All Quiet on The Western Front

**Tiberius Tosi** · April 12, 2008, 10:12 PM

I saw this movie the other day (the 1929 version) and was actually really surpised at how good it was. It's about a German in WWI. The acting was pretty bad and it was corny at times but the battles were surprisingly good. It was almost eery how much it connected to WWII. Anyone else seen it, and if so what did you think of it? For those of you who haven't seen it, it was actually pretty good and I would recommend it.

Fun Fact: When the movie came out in Germany, Nazi supporters would release rats in theatres to keep people from seeing the movie since it was considered anti-war and anti-patriotic.

**boofhead** · April 12, 2008, 10:39 PM

It's a true classic. One of the best movies, ever.

The book, by Remarque, is equally classic.

**~~Kubelwagen~~** · April 12, 2008, 10:42 PM

I'm with boof, it's a hell of a film and an even better book.

**Prince_of_Macedon** · April 12, 2008, 11:09 PM

Extremely epic. I used to have the old black & white one on DVD as well as the 70's one (starring that kid from "The Waltons"). Both are really good movies in my opinion.

"All is Quiet on the Western Front" reminds me of "Starship Troopers." The big difference is that the characters in "Starship Troopers" saw the ugliness of war, and weren't really turned off by it.

**Flippy** · April 12, 2008, 11:52 PM

I saw this a few weeks back in my history class, it was the one in color though, but it was still very interesting

**Captain Blackadder** · April 13, 2008, 02:49 AM

Originally Posted by Tiberius Tosi

I saw this movie the other day (the 1929 version) and was actually really surpised at how good it was. It's about a German in WWI. The acting was pretty bad and it was corny at times but the battles were surprisingly good. It was almost eery how much it connected to WWII. Anyone else seen it, and if so what did you think of it? For those of you who haven't seen it, it was actually pretty good and I would recommend it.

Fun Fact: When the movie came out in Germany, Nazi supporters would release rats in theatres to keep people from seeing the movie since it was considered anti-war and anti-patriotic.

Well the battle scenes were so good because the film was made so close to world war one anyway so it has the certain perspective that could only come form the minds of people who had lived through it. Lewis Milestone is a genius film maker who did so much for the war genre.

Without diluting or denying any...criticisms, it should be said that from World War I to Korea, Milestone could put the viewer into the middle of a battlefield, and make the hellish confusion of it seem all too real to the viewer. Steven Spielberg noted as much when he credited Milestone's work as partial inspiration for Saving Private Ryan ...Lewis Milestone made significant contributions to (the genre of) the war film. (Mayo, Mike: War Movies: Classic Conflict on Film, Visible Ink Press, 1999.)

**Valus** · April 13, 2008, 02:56 AM

The book is one of my all time favorites and I would recommend it to those who have not read it, it is without a doubt one of the best descriptions of the reality of warfare there is..

**CaptainCernick** · April 13, 2008, 05:21 AM

I'm picking it up at the library tomorrow. Apparently, I'm not the only one wanting to see it, because I was on the waiting list for a few weeks!

**Last Roman** · April 13, 2008, 09:43 AM

I have yet to see the movie(s) but the book is my absolute favorite.

**MrMofo** · April 13, 2008, 11:09 AM

i believe hitler tried to kill the author, but he got away, and so he killed his wife instead.

**Last Roman** · April 13, 2008, 09:25 PM

Originally Posted by MrMofo

i believe hitler tried to kill the author, but he got away, and so he killed his wife instead.

not really. but he did get his German citizenship revoked.

**MrMofo** · April 14, 2008, 10:00 AM

Originally Posted by Last Roman

not really. but he did get his German citizenship revoked.

sorry, it was his sister

In 1933, Remarque's books were banned by the Nazi. Both anti-war All Quiet on the Western Front and politically neutral The Road Back (Der Weg zurueck) were among the works supposed to be publicly burnt in 1933 by the Nazi. The premiere of All Quiet... was disrupted by Nazi gangs. In 1938 Remarque lost his German citizenship and left Germany. In 1943 his sister was beheaded by the Nazi just for being associated with the world-famous writer.

**Dr. Croccer** · April 13, 2008, 11:38 AM

Hitler said that Remark was actually called Kramer and was Jewish. Bastard.

Im Westen Front nicht neues is arguably the best WWI movie around. Both the original and remake. And that's only scratching the surface.

**Axeman** · April 13, 2008, 09:30 PM

Its a classic book, give it a read whenever you can.

**Frédéric Chopin** · April 16, 2008, 01:03 AM

If you enjoyed All Quiet on the Western Front you should definitely see paths of glory. It has similar themes but from a French perspective.

**IronBrig4** · April 16, 2008, 04:51 PM

Originally Posted by Frédéric Chopin

If you enjoyed All Quiet on the Western Front you should definitely see paths of glory. It has similar themes but from a French perspective.

Paths of Glory was banned in Franco's Spain for being anti-war and anti-military as well. It seems that anti-war literature or films are anathema to fascist countries.

**Rapax** · April 16, 2008, 09:22 PM

It was also banned in France for a time because they didn't like the depiction of the french army.

**CaptainCernick** · April 19, 2008, 02:37 AM

Originally Posted by IronBrig4

Paths of Glory was banned in Franco's Spain for being anti-war and anti-military as well. It seems that anti-war literature or films are anathema to fascist countries.

Hardly surprising, considering these regimes practically festered on militarism and xenophobia.

I still haven't had the chance to see it, but it's lying right next to the DVD-player. I'll try to watch it tomorrow.