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All Quiet on the Western Front
Posted on 8/12/18 at 5:36 pm
Posted on 8/12/18 at 5:36 pm
Any of you baws seen this and can enlighten on its ranking so high amongst war movies?
I love war movies, generally my favorite genre of film when done properly. While ago I decided to look up the greats and watch the ones I hadn’t seen at all or hadn’t seen fully. I’ve since watched Apocolypse Now, Platoon, and today I watched All Quiet on the Western Front. I found it difficult to give the movie a fair critique because it’s 88 years old. I began to appreciate the work about 45 minutes in when it moved more to the theatre of war. I found the first 45 minutes a bit cheesy even for the time of production. I appreciate the movie for its depiction of trench warfare in WWI. More than anything it makes me wish someone would make a quality WWI movie using modern tech. Along the lines of Dunkirk for example would be great IMO.
Anyone who’s seen the movie, did I miss something about its greatness or is it in fact just “meh” and is elevated by critics?
I love war movies, generally my favorite genre of film when done properly. While ago I decided to look up the greats and watch the ones I hadn’t seen at all or hadn’t seen fully. I’ve since watched Apocolypse Now, Platoon, and today I watched All Quiet on the Western Front. I found it difficult to give the movie a fair critique because it’s 88 years old. I began to appreciate the work about 45 minutes in when it moved more to the theatre of war. I found the first 45 minutes a bit cheesy even for the time of production. I appreciate the movie for its depiction of trench warfare in WWI. More than anything it makes me wish someone would make a quality WWI movie using modern tech. Along the lines of Dunkirk for example would be great IMO.
Anyone who’s seen the movie, did I miss something about its greatness or is it in fact just “meh” and is elevated by critics?
12
Posted on 8/12/18 at 5:51 pm to DabosDynasty
I've always found it a bit overpraised myself, although in context you can understand the acclaim it's received.
This video clip is a segment from a documentary on how Hollywood reacted to WWI. It deals w/All Quiet and includes comments from director Lewis Milestone.
This video clip is a segment from a documentary on how Hollywood reacted to WWI. It deals w/All Quiet and includes comments from director Lewis Milestone.
Posted on 8/12/18 at 6:02 pm to DabosDynasty
quote:
did I miss something about its greatness
It's a celebrated film because it does a very good job capturing the almost heroic mindset of those going off to war before it all comes crashing down in front of them.
At the time, going off to war to serve your country in your fancy uniform was viewed as going on a great adventure. Then we get to the frontline and we see, for the first time, the carnage that a truly mechanized military is capable of. The bodycount from some of these battles were like nothing the world had ever seen.
It's long, but Dan Carlin's podcast does a better job explaining the mindset at the time.
LINK
Posted on 8/12/18 at 6:04 pm to Kafka
Thanks for the clip. That actually improves the movie to me. I didn’t catch the butterflies in his home, but tying that to the ending adds depth to the movie to me.
That’s sort of the thing I was hoping for. I was trying not to be too critical about the acting/dying when shot or bombed nearby because there’s been so much improvement in technology and acting since 1930. I was looking for something to help overshadow that element and explain the rave. The clip helped with that.
That’s sort of the thing I was hoping for. I was trying not to be too critical about the acting/dying when shot or bombed nearby because there’s been so much improvement in technology and acting since 1930. I was looking for something to help overshadow that element and explain the rave. The clip helped with that.
Posted on 8/12/18 at 6:39 pm to DabosDynasty
I read the book before I saw the movie so maybe that helped me. The book is quite good.
Posted on 8/12/18 at 6:52 pm to DabosDynasty
No historical example of the evil that is war is better than WWI.
The old lie. Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori.
The old lie. Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori.
Posted on 8/12/18 at 6:59 pm to Brosef Stalin
quote:
The book is quite good.
I’ll add the book to my list to read.
Posted on 8/12/18 at 7:03 pm to SCLibertarian
quote:
No historical example of the evil that is war is better than WWI.
We call the Korean War the Forgotten War, but we never really discuss WWI. I really wish we would start doing so much more often. It set the table for the most glorified war of all (WWII) after all. The whole world is vastly different because of what began with WWI.
Posted on 8/12/18 at 7:03 pm to DabosDynasty
As others have said, it had a particularly resonance to it back when it came out that is hard to get now.
We've had so many war is hell movies that even the action adventure shoot 'em ups will stop and shoot a quick scene to include the trope.
