@@TBRSchmitt it is not only the fourth GERMAN movie in history to have WON the oscar for Best International Feature Film (previously Best Foreign Feature Length Film) (after The Tin Drum, Nowhere in Africa, The Lives of Others) but also i believe it is the highest decorated german movie and the german movie with the most oscar nominations too.
ALSO crazy to know that this was Felix Kammerer's (Pual) FIRST big movie and second movie overall! he had only done a random TV movie here in germany before starring in this masterpiece.
@@TBRSchmitt Another great anti war movie from the german perspective (in WW2) is the Movie called "Die Brücke" from 1959. If you get your hands on it, it is realy worth it. Same thing with "Stalingrad" from 1993 and "Unsere Mütter, unsere Väter" (Generation War) from 2013.
One of the last lines of the book will chill you to the bone after watching... "He fell in October, 1918, on a day that was so quiet and still on the whole front, that the army report confined itself to the single sentence: All quiet on the Western Front."
Which is quite ironic. The English version is so much more chilling. The original book in German would be : He died in October 1918, on a day that was so calm and quiet all along the front that the army report was limited to the sentence that there was nothing new to report in the West. The Book was called : Im Westen nichts Neues (nothing new in the west) That’s a case where the translation actually made it better
@@tommcewan7936 The last sentence in German is Im Westen nichts neues zu verkünden as far as I an remember Hence the name of the book. Remarque is really a world treasure.
Another thing i love about the older film was the fact that they actually used war veterans from ww1 to act in the movie, they even gave feedback on how to make the film more realistic.
The title "All quiet on the western Front" always sends chills down my spine. If you know anything about WWI (Or have seen this film) you know the Western Front was anything but quiet. The title is a reference to German Propaganda during WWI. They would report all was quiet on the fron in Newspapers to prevent people from panicing and also enticing more men to enlist only to be sent into the meat grinder they had no idea existed.
In the book Remarque describes the scene with Paul and the French soldier in the bomb crater as going on for hours and hours in total (with Paul stabbing him right in the beginning and then being forced to stay there because of the fighting around). He has to witness the horrible consequences of what he has done from bright day to nightfall until it's safe for him to leave. He hears the French guy slowly fade away as the dying man gets quieter and quieter. I guess that's the intention of making this scene so long in the movie as well. Yeah, the general theme of Remarque's book was also that pointlessness, that nothingness of all the suffering, hence the title which is bit more on point in the German original (of the book and all movie adaptations): "Im Westen nichts Neues", which literally translates to "Nothing new..." or rather "Nothing to report in the West" (also meaning the Western front). I guess it was one director Edward Berger's hardest decisions to change the original ending and move it to after the truce (very much criticized) which makes the final day different also for that line to not make any sense anymore in its original context because the end of the war clearly would have been something to report. In the book Paul dies on a day at the front with hardly any fighting when everyone's being exhausted and waiting for the end. Paul gets shot merely by sort of a stray bullet. No meaning, no purpose. This gets pointed out even more because it's the very last line you read. After Paul's and everyone's pointless deaths the only content of that day's report of the German High Army Command was "Nothing to report in the West". Nothing significant happened, no one noticed. Paul does not exist anymore, no one cares.
There have been 3 adaptations of All Quiet On The Western Front: The Oscar Winning Best Picture of 1930. The 1979 TV movie with Richard Thomas, Ernest Borgnine, and Donald Pleasance The Oscar Winning 2022 Adaptation.
The reality of ww1 was truly horrific. My grandfather was a British infantry troop in ww1 never knew him but from story’s and pictures I have seen he was great man❤
My favourite war. Not favourite, but you get what Im saying. The day when fighting for honour, glory, and duty died. As someone said, paraphrased, "theres no honour in dying from a shell shot by a guy over a hill who couldn't even see your face"
I still think the 1930 version was better and closer to the novel. When Paul goes home on leave to see how bad it was there and confronts his teacher for sending kids to their end.
During this year Oscar ceremony the Academy finally achieve the body of work of german film industry, who was so often dismissed and ignored by Hollywood - in different ways. Das Boot for example six times nominated and no single Oscar or Fitzcarraldo from Werner Herzog or at least Downfall with no nomination for Bruno Ganz terrific actors performance of Adolf Hitler and now this is the biggest success ever in history and collect more Oscars then the entire german film ever in history - but a wise said everything in life balances out at some point 😉
The shots against the tank can cause shrapnels of the armor to fly around in the tank inside and the shrapnels can injure the tank crew. Thats why there were like special masks on the helmet for the tankcrew that at least the face was secured against the flying pieces of the inside armor from the tank.
Sad to think their deaths were possibly better than surviving that horror every moment of their lives. Especially being so young. Such a tragedy. Love the channel ✌️💜
Keep in mind a western European at or near the front lines was far more likely to die from starvation or illness than a wound, that goes for civilians as well as the military.
I don't like some of the changes from the book, but i can accept them and am just glad that this story keeps being told. I read the book about 30 years ago and it left a deep impression. Also, have you seen the movie "Rush", have you recognized the actor who is playing the german negotiator?
RIP My Grandmother had six of her brothers fighting in WW1 by the end only three survived the two youngest are still in France one in a British war cemetery the others remains were not found one other died from the Spanish Flu that the Americans carried over with them there was a lot of empty chairs by wars end. Peace out.
Hey! First off, I just want to say I'm a huge fan of your channel. You guys do an amazing job breaking down movie clips, and I find it really insightful. I'm actually working on an essay about them, and I was wondering if you could share some insights on where you source the clips for your videos. It would be incredibly helpful for my research. Thanks a bunch! 🎬
The author, Eric Maria Remarque, was passed a note by somebody whose face he never saw, that said, "Leave Germany tonight," so he did. And the next morning, Hitler was in power. Universal Studios head Carl Laemle (pronounced "Lem-lee) thought that the original movie version would show Germans that he never stopped loving Germany. Instead, Hitler and Goebels denounced the movie as depicting Germans as cowards.
I think an excellent counterpart to this would be Peter Jackson's 'They Shall Not Grow Old' which uses actual footage from the British in WWI recoloured and sounds added. It's amazing.
After the peace treaty dictated by the French in the First World War, the same wagon was placed in the same place in the Second World War and dictated to the French after the German invasion of France. Also a peace treaty. The relationship has always been tense...
Since you don't shy away from difficult or maybe not so common movie subjects - have you ever watched "The Lives of Others", the Oscar winning German movie about the East-German secret police?
Two of the best war movie's Pearl harbor and Enemies at the gate but after this you guys need to watch a good comedy I Recommend National lampoons loaded weapons 1
Hello from Ontario Canada back in World War 1 the German Army did not have much in the way of training except for some shooting drills and marching drills then they were off too War and World War 1 was the first war too use trench warfare , hand too hand combat and Mustard gas after World war 1 Mustard gas was outlawed after the Allied expeditionary force saw the devastating effects of it .
The same train in which the Germans surrendered to the French. Few years later, Hitler would ask the French to sign their surrender in that same train during WWII.
The movie is excellent. But the music is so terrifying, like the title, like the development and the ending. Everything follows a terrifying line. I am not able to press play again to see it even though I thought it was a 10
Thanks for reaction :D I can recommend "Testament of youth" based on Vera Brittains book on her experience during ww1 It deals mostly with the homefront, but to me its at least as impactfull, if not more than this one
Great reaction but even mkre beaitiful review. You both understood what the film was trying to explain. There are thousands of stories just like Paul's
Wish there were more movies on WW1. If you haven’t seen it, you’ve got to watch the documentary “They Shall Not Grow Old” by Peter Jackson. He remastered old footage from that war starting at about a quarter of the way through. Best documentary on WW1 I’ve ever seen.
