All Quiet on the Western Front

Rating: 4.75/5

I'm a little behind on my review writing for my Oscar Best Picture Winners watch through. As I write this, I've just finished watching Gone With the Wind, which was winner number 12 in the lineup. Of the ones that I've watched so far, I would say that hands down, All Quiet on the Western Front has been my biggest surprise.

I've mentioned it before, but war films have never been my favorite genre. Many times, I watch movies for the purposes of escapism, and on especially difficult days, I usually find myself watching a Nora Ephron favorite or something nostalgic from my childhood-All Quiet on the Western Front is clearly neither of those two things, but I am pleased to say that I greatly enjoyed this movie. Well, perhaps "enjoyed" is the incorrect word for such an important and impactful film as this, so let me rephrase that to, I greatly appreciated and was awed by this movie.

I love classic film, but I knew this Oscar Challenge was going to present me with movies that I wouldn't classify as favorites, and I genuinely thought this was going to be one of them. Based on its reputation, I had a feeling I was going to be impressed by it, but not find myself liking it. How ignorant I was prior to seeing this stunning piece of cinema.

What struck me the most in All Quiet on the Western Front was its acting, cinematography, and ability to genuinely get under my skin and impact me to my core. To see a group of young school boys, keen with excitement for fighting for their country, be blasted into the reality and horrors of war as they watch their boyhood friend be struck blind by an explosion and then riddled with bullets, is a scene filled with strife that is painted in a gut wrenchingly clear picture by the actors in this film. Though this movie is almost a century old, the performances feel as real as if they'd happened only moments ago.

All Quiet on the Western Front is an incredibly well made movie, though I'm not sure if it will be one that I will be readily be watching again anytime soon. The scenes of war caused devastation are still fresh in my mind, such as the phenomenal sequence when you, the viewer, follow a singular pair of boots as they are passed on from fallen soldier to soldier. It's a film that proves that no amount of time can tarnish truly impeccable filmmaking.

1930 Best Picture Winner-All Quiet on the Western Front

1930 Best Director Winner-Lewis Milestone