All Quiet on the Western Front [DVD]

NB: As is Amazon's Wont, they've very unhelpfully bundled all the reviews for various editions and formats together.There's a reason that Lewis Milestone's All Quiet On the Western Front is still the best remembered of all the many films about the horrors of the First World War despite rarely being revived on television: it really IS a great and often very moving film that plants itself firmly in the memory. While WW1 movies had been gradually moving into darker territory as the silent era came to an end, perhaps only J'Accuse had dealt with the bitter disillusionment so many felt at the time quite so graphically. In that, All Quiet was aided at the time by having its lost generation on the losing side - British, French and American films would deal with the horrors of trench life but would still regard them as a price worth paying for victory. It would not be until the 1960s that futility on both sides would become the cinematic norm.Filmed on a truly epic scale with a striking visual fluidity that was still unusual for an early talkie thanks to Arthur Edeson's pioneering cinematography, after the initial establishing scenes there's no real story, simply a succession of incidents as its group of schoolboy recruits are gradually killed off. As impressive as these incidents are, the film wouldn't be nearly as effective if the characters didn't convince, and the film is anchored by a superb lead performance from Lew Ayres as the idealistic young schoolboy who gradually becomes a shell of his former self, with excellent support from Louis Wolheim as the old soldier who takes him and his friends under his wing. Wisely replacing the flashback structure of Erich Maria Remarque's book with a chronological narrative, rather than introducing the characters as the cynical survivors they become, the film gradually shows their idealism worn away. While the attack and counter-attack sequences are still incredibly vivid, breathtakingly edited and surprisingly violent - in one memorable shot an explosion leaves only a pair of severed hands clinging to barbed wire - the real horror almost seems to be the way the characters adapt to their dehumanising conditions at the front to such an extent that they no longer fit in at home when they do get leave. It becomes impossible to imagine a life after the war so completely have they been consumed by it.Ironically the film's most famous scene is nowhere to be found in the novel. Remarque never describes the final death: his body is simply discovered, appearing to be at peace. Milestone opted for something more explicitly powerful, but not without much trial and error. After at least seven scripted versions had been rejected, another ending of Paul hallucinating of French and German troops marching into the same grave and crying out in anguish before being shot by a sniper had been filmed but satisfied no-one - the studio wanted a happy ending (Milestone jokingly suggested having the Germans win!) while Milestone hated the rushes: it was cinematographer Karl Freund who suggested that the ending should be `as simple as a butterfly.' Hastily shot by Freund with Milestone's own hand standing in for Ayres, the iconic scene would become one of cinema's most enduring moments. Yet perhaps even more moving is the film's closing shot of the boys marching up the line to death, their faces superimposed over their graves as they look back at the camera and the audience without life and without hope. It still packs an incredible emotional punch more than three-quarters of a century later.It's a shame there isn't a documentary to accompany the film on DVD or Blu-ray, as the film's history is fascinating (Andrew Kelly's book Filming All Quiet On the Western Front gives an excellent account). Numerous scenes were reshot with different cast members - ZaSu Pitts' scenes as Paul's mother were reshot with Beryl Mercer because Pitts had just had a comedy on release and the studio were afraid audiences would laugh when they saw her - while the film was exhibited in both sound and silent versions. Future directors Fred Zinnemann and Robert Parrish were extras in the film while an uncredited George Cukor was the film's dialogue coach. The film was banned in several countries in Europe before WW2 (New Zealand was the first country to ban it, on the bizarre grounds that it was `not entertainment' and therefore `unsuitable for public exhibition'!) and attacked by McCarthy as Communist propaganda after it when he included the Russian-born Milestone in his list of the 19 most `dangerous' subversives in the film industry.The film's German premiere was disrupted by the Nazis, who even released mice in the theatre and organized several days of riots that successfully got the film banned in Germany to `preserve public order.' Over the subsequent years music was added to some scenes and the film was heavily cut with each reissue, even turned into an anti-Nazi pro-war propaganda film in 1939 by the judicious deletion of certain scenes and the addition of newsreel footage of Nazi rallies and book-burnings. Yet ironically the film's restoration was largely based on the longest surviving print, which had been found in Joseph Goebbels private collection - while he publicly attacked the film, he genuinely admired its artistry.The version on DVD is still missing a few minutes of footage, some of which has been subsequently restored to 35mm prints and the Blu-ray release, but it's still well worth picking up. However, if you have a Blu-ray player, the BD version is definitely the way to go: the sound version is some two minutes longer and the improvement in picture quality is astonishing. It also includes the silent version, which uses some alternate takes and different edits, as well as a reissue trailer, brief introduction by Robert Osborne and a couple of anniversary featurettes on universal Pictures. The limited first edition also come in a handsome hardback digibook with booklet featuring rare stills and telegrams.