In world war one during the peace negotiations the French would repeatedly walk away from the negotiation table knowing that their attack was in full swing and Germans were getting slaughtered every single minute that they ignored signing. Years later Adolf Hitler would do the exact same to the French in the exact same train car standing up and leaving in the middle of negotiations of surrender
It's so safe watch men dyng in a real conflict. Being fat and confortable and says wow... I love our hipocritical times of peace won by others blood. Good reaction. Very Honest.
1 million were lost in the first five months of the war. in the end 15 to 20 million are died almost half are civilians. Most soldiers didn’t even die from a gun many more died before they even got out of the trenches
Go watch the documentary on WW1, there are several from how it started and ended. You will be appalled on how the Generals gave little concern of the lost of life on both sides. Very sad. The generals should have had to been put on trial. Please watch all the history of how the soldiers lived in the trenches. Thanks
In reality, the allied forces messed up when first deploying the tank. The had no clue how effective it was going to be, so they deployed them very early, and very few. If they had waited till they had say a few hundred, the war would have been over in weeks after. In stead of a year or so.
this is a really good film, as well as the original film from 1930, made in a historical moment of dictatorships which cost the film to be banned in many countries, even in some that theoretically weren't dictatorships, but personally I prefer the film from 1979 which I think best describes not only the military but also the social situation and the indoctrination of the people in WW1 Germany, without making too much play on the spectacular drama.
This film is a good depiction of what was most likely how it all was back then buts its very inaccurate for the time its set in. By 1916 all sides knew the situation and anyone in either country that got drafted knew what they were going into. The start of the war yes this is how people were but not 3 years later. Everyone was exhausted
The “synth” sound was actually a 100 year old harmonium (an instrument similar to an organ that was popular at the time) that was used along with the drums to feel like an attack. Such an interesting soundtrack and masterfully made film! Love you guys was so excited for this reaction I’m watching at midnight 😂❤
that’s crazy, I imagine a lot of post processing was applied but it’s funny seeing as the harmonium has jokingly been referred to as the mechanical synth
The scene where Paul kills the soldier in the ditch is one of the most harrowing sequences I've seen in a film in so long. That scene in particular, with its brutality and emotional devastation, brought me to tears in a way I didn't expect.
@@DAS_k1ishEe if this was a modern American film there would be some epilogue with an old guy in a graveyard so us the audience could walk out of the film feeling like it was all worth it
"Five hundred miles of Germans, five hundred miles of French, And Englishmen, Scots and Irishmen, all fighting for a trench. And when the trench is taken, and many thousands slain, The losers, with more slaughter, retake the trench again." - Anonymous WW1 soldier, 1917 In Passchendaele in Belgium the mud was so, so bad that it would suck you down like quicksand. In fact if you weren't on duckboards (wooden paths made to spread out weight) and you stepped off in the mud and didn't sink that means you were standing on someone's corpse.
The dead body in the tree is realistic. I did research in a photo archive about World War 1, and there were photographs of corpses of men, and of horses, in the trees.
Yep. Back in 2014 when Russia first invaded Ukraine, Vice News had a guy doing daily reports there. They showed a body (probably Ukranian) who had been blown up onto a powerline. It was not a pretty sight.
@@juvandyyeah there are a lot of photos now coming from ukraine too of bodies in trees and on top of buildings, and some tree lines and forrests have now been turned to the trench landscapes in this movie like there was so many fires and artillery fire that entire forrests are gone and the landscape is permanently changed... btw France and Belgium still have a line where you can't grow crops bc there are so many chemicals in the ground from WW1 and so many grenades and artillery rounds, guns and bodies but WW2 littered europe also under bombs, bodies and basically anything that was used but contrary to WW1 those lands are still usable
I remember seeing a really similar photo In a ww2 book for kids in my school library it scarred me I seem to remember it said "german soldier hit by friendly fire from minenwerfer 42" ofc my brain could be making that up
The reason the kids were so excited about joining the army halfway through the war was because there wasn't really proper media coverage about war back then, beyond a few lines in newspapers nobody knew what war looked like. For these boys it was a chance for adventure with their best friends, also peer pressure played a part, you wouldn't want to be the one friend who didn't join up and be left out. Survivors of the war would often experience survivor's guilt, they felt sad that they didn't die with their friends
World War I is possibly the most brutal war in history. It was essentially fought with 19th century tactics using 20th century technology and the results were horrifying. This is without a doubt the most deeply disturbing movie I've ever seen.
You are repeating a myth. Soldiers used skirmisher tactics. They spread out and advanced while covering each other. Soldiers were not grouped up into dense columns or lines and made to slowly advance to enemy positions and wait until the distance was about 80metres before opening fire. Linear tactics of the previous eras were not used. The problem was that commanders didn't have an answer to trench warfare. They tried many ways to break the deadlock. Long bombardments that often lasted days, weeks even, poison gas, tanks, aircraft, flamethrowers...
Ww2 would not have happened without ww1 one of the main reasons that Hitler was so popular amongst the Germans is because ww1 devastated Germany and the German people believed Hitler could help there country @@LucasEaFC1991
That scene here at 23:51 where the artillery shell didn't explode is actually historical accurate. The french managed to recover 40,000 unexploded artillery shells fired by their own artillery after the battle. I forget which specific battle it was but it happene
I have to recommend the 30s and 70s versions they're masterpieces in their own ways. It's saying something about the source material when there is no bad version of this story
Definitely going to avoid watching this remake. Hollywood turned it into another war/slasher film by the looks of it. The 30's version is by far the best. The 70's made for tv is good to, ain't no cgi in those battle scenes.
So have to say, I prefer the 1930 version however, when I saw this was being made I had high hopes and it passed with flying colors. Overall incredible film, with incredible acting and sequences. Love your reactions, thanks for doing this one. :)
I think the 1930 version gave more to character development, especially in having Paul, as with the book, return home on leave. He berated his jingoistic teacher, felt his alienation from his mom, and found the know at all civilians out of touch and insufferable. But the 1930 cast, as good as they were, still came across like Americans of the period. This German film is a good addition.
It's crazy watching the 1930 version (my preferred take, and one of my favorite films) keeping in mind that it was made almost a decade before World War II even started.
We had to read the original book from Erich Maria Remarque back in the German High School. It´s said that a lot of it is based on his experiences from WW1. There are a few changes from the original story, but they all serve to "demonstrate" how life was back then and how the end of ww1 laid the groundwork for ww2. In today´s retrospect we understand the politics behind it so much better, because classified documents have been released after 60+ years. For example that that little train wagon at Compiègne where the Germans signed the armistice with Marshall Foch. In WW2 the Nazis made sure to use the exact same wagon and let the French sign under the same circumstances to humiliate them. Starting the circle of hatred and violence all over again... If you look back on european history its basically conflict and war all over again. one time this one is on top, then the other and and it spins like a wheel... The final charge was an invention of this movie, to show how strong militarism was in Imperial Germany and with the Generals. And Matthias Erzberger (the role of Daniel Brühl) was also invented for this movie and is not part of the original story. He is seen today by historians as one of the founding fathers of the german republic. Sadly the was murdered in 1921 by a group of military extremists that fled the country and returned to Germany in 1933 where the nazis granted them "amnesty", because in their view the german military was "betrayed" by the politicians in ww1 and the brave soldiers were robbed of a victory (some dumb lies sadly die hard)... If you want to watch another movie like this one, give "Munich - The Edge of War" a try.
