REVIEW: ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT

4/5

Im Westen Nichts Neues.

147 Mins. Starring: Felix Kammerer, Albrecht Schuch, Sebastian Hülk, Aaron Hilmer, Edin Hasanovic, Devid Striesow. & Daniel Brühl. Director: Edward Berger. 

1929. German World War I veteran Erich Maria Remarque's remarkable novel 'All Quiet On The Western Front' journals the true horrors and physical and emotional casualties of war by the book. 1930. It's already adapted into an Academy Award nominated movie of the same name a year later, directed by Lewis Milestone. A milestone in itself, being century named to the generational '100 Years...100 Movies' list by the American Film Institute. 1979. It was same name adapted again by another American, Delbert Mann. This time for TV. 2022. And 'All Quiet On The Western Front' is adapted once more unto the breach for streaming service Netflix, but this time with authenticity by a German (the good and great 'Deutschland 83' and 'Patrick Melrose' director Edward Berger). As this 2023 Best Picture nominee looks to do for young acting talent Felix Kammerer what Sam Mendes' '1917' did for 'Defiance' and 'Captain Fantastic' actor George MacKay a few January's ago. 

Last time out, reviewing 'You People' we remarked on how Netflix struggles on the small-screen with their big-budget, blockbuster mainstream movies compared to a series of successfully streamed shows. Names like 'The Gray Man' and 'The Man From Toronto' come to previously forgotten, "oh yeah" mind. There's nothing wrong with these pictures, but if cinema seats are really closing up, the table needs to be flipped on our primary source of popcorn. Before the service that will soon fine you for sharing with friends and family will be replaced like they did Blockbuster with their humble, home box-office by mail beginnings. The same can't be claimed for Netflix's prestige pictures that take aim at The Academy each year. It all started with the outcry after the Oscar ignorance towards 'Beasts Of No Nation' starring 'Luther' movie to be (seeing if he can break bad and make good on a TV to movie Netflix crossover) Elba, Idris Elba. 'Roma'. 'Mank'. 'The Irishman'. 'Marriage Story.' Even this year 'White Noise' and 'The Pale Blue Eye' were on the fringe like a 'Glass Onion', 'Knives Out Mystery'. 

Now it's 2020s 'All Quiet On The Western Front' sleeper hit that has everyone scrambling for each other's Netflix accounts (*holds hand*) to catch-up with a film that is a dark horse like a Katy Perry and Juicy J, Jeffrey Dahmer lyric in the 'Best Picture' Oscar race. Next to 'Avatar: The Way Of Water' ('Black Panther: Wakanda Forever' did it better with Namor), 'The Banshees Of Inisherin' (yes, please), 'Elvis' (yeah, baby), 'Everything, Everywhere, All At Once' (everybody's favourite), 'The Fablemans' (the 'E.T.' prequel no one saw coming), 'Tar' (Cate conducts herself with no peer), 'Top Gun: Maverick' (with a need for an Oscar seed), and the 'Triangle Of Sadness' and 'Women Talking' that you sorely need to see and hear (OK, we haven't yet. But over here, Japan doesn't even get 'Everything' until a few weeks after the ceremony). 

'Devotion' to telling war stories before they change history in class, so hopefully we can change our legacy (especially after last year), last week we also talked about this Netflix property about the Korean War, starring the great Jonathan Majors and 'Maverick' Glen Powell. Making a victory of its PG-13 rating, because sometimes we don't have to display war in the guts of all its blood and bullets, but maybe with something you can show at schools too. Still, with that being said, Berger's brutal but beautifully shot two and a half-hour epic is a necessary evil of violence. Keeping the integrity of Remarque's memoir and the forefather films. Looking to be the best yet as it looks to do the 'Best International Feature' and great film double like a South Korean 'Parasite'. Even if its nine Oscar nominations don't get a nod. It leads the gold face race at the 76th BAFTA's with 14.

'Im Westen Nichts Neus' and its compelling cinematography (James Friend, buddy) jars you with it's 'Saving Private Ryan' like imagery amongst tree's of Malick life like a raw 'Revenant', but also with the classic searing score by Volker Bertelmann (Hauschka himself) which feels and sounds like he borrowed the guitar off a White Stripe like 'Another Way To Die'. But it's the close-up of Kammerer's painful portrait on this picture that will stay with you like a flashbulb memory, evoking every emotion. Felix, and an accolade adorned, devastatingly good Albrecht Schuch are the emotional centre and the core of this movies band of brothers (Sebastian Hülk, Aaron Hilmer, Edin Hasanovic) camaraderie before the cruelty. One moment of true comradeship will stay with you like oil and mud soaked through the skin. But it's Devid Striesow who shows the pen-pushing true evil of those old men who send young to die at the simple stroke of something mightier than the sword. 

A 'Rush' of a Baron Zemo under the balaclava, Marvel famous face Daniel Brühl and his ever incredible and integral acting also signs up to sell this to the mainstream. Getting into the ink of the struggle for an agreement on an Armistice that's not part of the original text, but is one of the most important and influential pages in our history books. Blood-soaked uniforms coating the floors of cleaning houses in a river that runs red, before name tags are ripped out without ceremony. How beautiful the landscapes of battles really are like the poignant end to 'Blackadder Goes Forth', before trenches and terror are dug out of the soul in the soil. A fleet of foxes fleeing when they hear the foreboding. A truly harrowing and heartbreaking moment where pleading not to shoot is met with an even worse, abhorrent alternative. 

In the thin red line of truly great war movies, this belongs in the unflinching war chest with the ticking 'Dunkirk', the hell hath no scorn of 'Fury', a South Korean 'Brotherhood', Clint Eastwood showing respect to the other side in 'Letters From Iwo Jima' and of course the iconic 'Apocalypse Now'. 'All Quiet On The Western Front' has now become a saying that's part of modern day narratives. Michael Mann even uses it in the City of Angels before the 'Collateral' hell of a Tom Cruise club shoot-out in DTLA. But with 'Im Westen Nichts Neus', a new generation will finally get to learn about just what it means. Painfully loud and clear. TIM DAVID HARVEY. 

Further Filming: 'All Quiet On The Western Front (1930)', 'All Quiet On The Western Front (1979)', '1917'.