Remarque's book was a masterpiece of detailing the slaughter of the Great War, and this film is a learning experience to those who would glorify any war. It shows graphically the reason why trench warfare is so futile, why the killing of hundreds of thousands of good men in war is such a stupid waste, and how generations of good people, soldiers and civilians alike, and their lives, whether surviving or not, can be totally lost to war.This film is stark. Being in black and white, it feels all the more cruel. It was burned into my memory after first viewing it as a young child. In my opinion, it should be standard viewing in all school curriculums at an early age, so, just like me, all are influenced by it.If you ever watch a film about the horrors of world war one trench warfare, make it this film. Don't be put off by the production date of 1930. This film in its content, portrayal, re-enactment, and acting performances, has never been bettered by any of the more modern re-makes.This film was made at a time when the horrors of the Great War were only too fresh in everyones mind, with plenty of surviving active participants still being around.There are a few small irks. First, the American accents do not do the film any favours. Second, the DVD version is cut. In the original film there were two scenes of a maxim gun cutting down soldiers. The first is retained, showing French soldiers being mown down by the trench mounted gun. The second scene, with British troops on the receiving end of the maxim gun, with its outer casing wrapped and being cooled by poured on water, has been cut.Other than the above irks, this is about as close as it gets on film to the real thing. In particular note the church yard scene, with shells whistling down on advancing troops and uprooting graves. Just the sight of this gave me the shivers....what hell those brave souls must have gone through.This film is a classic gem. It was made by a generation with different values than those of today, and is totally worthy of its oscar award. Because of this, the film has a completely different feel than any modern WW1 rendition you will ever see. This film shows the stark sense of realism and misery subjected to those poor souls on both sides that had to endure the unendurable, many paying with their lives, like cattle to the slaughter, whilst actively participating in the carnage of men that was the Great War.Despite being observed from the German perspective, this film can move anyone, German or otherwise, literally to tears at the depravity inflicted on such young decent men whose innocence and high ideals were smashed by the ugliness of war.This film is well acted and presented in a way that aims to give the plain truth. Milestone has tried his utmost to make the film look and feel like it did in reality, with a more memorable and poigniant ending than the book, and without any attempt at tarting up the script or filling in with nonesense action sequences. Additionally, you feel how individuals in the film gradually through loss of comrades, and the perpetual grinding down on them of the war, start to lose their minds, becoming resigned to an endless futile war that can only result in death for all.It is a testimony to how the Great War changed the lives and outlook of those participating and involved in it, to the extent that a post war return to the more slower gentle life known prior to the wars outset was no longer possible. It is clear, for example, how Paul, returning home on leave, no longer feels at home, and how he despairs at that loss, having been replaced completely by a burning desire to remain at the fighting front (his new home), with his fellow comrades in arms (his new family); this despite his mothers illness and embracing love for her son who she knows is in great danger despite Pauls aspersions to the conterary.The confrontation by Paul with the schoolmaster who filled their heads with tales of glory, after only Paul remains intact, the remainder having deserted, been killed in action, maimed, or driven mad, is indeed a lesson to all those who would glorify war.What is clear too is how armchair soldiers consider the ongoing campaign without any knowledge or concept at all for the true horrors experienced everyday by men like Paul at the front, who, whilst on leave, would not say anything about their suffering and cover up the events surrounding the loss of comrades for lack of understanding, disbelief, or want of being branded a coward or directly responsible for their deaths.Having seen this film as a boy, I learned something. It is something that everyone who sees this film should learn, and it is this; there are better things for mankind to do in this world than butcher each other, and war is not an adventure of any kind just as death is not an adventure.At the end of the film the young soldiers marching to the front, each turning, and on film the ghost of a white gravestone superimposed over each soldiers smiling face sent shivers down my spine. This acts as an exemplification of the sheer waste of this war, and a warning to others who would attempt to follow the same route.Because of the hard hitting performance of this film as an anti war film, Hitler banned the airing of this film in Germany. However, Gorbbels kept a copy of this film in his own personal film archive, from where most of the prints have subsequently been taken. It is a pity that Herr Hitler, rather than banning it, did not heed the films message. After all, he, like Remarque, and a generation, was also damaged by WW1, having been known to his WW1 trench comrades as a ranting fool. But rather than that, he set off along the same route, almost destroying Germany completely.As a consequence of Remarques's book being made into such a potent anti war film, and in his absence, Remarque's own sister was convicted by a Nazi kangeroo court and executed. The remainder of his family and relatives fled Germany.Anyone contemplating the glorification of war should watch this film. After it, they will certainly have a different perspective.

I first saw this as a young boy, and couldn't understand why I empathised with these soldiers when they were German. And then I watched transfixed, and when the ending came that clinched it - it was, and remains till this day, very close to my heart. It permanently changed me as young person and my moral compass and my view of the world. It was that important. It also helped fire up my love of great cinema and how total an experience a great film can be.And of course, it was made very close to the real events, and has that touch of realism that films made now cannot reach back and grasp.Too many highlights to list here - the individual stories, the great scenes (alone in a foxhole with a frenchman he's killed etc) - but what is permanenty etched on my mind is the view from behind a row of machine guns as they mow down the men running towards them.This goes beyond cinema - a great novel, a great film, and a kind of testament of the 20th century that will simply endure

SEE HEADLINE I have read the book , in English, and it is excellent After the book, I was a little disappointed in this version of the film, but shall buy the filmed this year version

It's years since I first watched this classic and they've cleaned up the film as though from made from new. I watched the remake only a week ago and although good it doesn't hold a candle to the original which I watched again yesterday on DVD and it was even better than I remember.

Terrific BluRay edition of Masterpiece x thank you

The original classic anti war movie can't be beat. Yes the Richard Thomas & Ernest Borgnine remake in the late 70's was good, but the feel of this one just couldn't be quite reached. Even the effects were good for the day!

Wonderful and great story.I love to watch action and war movies.Thank you.

The story/characters were not developed as I had expected. Action scenes were good, especially considering the time of the making of the film. However, I had unfortunately expected a higher grade production. Probably very good for 1930.