All Quiet on the Western Front

War is futile. We’ve heard that many times before from all directions. I’ve never seen it told so exceptionally well though.

This movie, which is based on the classic book by Erich Maria Remarque, tells the story of a group of young German men who enlist as soldiers in World War I at the behest of their teacher, who has promised them glory and admiration upon their return. Only when they get to the trenches, they find out what war is really like.

As you’ve probably guessed, this isn’t a cheerful story. It’s bloody and brutal, and it ends on a terribly depressing note. However, there are a lot of things to marvel at. First of all, as with many other older movies I’ve seen recently, like M and Metropolis, it’s very hard to believe this movie was made almost 80 years ago. The technical achievements are astounding, and the cinematography is beautiful.

There is one especially memorable sequence. After one of the soldiers dies from his wounds, another man takes over his boots (they were apparently very fine and comfortable boots), and in a montage we see this man die, only for the boots to pass on to yet another soldier, who then also dies. All the while, Milestone’s camera focuses only on their feet. That scene was so remarkable, it’s gonna stick with me for a long time.

This movie is brutal and depressing to watch, but absolutely worth the effort. War is futile, indeed.