That is a fine statement, and I am pleased that the youth of Germany today are so much wiser. It is pleasing that films and works illustrating the mistakes of the past are taught to German children at an early age. Let us both hope and pray that these mistakes are never repeated again. My great grandfather served in WW1 for the 4th Battalion Territorial Regiment of The Kings Own Yorkshire Light Infantry (KOYLI), and was involved in many battles. He would never let WW1 be referred to as a war, because as he said wars are fought by civilised men with terms of engagement. Rather he called WW1 the most stupid mass slaughter of good fine men on both sides. As a young boy I knew many of the WW1 veterans as they came together every Sunday at the British Legion Club, and I would normally be taken along. I would hear the many viewpoints from men that actually fought in WW1, and what I can say is that there was a lot of respect for the German soldiers despite them being so called enemies. Did you know for example, that captured German soldiers at Passchendaele near Ypres in WW1 rather than sit doing nothing would have their helmets painted white or red and volunteer to work as stretcher bearers bringing in allied wounded men? My great grandfather told me. Good men, only put against ourselves by a senseless, stupid, wasteful, barbaric war. There were a good many things that my great grandfather disagreed with regarding the end of WW1. First he always thought that it had been a mistake not to march the entire allied armies into Germany. This was because later it was often stated that nobody had won the war and that the armistice was in effect a draw. Fact was that at the point of signing the armistice Germany was almost on her knees in terms of economic, industrial, and domestic strengths and was wholly unable to continue fighting the war. WW1 blockades had caused chaos, with a good majority of the German people almost starving due to food shortages, with people living on turnips. Political unrest and instability in the country was rife, and the Americans entry into the war was the final nail in the coffin. Yes, this might have been hard for the German people to accept, but in the longer term an allied occupation might have resulted in better stability and quelled the alternating balance between war and peace plus the rise of the Nazi Party with a leader who was fundamentally disgruntled about the outcome of WW1. Second, he thought that the Kaiser should not have been allowed to get off the hook so easily, and be accountable for the carnage and decimation that had been caused. Third, he thought that the terms of the Versailles Treaty had been too hard on Germany, and that Germany needed assistance from the allies to rebuild herself into a better society rather than a waring militaristic nation. Fourth, he asserted that the armistice was only a 20 year peace. He was out only by about 40 days. As for Remarque who wrote All Quiet on The Western Front, he fled Germany to the USA on the rise of the Nazi Party. Only Goebbels retained one copy of the film of the same title made in 1936 that won an Oscar for its performances. Remarque's sister, who did not manage to flee the country, was had up at a Nazi kangaroo court which sentenced her to death in her brothers absence.
This was my favorite movie of last year, I was stunned by everything. Some scenes were so jarring, and the lead actor was phenomonal. Shots, score, everything was beautiful
The music notes that you perhaps didnt like sounded like an industial machine, and WW1 was literally a human meat grinder, churning millions of young men into nothing
Doing war movies as a german is a pretty tough thing. Both world wars hit pretty different from a german perspective, we don't have (national) pride about it or veterans who can tell grand stories of liberating cities and doing the right thing. Even to this day WW2 soldiers and adjacents get prosecuted. In 2022 a 101 year old soldier got senteced to jail for serving in a concentration camp. Only 2 years before that a female secretary from one of the camps (96 years old) was on trial. I know these are WW2 examples and don't really belong in a WW1 movie and please don't get me wrong, I am not complaining that Nazis still get prosecuted to this day as soon as they are found, but these examples really help to understand how tough it is to make a war movie about germans and not just portraying them as monsters. While I personally found this movie to be very neutral and fair about the portrayal, it got a lot of critique by the press, not only because it diverted a lot from the book, but for "intentionally" leaving out scenes that painted the german soldiers in a bad light. Additionally critics complained that the "poor" german soldiers were too sympathetic and the french politicians got portrayed as evil and basically directly responsible for world war 2. (to be fair, the desperation of the german people thanks to the treaty of versailles were a huge part of why Hitler was able to sway the german people so easily) Even Pauls death got painted as antisemitic, because he got stabbed in the back. Don't ask me, that was the weirdest point in a long piece I've read from The Guardian, going back to a myth about how germany really lost WW1 due to the betrayal the jews and socialists. As said, its hard to make a war movie as a german, you have to jump through a lot of hoops and people will still try and find a way to connect you to some kind of nazi propaganda. But your conclusion in the end were pretty much spot on. A gut punch of a movie. There is no cheering, no happy ending, no hero in german war movies and that is a good thing.
The music in this film is one that’s gonna stick with me for life. If I only heard it without seeing the movie, I’d think it was an action/ sci-fi score. And that ending is like a gut punch. Loved every moment of this movie
Wondered when you fine folks were going to watch this one! Terrific film, especially when you look at the budget.. madness. Just proves you don't need to spend hundreds of millions of dollars to make a film stick.
I have been waiting for you guys to get to this, you two are amongst my favourite reactors due to the maturity and intelligence you bring, this film isn't for everyone but i thought it was fantastic, gruelling, dirty, bloody and grim, just how a war film should be in my opinion. So glad you watched the original german language version too, the dubbed version loses a lot of the acting prowess and reduces the the intensity of the actors emotions in a lot of scenes.
What most people tend to forget about WW1. Most of these boys have never even seen a car before. Maybe a tractor, if they’re lucky. Most grew up on the countryside with barely any technology. Then they witness gas attacks, machine guns, artillery decimating their friends, planes, tanks, I mean the shock factor must’ve been insane.
After watching this movie i read the war diaries from my great grandfather who was a german artillery officer in WW1. What a trip. As always a great reaction.
You should also add PATHS OF GLORY, another WWI film. Based on actual events and full of amazing follow shots in the trenches. And directed by Stanley Kubrick. Fun fact; Kubrick met his wife during the filming of PATHS OF GLORY.
I really appreciate the opening sequence, showing the grinding machine of war. I also really like this portrayal of Kat. Previous ones put him in an uncle role, but this one felt like a brother. To the main themes; this war was a pointless war in many aspects. This makes it even more important to remember the lives lost of the people caught in a fight between the rich over territory.
Wow! Thanks for reacting to AQotWF! You pick such interesting films. I'm not always a big fan of war movies, but I have two in my top 10 favorites: GLORY (which y'all already watched) and CASUALTIES OF WAR, which I hope y'all will someday. Brian De Palma (UNTOUCHABLES, SCARFACE) directed it.
That's the difference between a European made production and a Hollywood war movie. There is no gloryfing of one of the two fighting parties in this case the french and germans. There is no hero who's gonna make you feel good at the end because there isn't in war. It's real story telling and the music is phenomenal, it goes thru your bones.
The part of this film that hits me the hardest is the black screen at the end where it gives you the statistics, this whole journey you’ve found yourself on is but 1 of the 17 million journeys that ended in that war
Fun fact about the tank assault: Those tanks aren't particularly well shielded so small arms fire is actually quite effective compared to using it against modern tanks. The armor is pretty thin and rifle bullets would occasionally penetrate and kill or injure one of the crew. Also the noise inside the tank from all the bullets pinging off was so unbearable especially more inexperienced crews would sometimes panic or at least be much less effective. Tough to communicate with the rest of the crew with all that noise.
