of brotherhood, kindness, and bravery.

All Quiet on the Western Front is in select theaters and streaming now on Netflix. Watch the trailer below.