All Quiet on the Western Front (Universal Cinema Classics)
by Lewis Milestone
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Actor: Arnold Lucy, Ben Alexander, John Wray, Lew Ayres, Louis WolheimDirector: Lewis Milestone
Brand: NBC Universal
Writer: Lewis Milestone
Writer: C. Gardner Sullivan
Writer: Del Andrews
Writer: Erich Maria Remarque
Writer: George Abbott
Writer: Maxwell Anderson
Writer: Walter Anthony
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Unknown), Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono; French (Subtitled); English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono; French (Original Language); German (Original Language); Latin (Original Language)
Format: Black & White, Dolby, Full Screen, NTSC, Original recording remastered, Restored
Picture Format: 1.33:1
Running Time: 136 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2007-02-06
Audience Rating: Unrated
Studio: Universal Studios
DVD Reviews of All Quiet on the Western Front (Universal Cinema Classics)
DVD Review: Let us all Strangle war and bury in the depths of the earth.
Summary: 5 Stars
Volunteering in WWI must not have been dissimilar to the views teenagers now have about Hollywood, and its offered excessive lifestyle. As this war rages on, teachers deceive these German teens of the benefits of war, and their innocent visualization of the war is much more grand and eclectic than the blind patriot's vision of success in battle. The instructor's bellowing statements about war send such excitement in these inexperienced teenager's hearts that they suddenly picture themselves in full army gear, riding in a car with the most beautiful of women. Not far from the school, the often snapped at postman, Himmelstoss, reveals that he will be leaving his job for the army-transitioning from this menial job to a sergeant. As these teens amazement of war and its "luxuries" increases, the entire class enlists in the army.
Their dreams of army life are quickly crushed as postman Himmelstoss, now Sergeant Himmelstoss, enforces strict discipline that puts the army life in perspective for the boys. As they progress to the battlefield and view the hardships, such as hunger, depression, and bombardment, they fully come to grip with the realities of war. As these young men's fate is clearly shown, we view each of their tragedies, the death of a few, the survival of the rest, and the incompatibility of these survivors in relating to their prior environment, friends, and families.
All Quiet on The Western Front is the truest form of condemnation of an issue on film. It very cleverly skews its direction away from condemning any nation, and rather admonishes the act of engaging in war. This is a tactic that earlier, and later, films did employ; however, this film's adamancy in establishing its philosophy has been imitated, but never bettered. There is not one single second of the film which it halts its mission of condemning the men behind war. In one particularly effective scene, one soldier wonders how WWI began, and who was responsible for its onset. As this scene progresses, one of the soldiers says that he does not hate the enemy as he has never before met an Englishman or a Russian, and in retrospect they most likely have never before met a German. The Brutality of war is effectively implied in this very scene. The reason soldiers kill is not due to any internal disposition toward violence, but rather because men do more evils to men they are unfamiliar with, especially if they are of another nationality, which they may not be able to relate to, due to the language and cultural barrier. Interestingly, the film even discounts such a view, which it seemed to propose in the first half of the film. After the main character, Paul, finally commits a crime on the battlefield-though cold-blooded war enthusiasts may not regard it as a crime-he pleads to the fallen soldier to stand up, to speak, or at to forgive him. As he searches through the man's pockets, he finds a picture of his wife and child, and pleads that for forgiveness; but, the lifeless corpse lacks the will to respond. Back at the base, the other commanders moralize with Paul, and as expected agree that in war such tenderness toward the enemy will eventually disappear.
The film does not even attempt to condemn the savage Himmelstoss whose new found glory has transformed him in to another person. He may be presented as a cruel man who has lost touch with himself and has transformed himself to a lowly authoritarian, but in reality his possibly achievable respect in this new position, in addition to his authority over dozens of young men, has made him oblivious to the true nature of his actions-and the abomination that his actions presents in the young men. Himmelstoss does not escape the wrath of these young men for long, and they eventually do avenge themselves against his senseless superiority which on the battlefield seems frivolous. In these instances, we begin to have sympathy as his need for affirmation becomes clear, and we pity him and our disgust is washed away. The distaste of the film centers on war, as if war was a criminal who could be executed. It wants to chock it, to shame it, to despise its success (at times) in the economic department, and to sentence this abomination to death. The film is intrigued in dealing with war not as a concept, but as a being, one that can be condemned, sentenced, and eventually hung.
As Paul temporarily returns home, he sees that the dangers of the battlefield were tolerable compared to the different ideologies of the men of his childhood. Everyone from his father to the old Professor contends that the German's can push into Paris, and conquer them. It shows that not only did they lack the understanding of war back then, but that they still are oblivious to its harm. The sad truth is that men of the battlefield, especially during the two World Wars, are unable to return home because a considerable amount of their memories and friendships-along with their hardships and laughter-occurred on the field, making life difficult to adapt to; especially for these men who left organized society during the early years of their adulthood. The film leaves itself open to some criticism by portraying Germans with an American cast; however, it is not the language or accents that deters in turning this film into the classic it deserves to be. The interest in philosophical dialogue on the nature of war, emotions, honesty, and singular focus makes All Quiet on The Western Front one of the boldest anti-war film in memory.
Description of All Quiet on the Western Front (Universal Cinema Classics)
Relive the drama, conflict and power of one of the most influential anti-war films ever made - All Quiet on the Western Front. Universal's first Best Picture Academy Award winner is now available in its original glory with a digitally remastered picture restored by the Library of Congress. Follow a group of idealistic young men as they join the German Army during World War I and are assigned to the Western Front, where their patriotism is destroyed by the harsh realities of combat. The hard-hitting, timeless masterpiece returns with stunning visual enhancement to its deserving place in film history! " ****! Time hasn't dimmed its power, or poignancy, one bit." (Leonard Maltin) Starring: Lew Ayres, Louis Wolheim, John Wray, Arnold Lucy, Ben Alexander, Slim Summerville Directed by: Lewis MilestoneIf a classic movie can be measured by the number of indelible images it burns into the collective imagination, then All Quiet on the Western Front's status is undisputed. Since its release in 1930 (and Oscar win for best picture), this film's saga of German boys avidly signing up for World War I battle--and then learning the truth of war--has been acclaimed for its intensity, artistry, and grown-up approach. Director Lewis Milestone's technical expertise is already stunning in the great opening sequence, as a professor exhorts his students to volunteer for the glory of the Fatherland while troops march past the windows. Erich Maria Remarque's novel is faithfully followed, but Milestone's superbly composed frames make it physical: the first battle scene, with the camera prowling the trenches as they fill with death and chaos, was surely the Saving Private Ryan of its day. The cast is strong, with little-known Lew Ayres finding stardom in the lead (Ayres became a pacifist and conscientious objector during World War II; although he served in battle as a medic, the stance harmed his career). And the images are indelible: Ayres' lonely look back at the disappearing troop truck; the blinded soldier who runs into enemy fire at night; the fine pair of boots wasted on a boy with an amputated leg; and the final, devastating seconds, arguably the defining cinematic image of war in the 20th century. --Robert Horton
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