They would also fire against These tanks were not very sophisticated. Either you open a hatch and look where you're going, or you are driving blindly. Soldiers would aim for those hatches and vision slits, hoping to shoot through them or at least make it harder for the tank men to see what they were doing.
When they had the raw eggs, I was thinking "Here is our victory meal, dysentery!" Maaan this was a harsh, emotional gut punching combo attack of a movie, what fantastic acting, set work, everything was done tremendously well to make you feel the horror of this war from this perspective. Great video to watch with you two. Thanks for having this on to help everyone who would want to see this have some friendly company to get through all the soul wrenching cinema storytelling and action. Great video!
The narrative at home in Germany was a far cry from the factual reality of the trenches on the front line. The Germans were sold every day on the lie that the war was going well, and in fact, they were oh so close to victory each day, needing just a little more to make it a reality. It kept morale at home high, and young soldiers enlisted in droves. The truth however was, the lines had barely moved since the war began years prior. Battalions would be lost marching across no man's land in order to take 20 or so yards of ground, only to lose it the next day. Thus it came as a shock to the German people to so suddenly and abruptly be informed that they'd lost the war. Rather than own up to the fact the government and military had been stringing them along for so many years, however, they quickly found scapegoats to blame their sudden "unforeseeable" defeat on. The Jews were a prime target in this. There were already strong seeds of antisemitism within the country, but the defeat of the Germans made it much more rampant, and helped pave the way for a certain dictator some years later. The book for this film was banned in Germany for years as it is clearly an aversion towards war and what happened in the Great War especially. Worldwide it won countless awards and accolades for its depictions.
I highly appreciate the fact you two were watching that movie in it´s motherlanguage! I think this can be a bit exhausting more or less for people who don´t speak german at all, even when subs are aviable. Greetings from germany, thank you very much for that reaction ❤ To answer to your statement when they were shooting with their rifles at the tanks that this is a waste of resources: not quite! The director of the german tank museum in Munster also made a reaction just for this scene. He said shooting at tanks in ww1 with a big amount of soldiers could actually irritating tank crews that much because of the many impacts and the noise resulting out of it that they fall back in some or even many cases. I mean inside of a tank at that time was like hell, it was dark, very noisy, hot because the engine wasn´t seperated from the tank crew and then we have many people inside the tanks - in many cases up to 18 men stuffed inside. So yeah this must have been very scary and effective to shoot at the tanks with many rifles, pistols, machine guns or whatever.
I really loved the original, but the remake was super underwhelming for me. From a technical aspect, it was great, but I wasn't as attached to any of the characters in the same way the 1930 film portrayed them. On top of that, the 2022 film cut my personal favorite scene of the whole story - the one where Paul goes back to his professor while on leave, and tells the teacher off for indoctrinating innocent children into a hellish nightmare.
@@TBRSchmitt I prefer the 1930 version because it’s more faithful to the novel and Paul’s character is better developed, not to mention he was portrayed by one of my favorite old Hollywood actors, Lew Ayres.
A couple other WW1 suggestions... Paths Of Glory starring Kirk Douglas... directed by Stanley Kubrick Galipolli co-starring Mel Gibson... directed by Peter Weir
Also throwing in a recommendation for Come and See - it's a WW2 movie, not WW1, but I think it's way more memorable and devastating than the 2022 All Quiet
The Germans did not invade France first. German troops occupied Luxembourg first. And while german troops were invading the neutral Belgium, frech troops invaded Germany. The European forced were so eager to start the war that the actuall acts of war had already been committed, the armies were already rolling before a deceleration of war had been given. I know that there is a surten bias towards the Germans, within American education of history. But, besides of what you gave been told: Germany did not start WW1 😉
Such a good anti-war film ,young boys/men so "gung ho" for adventure, so proud to fight for their country and then the reality of the trenches, slaughter ,blood bombs bullets bayonets ,it hits hard, especially the scene with Paul and the French soldier he stabbed in the trench or the pointless final charge , a horrifyingly beautiful film that stays with you long after seeing it.
Nominated for 9 Oscars including Best Picture, but won for
Best International Feature
Best Production Design
Best Original Score
Best Cinematography.
That’s a lot of wins!
@@TBRSchmitt it is not only the fourth GERMAN movie in history to have WON the oscar for Best International Feature Film (previously Best Foreign Feature Length Film) (after The Tin Drum, Nowhere in Africa, The Lives of Others) but also i believe it is the highest decorated german movie and the german movie with the most oscar nominations too.
The score made this film! So good!
ALSO crazy to know that this was Felix Kammerer's (Pual) FIRST big movie and second movie overall! he had only done a random TV movie here in germany before starring in this masterpiece.
@@TBRSchmitt Another great anti war movie from the german perspective (in WW2) is the Movie called "Die Brücke" from 1959.
If you get your hands on it, it is realy worth it.
Same thing with "Stalingrad" from 1993 and "Unsere Mütter, unsere Väter" (Generation War) from 2013.
One of the last lines of the book will chill you to the bone after watching...
"He fell in October, 1918, on a day that was so quiet and still on the whole front, that the army report confined itself to the single sentence: All quiet on the Western Front."
I literally have the last page of the book saved on my phone. It's so gripping.
Which is quite ironic. The English version is so much more chilling. The original book in German would be : He died in October 1918, on a day that was so calm and quiet all along the front that the army report was limited to the sentence that there was nothing new to report in the West.
The Book was called : Im Westen nichts Neues (nothing new in the west)
That’s a case where the translation actually made it better
@@mondexponent2126 more chilling yes, but the authenticity is in the German version
@@GamingEntertainment12 absolutely. Sheer, depressed resignation.
@@tommcewan7936
The last sentence in German is
Im Westen nichts neues zu verkünden
as far as I an remember
Hence the name of the book.
Remarque is really a world treasure.
Another thing i love about the older film was the fact that they actually used war veterans from ww1 to act in the movie, they even gave feedback on how to make the film more realistic.
The title "All quiet on the western Front" always sends chills down my spine. If you know anything about WWI (Or have seen this film) you know the Western Front was anything but quiet. The title is a reference to German Propaganda during WWI. They would report all was quiet on the fron in Newspapers to prevent people from panicing and also enticing more men to enlist only to be sent into the meat grinder they had no idea existed.
In my native language of french (Pretty sure in german too), it’s « On the west, nothing new », hits hard
The title is related to the last sentence in the book......
In the book Remarque describes the scene with Paul and the French soldier in the bomb crater as going on for hours and hours in total (with Paul stabbing him right in the beginning and then being forced to stay there because of the fighting around). He has to witness the horrible consequences of what he has done from bright day to nightfall until it's safe for him to leave. He hears the French guy slowly fade away as the dying man gets quieter and quieter. I guess that's the intention of making this scene so long in the movie as well.
Yeah, the general theme of Remarque's book was also that pointlessness, that nothingness of all the suffering, hence the title which is bit more on point in the German original (of the book and all movie adaptations): "Im Westen nichts Neues", which literally translates to "Nothing new..." or rather "Nothing to report in the West" (also meaning the Western front). I guess it was one director Edward Berger's hardest decisions to change the original ending and move it to after the truce (very much criticized) which makes the final day different also for that line to not make any sense anymore in its original context because the end of the war clearly would have been something to report. In the book Paul dies on a day at the front with hardly any fighting when everyone's being exhausted and waiting for the end. Paul gets shot merely by sort of a stray bullet. No meaning, no purpose. This gets pointed out even more because it's the very last line you read. After Paul's and everyone's pointless deaths the only content of that day's report of the German High Army Command was "Nothing to report in the West". Nothing significant happened, no one noticed. Paul does not exist anymore, no one cares.
