Skip to main content

Peace Only for the Dead - All Quiet on the Western Front (2022)

The hellish cacophony of war rattles the airways as soldiers by the thousands are either mangled by gunfire, silenced by twists of cold steel, or blinked out of existence entirely by one of many wicked tools of combustion. However they go, they all go screaming as their ultimate sacrifice moves their respective fronts forward and back pitiful meters at a time. And even when peace harks from the heavens and lingers on the horizon for all to see, many turn away in favor of senseless bloodlust, shrouded in the fallacy of glory and honor.

Based on the best selling book of the same name, Edward Berger’s All Quiet on the Western Front is a film drenched in the horror of World War 1, highlighting the grueling, blood-soaked reality of trench warfare as it’s fully and unnecessarily perpetuated by pride and dubious diplomacy. Throughout the film we follow Paul, a young high school student, and his friends as they are swept up in rousing speeches of German pride that ultimately convince them to enlist in the military. Starting with starry eyed enthusiasm, they all quickly come to find that their initial euphoria for war is nothing more than a beautiful fallacy; a fallacy that quickly shatters as each passing day spirals them further down into a bottomless pit of fear, death, and despair. 


If not already apparent, All Quiet on the Western Front is not for the faint of heart, painting an uncomfortably reality where nationalist honor far outweighs the people called to defend it. From start to finish it’s bodies, upon bodies, upon tears, upon blood. And although this film isn’t action focused every second of its 2+ hour run time, it does an exquisite job of instilling its viewers with the lingering dread and sense of hopelessness that the characters undoubtedly feel in their day to day. Conversely when the action does kick in, there is no sense of awe or glory to be had. It is harsh, brutal, dirty, terrifying, and unrelenting, so much to the point that long after the gunfire and explosions stop, the horror of that experience forever lingers moving forward, feeling it’s loudest and most potent when all is at its most calm.


All that being said, such a tale of woe is not without its moments of levity. Paul and his compatriots truly go through unspeakable hell, seeing and experiencing atrocities and tragedies that twist and contort many a decent soul beyond repair. However, it's the peace, hope, and genuine joy they find within simple pleasures and one another that carries not just them, but the audience through all the turmoil until the very end. 


So is it worth the watch? I’d say so. Because even in a world where we already have an endless slew of movies and documentaries detailing a myriad of stories centered around WW1 and WW2, there are very few that capture the humanity of whom many consider to be the villains of those catastrophic real world events. The bleeding of the German male youth during the events of WW1 is nothing short of haunting tale where the real villains aren’t power crazed, self-proclaimed demigods or a collective of tyrannical regimes, but rather frivolous pride, the illusion of war-forged glory, and the dehumanization of “the other.” I can’t say the journey was enjoyable in the traditional sense. But if nothing else All Quiet on the Western Front will captivate and teleport you to a time and place that you will not soon forget, for better or for worse.


- Levi Mock




Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

We’re All Gonna Die: Death and Disaster Amidst the Ceaseless Mundane

Life for the billions of wandering souls on this earth take a myriad of unknown paths, each twisting and looping here and there to the disparate tunes of triumph and turmoil, of splendor and horror, of serenity and pain. And no matter how similar any two paths may be, all are unique unto themselves as to how they play out, say for one detail. Because from the very moment any of us beautiful specs of stardust are fortunate or unfortunate enough to be forged into a soul and shot into this world, there has only ever been and will only ever be one constant, one commonality, one truth. At some point, we’re all gonna die.  We’re All Gonna Die is a light sci-fi, romantic-comedy road trip film, where ( in the near future ) a mysterious 10,000-mile high “spike” materializes, imbeds itself into earth, and wreaks havoc each time it teleports. Fast forwarding a year later, and struggling beekeeper, Thalia ( Ashlie Burch ), and emotionally raw EMT, Kai ( Jordan Rodriguez ), find themselves tea...
Post a Comment
Read more

Vince McMahon - The God, The Freak, & The Fraud

     Within a vast sea of eclectic personalities, all strange, deranged, and nostalgic in their own right, it’s truly a wonder that one manages to easily stand head and shoulders above all the rest, both in and out of the ring. And I’m not talking about The Rock, The Hulkster, or even The Unseeable Cena. No. Because even with all their charisma combined, I can surely say that their legacy does not hold a candle to the most revered, beloved, and reviled personality of them all, the infamous head honcho that everyone loves to hate, Vincent Kennedy McMahon.      Yes. Always walking ten feet tall and with every inch of the Biggest-D-Swagger the world has ever known, Mr. McMahon single handedly birthed, grew, and perfected the multibillion dollar WWE empire that many know and love today, producing unforgettable stories, legendary bouts, and larger than life superstars that rival (perhaps even best) the ancient myths of old world gods and monsters. Or so the rum...
Post a Comment
Read more

Dune Two Fail? - Will it Stand the Test of Time?

     The vast ocean of burning sand; still, warm, and stretching for infinity, resides as the only bastion of solace for the war weary peoples of Arrakis. They speak of its beauty and sacredness with such reverence that it feels easy to let its rumored enchantments beguile you. But is such a place as wondrous as they claim? Or is it merely a pretty pile of sand bolstered by those already under its spell? Moreover, one could extend such a question to the sprawling tale of Dune: Part Two itself. For although it may dazzle with aesthetic beauty and interesting lore, the real question is if its story offers anything captivating during its three hour run time. And does it? Let’s get into it.       Dune: Part Two continues the story of Paul Atredies ( Timothée Chalamet ) as he unites with Chani ( Zendaya ) and the Fremen, while also seeking revenge against the conspirators who destroyed his family. However, as his enemies close in, he falls in love with Ch...
Post a Comment
Read more