We've had so many war is hell movies that even the action adventure shoot 'em ups will stop and shoot a quick scene to include the trope.
Posted on 8/12/18 at 8:43 pm to DabosDynasty
quote:
More than anything it makes me wish someone would make a quality WWI movie using modern tech. Along the lines of Dunkirk for example would be great IMO.
The problem is that WWI doesn't have the theatrical device that the other highly filmed wars have.
WWII - An absolute evil
Vietnam - exploration of what is seen as an unpopular war and the rising social consciousness of that generation.
Iraq/Afghanistan - 9/11, commentary on Bush's boondoggle, connection from knowing a friend that served, etc.
WWI doesn't have that one thing to connect to the audience, which is unfortunate as its my favorite modern war to study as it set-up the rest of the century.
Posted on 8/12/18 at 8:48 pm to DabosDynasty
quote:
More than anything it makes me wish someone would make a quality WWI movie using modern tech.
Paths of Glory
CGI wouldn't improve on it.
Posted on 8/12/18 at 8:51 pm to mizzoubuckeyeiowa
Yes Paths of Glory is awesome.
Posted on 8/12/18 at 8:59 pm to SEC. 593
quote:
WWI doesn't have that one thing to connect to the audience,
I think the problem is that it’s neither a heroic story about good conquering evil (WWII) or an epic tragedy like Vietnam. It’s also not recent like Iraq/Afghanistan (which I think the lessons of will be forgotten by the next generation in the same way that Korea’s were forgotten).
As others have pointed out, the defining characteristics of the war are the utter ignorance of the leaders who got their countries into the mess and failed to recognize how mechanization would lead to such catastrophe, the stalemate of the western front, and the next world war/deluge that it set up.
I think All Quiet on the Western Front did an excellent job of showing how the view of war changed as it went on and how it really hardened an entire generation.
With that said, I’d love to see a movie that covers either (a) the build up to the war, especially among the German military planners, or (b) the eastern front, which was anything but quiet.
Posted on 8/12/18 at 9:22 pm to TigerPride10
quote:
an epic tragedy like Vietnam. It
If WWI is anything, it’s an epic tragedy.
Posted on 8/12/18 at 9:59 pm to Dire Wolf
quote:
If WWI is anything, it’s an epic tragedy.
Yes, in that it’s a war that shouldn’t have been started in the first place, despite its inevitability. But it’s not tragic to American audiences in the same way that Vietnam was because we were on the winning side. Whether we supported the right side or should have been involved at all is debateable.
Posted on 8/12/18 at 11:12 pm to SCLibertarian
It’s a lie, for some.
Posted on 8/13/18 at 7:28 am to SEC. 593
quote:
The problem is that WWI doesn't have the theatrical device that the other highly filmed wars have.
WWII - An absolute evil
Vietnam - exploration of what is seen as an unpopular war and the rising social consciousness of that generation.
Iraq/Afghanistan - 9/11, commentary on Bush's boondoggle, connection from knowing a friend that served, etc.
WWI doesn't have that one thing to connect to the audience, which is unfortunate as its my favorite modern war to study as it set-up the rest of the century.
Agree with all of that and would add how little involvement we had vs the other s as we entered very late and the threat wasn’t real to us at home as it was in WWII.
Posted on 8/13/18 at 7:29 am to mizzoubuckeyeiowa
quote:
Paths of Glory
Thanks for the recommendation. I’ll check that out.
Posted on 8/13/18 at 7:39 am to SCLibertarian
quote:
No historical example of the evil that is war is better than WWI.
19th century tactics vs 20th century technology. Unbelievable carnage
Posted on 8/13/18 at 7:55 am to SEC. 593
quote:
The problem is that WWI doesn't have the theatrical device that the other highly filmed wars have. WWII - An absolute evil Vietnam - exploration of what is seen as an unpopular war and the rising social consciousness of that generation. Iraq/Afghanistan - 9/11, commentary on Bush's boondoggle, connection from knowing a friend that served, etc.
The problem is the Baby Boomers who have controlled the media and education for the last few decades were really stuck on their narratives.
They eventually decided WWII was "the last good war" because their daddy and crazy Uncle Joe had to go save the Jews. But that's fairly recent since Band of Brothers and The Greatest Generation stuff proved profitable.
Vietnam was the dark fantasy, when it became ok to show US soldiers as bad guys.
Korean War and WWI, meanwhile, went largely forgotten and hardly discussed in schools.
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