One of the best anti-war movies ever made. Thank you for your reaction 🌹
Right after "Come and see"
That was the greatest "anti war" movie I've ever seen. It shows the cruelty and uselessness of war masterfully. Excellent film!
Or shows the brainwashing / modern slavery of troops in ww1 especially. And how this was only 100 years ago
There have been 3 adaptations of All Quiet On The Western Front:
The Oscar Winning Best Picture of 1930.
The 1979 TV movie with Richard Thomas, Ernest Borgnine, and Donald Pleasance
The Oscar Winning 2022 Adaptation.
Seems like Oscar gold!
I remember the 1979 version
Also, but I kind prefer the finally of that one. Don't know if it is more faithful to the book or this one is. @@utcnc7mm
Great reaction as always.
Is it strange that I always press the like button even before I watch your reaction, knowing I won’t be disappointed.
The reality of ww1 was truly horrific. My grandfather was a British infantry troop in ww1 never knew him but from story’s and pictures I have seen he was great man❤
My favourite war. Not favourite, but you get what Im saying.
The day when fighting for honour, glory, and duty died. As someone said, paraphrased, "theres no honour in dying from a shell shot by a guy over a hill who couldn't even see your face"
The french girls are in german controlled French territory. Life goes on behind the lines for 4 years in northern France and Belgium.
I still think the 1930 version was better and closer to the novel. When Paul goes home on leave to see how bad it was there and confronts his teacher for sending kids to their end.
yes. the most important scene missing in the movie. To contrast the speech about Kaiser, God and Fatherland in the beginning
The music was meant to portray a war machine grinding on and on taking lives constantly.
During this year Oscar ceremony the Academy finally achieve the body of work of german film industry, who was so often dismissed and ignored by Hollywood - in different ways. Das Boot for example six times nominated and no single Oscar or Fitzcarraldo from Werner Herzog or at least Downfall with no nomination for Bruno Ganz terrific actors performance of Adolf Hitler and now this is the biggest success ever in history and collect more Oscars then the entire german film ever in history - but a wise said everything in life balances out at some point 😉
The shots against the tank can cause shrapnels of the armor to fly around in the tank inside and the shrapnels can injure the tank crew. Thats why there were like special masks on the helmet for the tankcrew that at least the face was secured against the flying pieces of the inside armor from the tank.
And excuse my bad english I am still learning.
Sad to think their deaths were possibly better than surviving that horror every moment of their lives. Especially being so young. Such a tragedy.
Love the channel ✌️💜
Keep in mind a western European at or near the front lines was far more likely to die from starvation or illness than a wound, that goes for civilians as well as the military.
I don't like some of the changes from the book, but i can accept them and am just glad that this story keeps being told. I read the book about 30 years ago and it left a deep impression.
Also, have you seen the movie "Rush", have you recognized the actor who is playing the german negotiator?
The biggest change is the title. In this movie the Western Front isn't quiet, there is the last push offensive.
@@xwormwoodthe original german title translates to "In the West Nothing New". Meaning that the Western Front didn't move much during the war.
RIP My Grandmother had six of her brothers fighting in WW1 by the end only three survived the two youngest are still in France one in a British war cemetery the others remains were not found one other died from the Spanish Flu that the Americans carried over with them there was a lot of empty chairs by wars end. Peace out.
Didn't entire British villages die in WW1 because they put brothers and neighbors in the same regiments?
@@rippspeck unfortunately yes they were called the Pals Battalions they trained together also fought and died together. Peace out.
Hey! First off, I just want to say I'm a huge fan of your channel. You guys do an amazing job breaking down movie clips, and I find it really insightful. I'm actually working on an essay about them, and I was wondering if you could share some insights on where you source the clips for your videos. It would be incredibly helpful for my research. Thanks a bunch! 🎬
The author, Eric Maria Remarque, was passed a note by somebody whose face he never saw, that said, "Leave Germany tonight," so he did. And the next morning, Hitler was in power. Universal Studios head Carl Laemle (pronounced "Lem-lee) thought that the original movie version would show Germans that he never stopped loving Germany. Instead, Hitler and Goebels denounced the movie as depicting Germans as cowards.
I think an excellent counterpart to this would be Peter Jackson's 'They Shall Not Grow Old' which uses actual footage from the British in WWI recoloured and sounds added. It's amazing.
Thanks, TBR! Thanks Samantha! 💣 #TBRSchmitt #EdwardBerger #AllQuietOnTheWesternFront
@4:49 you two didn't catch that it was Heinrich's uniform that was given to Paul.
After the peace treaty dictated by the French in the First World War, the same wagon was placed in the same place in the Second World War and dictated to the French after the German invasion of France. Also a peace treaty. The relationship has always been tense...
Since you don't shy away from difficult or maybe not so common movie subjects - have you ever watched "The Lives of Others", the Oscar winning German movie about the East-German secret police?
Two of the best war movie's Pearl harbor and Enemies at the gate but after this you guys need to watch a good comedy I Recommend National lampoons loaded weapons 1
Hello from Ontario Canada back in World War 1 the German Army did not have much in the way of training except for some shooting drills and marching drills then they were off too War and World War 1 was the first war too use trench warfare , hand too hand combat and Mustard gas after World war 1 Mustard gas was outlawed after the Allied expeditionary force saw the devastating effects of it .
The same train in which the Germans surrendered to the French. Few years later, Hitler would ask the French to sign their surrender in that same train during WWII.
Most horrific war in human history. And this film captures is exquisitely.
The film simply shows the reality of war: there are no heroes here, only victims.
i think the film is what i want from this type of film, it really shows how there is no justice or glory to be found in war.
Germany lost 1,700,000 men in The Great War
the french general said: if you want to surrender say it clearly
Good movie choice as usual & great reaction as always 😎
There is a classic American adaptation of this novel from 1931 in English.
The movie is excellent. But the music is so terrifying, like the title, like the development and the ending. Everything follows a terrifying line. I am not able to press play again to see it even though I thought it was a 10
This movie is brutal
Very brutal…
@@TBRSchmittwe were soilders is more brutal
I believe the boy not taking the dog tag at the end was to symbolize all the soldiers that were unidentified in the First World War
German people are a very proud people. Very patriotic.
Thanks for reaction :D
I can recommend "Testament of youth" based on Vera Brittains book on her experience during ww1
It deals mostly with the homefront, but to me its at least as impactfull, if not more than this one
During some battles in WW1..up to 50k soldiers were slaughtered in one day..
Great reaction but even mkre beaitiful review. You both understood what the film was trying to explain. There are thousands of stories just like Paul's
You two should totally watch
Dusk Till Dawn
187
Wish there were more movies on WW1. If you haven’t seen it, you’ve got to watch the documentary “They Shall Not Grow Old” by Peter Jackson. He remastered old footage from that war starting at about a quarter of the way through. Best documentary on WW1 I’ve ever seen.
13:45- This is WW1, this is the wrong time to tell a man to "shoot his shot"
Whiplash, The Favourite, Palm Springs, Edge of Tomorrow. Grand BudapestHotel. Enjoy! More fargo too :)
Seen a few of these already but the rest will be added to our list! Thank you!
