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THE MOVIE ADAPTATION OF Erich Maria Remarque’s classic anti-war novel All Quiet on the Western Front depicts the experiences of a group of young German soldiers during the course of World War I, showing their gradual transition from feelings of idealism and enthusiasm about fighting for their fatherland to a mental state of disillusionment and emotional bewilderment. It is through the eyes of these individuals and their experiences at the front that the tragedy of war is conveyed to the viewer. Directed by Lewis Milestone and starring Lew Ayres as the protagonist Paul Bräumer, the film was released in 1930, but the faithful illustration of the futility of war, and of the profound psychological effects caused by it, ensured that All Quiet on the Western Front has not lost any of its power or relevance over the years.
The movie successfully manages to convey its anti-war message through a series of powerful and memorable scenes, told in a chronological manner over the duration of the Great War (1914-18). ... ” After all, they believe that the war could not take too long. ... For example, when a bombardment erupts during the young soldiers’ first mission at the front, one of them is blinded and then killed while wildly running toward the enemy line. ... In another telling scene, the soldiers are sitting inside a bunker at the front, while being continuously bombarded by the opposing forces. ... ” The development of these feelings also culminate in arguably the most memorable scene of the movie, when Paul becomes trapped inside a shell crater with a French soldier he has mortally wounded. ... ” Coming to grips with the futility of war, such scenes manage to convey Paul’s increasing character development to a state of disillusionment, and also enable the movie to give a closer illustration of the increasingly draining effects of war on the individual soldier’s emotional and mental state of mind.
Apart from these important scenes, the effects of war on Paul’s character development are successfully accentuated through the movie’s use of juxtaposition. In the most important scene making use of this technique, Paul returns home after four years at the front and visits his former school, where he finds his old teacher still glorifying about war to a new group of students.
Approximate Word count = 1726
Approximate Pages = 6.9
(250 words per page double spaced)
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