In world war one during the peace negotiations the French would repeatedly walk away from the negotiation table knowing that their attack was in full swing and Germans were getting slaughtered every single minute that they ignored signing. Years later Adolf Hitler would do the exact same to the French in the exact same train car standing up and leaving in the middle of negotiations of surrender
Another great WW1 movie is Paths to Glory starring Kirk Douglas directed by Stanley Kubrick
It's so safe watch men dyng in a real conflict. Being fat and confortable and says wow...
I love our hipocritical times of peace won by others blood.
Good reaction. Very Honest.
1 million were lost in the first five months of the war. in the end 15 to 20 million are died almost half are civilians. Most soldiers didn’t even die from a gun many more died before they even got out of the trenches
More than 2500 people died in the last hour of the war
Ok so I’m 10 minutes into your video now I’m stopping to go watch this movie and I’ll be back
Go watch the documentary on WW1, there are several from how it started and ended. You will be appalled on how the Generals gave little concern of the lost of life on both sides. Very sad. The generals should have had to been put on trial. Please watch all the history of how the soldiers lived in the trenches. Thanks
In reality, the allied forces messed up when first deploying the tank. The had no clue how effective it was going to be, so they deployed them very early, and very few. If they had waited till they had say a few hundred, the war would have been over in weeks after. In stead of a year or so.
You should try watching "Goodbye, Lenin" another great German movie.
Recommended Harry Brown with Michael Caine
this is a really good film, as well as the original film from 1930, made in a historical moment of dictatorships which cost the film to be banned in many countries, even in some that theoretically weren't dictatorships, but personally I prefer the film from 1979 which I think best describes not only the military but also the social situation and the indoctrination of the people in WW1 Germany, without making too much play on the spectacular drama.
This film is a good depiction of what was most likely how it all was back then buts its very inaccurate for the time its set in. By 1916 all sides knew the situation and anyone in either country that got drafted knew what they were going into. The start of the war yes this is how people were but not 3 years later. Everyone was exhausted
Everything is this movie is historically accurate. It’s hard for people to believe but it really happened.
The “synth” sound was actually a 100 year old harmonium (an instrument similar to an organ that was popular at the time) that was used along with the drums to feel like an attack. Such an interesting soundtrack and masterfully made film! Love you guys was so excited for this reaction I’m watching at midnight 😂❤
So much deserved the Oscar
that’s crazy, I imagine a lot of post processing was applied but it’s funny seeing as the harmonium has jokingly been referred to as the mechanical synth
The scene where Paul kills the soldier in the ditch is one of the most harrowing sequences I've seen in a film in so long. That scene in particular, with its brutality and emotional devastation, brought me to tears in a way I didn't expect.
...and then Paul losing the letter and not surviving the war. There is no quest, there is no purpose or meaning. Just death.
Read the book, it is excellent and is quite different from the film.
@@DAS_k1ishEe if this was a modern American film there would be some epilogue with an old guy in a graveyard so us the audience could walk out of the film feeling like it was all worth it
@@antonego9581 Ahh, but this is a German war film. Everybody MUST die.
i agree
Emotional damage incoming
Definitely…
The original is more sadder in my opinion
@@Anakinskywalkerfan1Yes I agree, tragedy in irony.
@TBRSchmitt If you like "Train to Busan", than you should see "Okay! Madam"
I cannot distinct these war movies 🎥 apart!
"Five hundred miles of Germans, five hundred miles of French,
And Englishmen, Scots and Irishmen, all fighting for a trench.
And when the trench is taken, and many thousands slain,
The losers, with more slaughter, retake the trench again."
- Anonymous WW1 soldier, 1917
In Passchendaele in Belgium the mud was so, so bad that it would suck you down like quicksand. In fact if you weren't on duckboards (wooden paths made to spread out weight) and you stepped off in the mud and didn't sink that means you were standing on someone's corpse.
The dead body in the tree is realistic. I did research in a photo archive about World War 1, and there were photographs of corpses of men, and of horses, in the trees.
Yep. Back in 2014 when Russia first invaded Ukraine, Vice News had a guy doing daily reports there. They showed a body (probably Ukranian) who had been blown up onto a powerline. It was not a pretty sight.
@@juvandyyeah there are a lot of photos now coming from ukraine too of bodies in trees and on top of buildings, and some tree lines and forrests have now been turned to the trench landscapes in this movie like there was so many fires and artillery fire that entire forrests are gone and the landscape is permanently changed... btw France and Belgium still have a line where you can't grow crops bc there are so many chemicals in the ground from WW1 and so many grenades and artillery rounds, guns and bodies but WW2 littered europe also under bombs, bodies and basically anything that was used but contrary to WW1 those lands are still usable
IIRC They also still find tunnels filled with explosives occasionally. @@henkschrader4513
Artillery is hell of a thing
I remember seeing a really similar photo In a ww2 book for kids in my school library it scarred me I seem to remember it said "german soldier hit by friendly fire from minenwerfer 42" ofc my brain could be making that up
The reason the kids were so excited about joining the army halfway through the war was because there wasn't really proper media coverage about war back then, beyond a few lines in newspapers nobody knew what war looked like.
For these boys it was a chance for adventure with their best friends, also peer pressure played a part, you wouldn't want to be the one friend who didn't join up and be left out.
Survivors of the war would often experience survivor's guilt, they felt sad that they didn't die with their friends
Damn..
World War I is possibly the most brutal war in history. It was essentially fought with 19th century tactics using 20th century technology and the results were horrifying. This is without a doubt the most deeply disturbing movie I've ever seen.
No
Ww2 is more bro
You are repeating a myth. Soldiers used skirmisher tactics. They spread out and advanced while covering each other. Soldiers were not grouped up into dense columns or lines and made to slowly advance to enemy positions and wait until the distance was about 80metres before opening fire. Linear tactics of the previous eras were not used. The problem was that commanders didn't have an answer to trench warfare. They tried many ways to break the deadlock. Long bombardments that often lasted days, weeks even, poison gas, tanks, aircraft, flamethrowers...
Ww2 would not have happened without ww1 one of the main reasons that Hitler was so popular amongst the Germans is because ww1 devastated Germany and the German people believed Hitler could help there country @@LucasEaFC1991
@@LucasEaFC1991 More casualties yes, because of the advanced technology, but the war alone for soldiers, WW1 is more horrific
That scene here at 23:51 where the artillery shell didn't explode is actually historical accurate. The french managed to recover 40,000 unexploded artillery shells fired by their own artillery after the battle. I forget which specific battle it was but it happene
I have to recommend the 30s and 70s versions they're masterpieces in their own ways. It's saying something about the source material when there is no bad version of this story
The 70s version is inferior, it looks too much like a TV production, and the actors and storytelling don't reach the level of the first movie.
I watch the 70s version first and I really liked it. It's free on TH-cam movies right now.
Definitely going to avoid watching this remake. Hollywood turned it into another war/slasher film by the looks of it.
The 30's version is by far the best. The 70's made for tv is good to, ain't no cgi in those battle scenes.
@@banzi403in this movie they also barely used CGI all the explosions where actual explosions wich is crazy to think about
@@henkschrader4513 that really doesn't change my mind about the film. Still sounds like hollywood turned it in to a slasher film.
So have to say, I prefer the 1930 version however, when I saw this was being made I had high hopes and it passed with flying colors. Overall incredible film, with incredible acting and sequences. Love your reactions, thanks for doing this one. :)
I think the 1930 version gave more to character development, especially in having Paul, as with the book, return home on leave. He berated his jingoistic teacher, felt his alienation from his mom, and found the know at all civilians out of touch and insufferable. But the 1930 cast, as good as they were, still came across like Americans of the period. This German film is a good addition.
@@Hume77 Also to think that the movie came out just a decade after the real events is just mind blowing and add coolness to it all.
I liked the 1970 one and apparently it's the worst but I think it does the french soldier scene the best
The musical score is actually my favorite part of this film. I loved the uniqueness.
It's crazy watching the 1930 version (my preferred take, and one of my favorite films) keeping in mind that it was made almost a decade before World War II even started.
For sure. And sadly people will think that this movie from 2022 was the first one... The British tv version was great as well.
We had to read the original book from Erich Maria Remarque back in the German High School. It´s said that a lot of it is based on his experiences from WW1. There are a few changes from the original story, but they all serve to "demonstrate" how life was back then and how the end of ww1 laid the groundwork for ww2. In today´s retrospect we understand the politics behind it so much better, because classified documents have been released after 60+ years. For example that that little train wagon at Compiègne where the Germans signed the armistice with Marshall Foch. In WW2 the Nazis made sure to use the exact same wagon and let the French sign under the same circumstances to humiliate them. Starting the circle of hatred and violence all over again... If you look back on european history its basically conflict and war all over again. one time this one is on top, then the other and and it spins like a wheel... The final charge was an invention of this movie, to show how strong militarism was in Imperial Germany and with the Generals. And Matthias Erzberger (the role of Daniel Brühl) was also invented for this movie and is not part of the original story. He is seen today by historians as one of the founding fathers of the german republic. Sadly the was murdered in 1921 by a group of military extremists that fled the country and returned to Germany in 1933 where the nazis granted them "amnesty", because in their view the german military was "betrayed" by the politicians in ww1 and the brave soldiers were robbed of a victory (some dumb lies sadly die hard)... If you want to watch another movie like this one, give "Munich - The Edge of War" a try.
That is a fine statement, and I am pleased that the youth of Germany today are so much wiser. It is pleasing that films and works illustrating the mistakes of the past are taught to German children at an early age. Let us both hope and pray that these mistakes are never repeated again.
My great grandfather served in WW1 for the 4th Battalion Territorial Regiment of The Kings Own Yorkshire Light Infantry (KOYLI), and was involved in many battles. He would never let WW1 be referred to as a war, because as he said wars are fought by civilised men with terms of engagement. Rather he called WW1 the most stupid mass slaughter of good fine men on both sides. As a young boy I knew many of the WW1 veterans as they came together every Sunday at the British Legion Club, and I would normally be taken along. I would hear the many viewpoints from men that actually fought in WW1, and what I can say is that there was a lot of respect for the German soldiers despite them being so called enemies. Did you know for example, that captured German soldiers at Passchendaele near Ypres in WW1 rather than sit doing nothing would have their helmets painted white or red and volunteer to work as stretcher bearers bringing in allied wounded men? My great grandfather told me. Good men, only put against ourselves by a senseless, stupid, wasteful, barbaric war.
There were a good many things that my great grandfather disagreed with regarding the end of WW1. First he always thought that it had been a mistake not to march the entire allied armies into Germany. This was because later it was often stated that nobody had won the war and that the armistice was in effect a draw. Fact was that at the point of signing the armistice Germany was almost on her knees in terms of economic, industrial, and domestic strengths and was wholly unable to continue fighting the war. WW1 blockades had caused chaos, with a good majority of the German people almost starving due to food shortages, with people living on turnips. Political unrest and instability in the country was rife, and the Americans entry into the war was the final nail in the coffin. Yes, this might have been hard for the German people to accept, but in the longer term an allied occupation might have resulted in better stability and quelled the alternating balance between war and peace plus the rise of the Nazi Party with a leader who was fundamentally disgruntled about the outcome of WW1. Second, he thought that the Kaiser should not have been allowed to get off the hook so easily, and be accountable for the carnage and decimation that had been caused. Third, he thought that the terms of the Versailles Treaty had been too hard on Germany, and that Germany needed assistance from the allies to rebuild herself into a better society rather than a waring militaristic nation. Fourth, he asserted that the armistice was only a 20 year peace. He was out only by about 40 days.
As for Remarque who wrote All Quiet on The Western Front, he fled Germany to the USA on the rise of the Nazi Party. Only Goebbels retained one copy of the film of the same title made in 1936 that won an Oscar for its performances. Remarque's sister, who did not manage to flee the country, was had up at a Nazi kangaroo court which sentenced her to death in her brothers absence.
Storm of steel is better as it's written by a soldier who participated in the war for longer.
I also highly recommend the 1930 version. So good.
The 1930 version is my favorite. It is closer to the novel. It was the original anti war movie.
everyone learn from this movie whats this phatom pain.
The cinematography and the sound design are top notch. Those eerie 3 notes give me chills
This was my favorite movie of last year, I was stunned by everything. Some scenes were so jarring, and the lead actor was phenomonal. Shots, score, everything was beautiful
The music notes that you perhaps didnt like sounded like an industial machine, and WW1 was literally a human meat grinder, churning millions of young men into nothing
The 1930 film version is a more faithful adaptation of the book, and is worth a watch.
Doing war movies as a german is a pretty tough thing. Both world wars hit pretty different from a german perspective, we don't have (national) pride about it or veterans who can tell grand stories of liberating cities and doing the right thing.
Even to this day WW2 soldiers and adjacents get prosecuted.
In 2022 a 101 year old soldier got senteced to jail for serving in a concentration camp.
Only 2 years before that a female secretary from one of the camps (96 years old) was on trial.
I know these are WW2 examples and don't really belong in a WW1 movie and please don't get me wrong, I am not complaining that Nazis still get prosecuted to this day as soon as they are found, but these examples really help to understand how tough it is to make a war movie about germans and not just portraying them as monsters.
While I personally found this movie to be very neutral and fair about the portrayal, it got a lot of critique by the press, not only because it diverted a lot from the book, but for "intentionally" leaving out scenes that painted the german soldiers in a bad light.
Additionally critics complained that the "poor" german soldiers were too sympathetic and the french politicians got portrayed as evil and basically directly responsible for world war 2. (to be fair, the desperation of the german people thanks to the treaty of versailles were a huge part of why Hitler was able to sway the german people so easily)
Even Pauls death got painted as antisemitic, because he got stabbed in the back. Don't ask me, that was the weirdest point in a long piece I've read from The Guardian, going back to a myth about how germany really lost WW1 due to the betrayal the jews and socialists.
As said, its hard to make a war movie as a german, you have to jump through a lot of hoops and people will still try and find a way to connect you to some kind of nazi propaganda.
But your conclusion in the end were pretty much spot on.
A gut punch of a movie.
There is no cheering, no happy ending, no hero in german war movies and that is a good thing.
The music in this film is one that’s gonna stick with me for life. If I only heard it without seeing the movie, I’d think it was an action/ sci-fi score. And that ending is like a gut punch. Loved every moment of this movie
Music definitely gives a sci-fi vibe!
Like Tenet and Interstellar, I couldn't get it out of my mind.🙃
Great reaction video TBRSchmitt and Sam this movie will stay with you after you watch it and the music is great
the music was brill, loved it
this one is so much worse than the movie from the 1930s. But yes, it is better than the one from the 1970s
Wondered when you fine folks were going to watch this one! Terrific film, especially when you look at the budget.. madness. Just proves you don't need to spend hundreds of millions of dollars to make a film stick.
I have been waiting for you guys to get to this, you two are amongst my favourite reactors due to the maturity and intelligence you bring, this film isn't for everyone but i thought it was fantastic, gruelling, dirty, bloody and grim, just how a war film should be in my opinion. So glad you watched the original german language version too, the dubbed version loses a lot of the acting prowess and reduces the the intensity of the actors emotions in a lot of scenes.
What most people tend to forget about WW1. Most of these boys have never even seen a car before. Maybe a tractor, if they’re lucky. Most grew up on the countryside with barely any technology. Then they witness gas attacks, machine guns, artillery decimating their friends, planes, tanks, I mean the shock factor must’ve been insane.
Very good observation. Which could explain the shell shock symptoms which are very different from the PTSD soldiers have in modern times.
After watching this movie i read the war diaries from my great grandfather who was a german artillery officer in WW1. What a trip. As always a great reaction.
Those should be published!
You should also add PATHS OF GLORY, another WWI film. Based on actual events and full of amazing follow shots in the trenches. And directed by Stanley Kubrick. Fun fact; Kubrick met his wife during the filming of PATHS OF GLORY.
I really appreciate the opening sequence, showing the grinding machine of war. I also really like this portrayal of Kat. Previous ones put him in an uncle role, but this one felt like a brother. To the main themes; this war was a pointless war in many aspects. This makes it even more important to remember the lives lost of the people caught in a fight between the rich over territory.
The music, that main theme, isn't a synth. It comes from a Harmonium, which is an instrument from that time in the video.
Wow! Thanks for reacting to AQotWF! You pick such interesting films. I'm not always a big fan of war movies, but I have two in my top 10 favorites: GLORY (which y'all already watched) and CASUALTIES OF WAR, which I hope y'all will someday. Brian De Palma (UNTOUCHABLES, SCARFACE) directed it.
That's the difference between a European made production and a Hollywood war movie. There is no gloryfing of one of the two fighting parties in this case the french and germans. There is no hero who's gonna make you feel good at the end because there isn't in war. It's real story telling and the music is phenomenal, it goes thru your bones.
The part of this film that hits me the hardest is the black screen at the end where it gives you the statistics, this whole journey you’ve found yourself on is but 1 of the 17 million journeys that ended in that war
If u are looking for another German war movie to watch I recommend Stalingrad from 1993 it’s really good but also very depressing like this one is.
great film
Fun fact about the tank assault: Those tanks aren't particularly well shielded so small arms fire is actually quite effective compared to using it against modern tanks. The armor is pretty thin and rifle bullets would occasionally penetrate and kill or injure one of the crew. Also the noise inside the tank from all the bullets pinging off was so unbearable especially more inexperienced crews would sometimes panic or at least be much less effective. Tough to communicate with the rest of the crew with all that noise.
They would also fire against These tanks were not very sophisticated. Either you open a hatch and look where you're going, or you are driving blindly. Soldiers would aim for those hatches and vision slits, hoping to shoot through them or at least make it harder for the tank men to see what they were doing.
When they had the raw eggs, I was thinking "Here is our victory meal, dysentery!"
Maaan this was a harsh, emotional gut punching combo attack of a movie, what fantastic acting, set work, everything was done tremendously well to make you feel the horror of this war from this perspective.
Great video to watch with you two. Thanks for having this on to help everyone who would want to see this have some friendly company to get through all the soul wrenching cinema storytelling and action.
Great video!
The narrative at home in Germany was a far cry from the factual reality of the trenches on the front line. The Germans were sold every day on the lie that the war was going well, and in fact, they were oh so close to victory each day, needing just a little more to make it a reality. It kept morale at home high, and young soldiers enlisted in droves. The truth however was, the lines had barely moved since the war began years prior. Battalions would be lost marching across no man's land in order to take 20 or so yards of ground, only to lose it the next day. Thus it came as a shock to the German people to so suddenly and abruptly be informed that they'd lost the war. Rather than own up to the fact the government and military had been stringing them along for so many years, however, they quickly found scapegoats to blame their sudden "unforeseeable" defeat on. The Jews were a prime target in this. There were already strong seeds of antisemitism within the country, but the defeat of the Germans made it much more rampant, and helped pave the way for a certain dictator some years later.
The book for this film was banned in Germany for years as it is clearly an aversion towards war and what happened in the Great War especially. Worldwide it won countless awards and accolades for its depictions.
I highly appreciate the fact you two were watching that movie in it´s motherlanguage! I think this can be a bit exhausting more or less for people who don´t speak german at all, even when subs are aviable. Greetings from germany, thank you very much for that reaction ❤
To answer to your statement when they were shooting with their rifles at the tanks that this is a waste of resources: not quite! The director of the german tank museum in Munster also made a reaction just for this scene. He said shooting at tanks in ww1 with a big amount of soldiers could actually irritating tank crews that much because of the many impacts and the noise resulting out of it that they fall back in some or even many cases. I mean inside of a tank at that time was like hell, it was dark, very noisy, hot because the engine wasn´t seperated from the tank crew and then we have many people inside the tanks - in many cases up to 18 men stuffed inside. So yeah this must have been very scary and effective to shoot at the tanks with many rifles, pistols, machine guns or whatever.
If you watch a "foreign" movie with a dubbing, you have reserved a special place in hell.
You have to watch the original 1931 version. It sticks closer to the book as well.
I remember seeing the 1930 version of All Quiet on the Western Front in college. Interesting film.
Which version do you prefer!?
I really loved the original, but the remake was super underwhelming for me. From a technical aspect, it was great, but I wasn't as attached to any of the characters in the same way the 1930 film portrayed them.
On top of that, the 2022 film cut my personal favorite scene of the whole story - the one where Paul goes back to his professor while on leave, and tells the teacher off for indoctrinating innocent children into a hellish nightmare.
@TBRSchmitt I love the original. Also, check out the 1979 version as well.
with John boy Walton! @@stsolomon618
@@TBRSchmitt I prefer the 1930 version because it’s more faithful to the novel and Paul’s character is better developed, not to mention he was portrayed by one of my favorite old Hollywood actors, Lew Ayres.
A couple other WW1 suggestions...
Paths Of Glory starring Kirk Douglas... directed by Stanley Kubrick
Galipolli co-starring Mel Gibson... directed by Peter Weir
Thanks for the recommendations!
Also throwing in a recommendation for Come and See - it's a WW2 movie, not WW1, but I think it's way more memorable and devastating than the 2022 All Quiet
Galipoli... Australians and New Zealanders fighting the Ottomans. Crazily good movie.
The Germans did not invade France first.
German troops occupied Luxembourg first. And while german troops were invading the neutral Belgium, frech troops invaded Germany.
The European forced were so eager to start the war that the actuall acts of war had already been committed, the armies were already rolling before a deceleration of war had been given.
I know that there is a surten bias towards the Germans, within American education of history.
But, besides of what you gave been told: Germany did not start WW1 😉
Such a good anti-war film ,young boys/men so "gung ho" for adventure, so proud to fight for their country and then the reality of the trenches, slaughter ,blood bombs bullets bayonets ,it hits hard, especially the scene with Paul and the French soldier he stabbed in the trench or the pointless final charge , a horrifyingly beautiful film that stays with you long after seeing it.