"This book is to be neither an accusation nor a confession, and least of all an adventure, for death is not an adventure to those who stand face to face with it. It will try simply to tell of a generation of men who, even though they may have escaped (its) shells, were destroyed by the war."

- Erich Maria Remarque, “All Quiet on the Western Front” (1929 Novel)

If you ask me which war/anti-war movie that you want me to recommend to Popular Airsoft readers, “All Quiet on the Western Front” (1930), the film adaptation of the best-selling novel set in World War I, is on top of my list of recommendations.  There is also the 1979 version which I can happily recommend as well, but I would still steer you to watch the 1930 original. But in October you can watch a high definition adaptation that will be shown at select theaters and on Netflix.

First announced in 2016, “All Quiet on the Western Front”, is a German-language adaptation of the novel with Felix Kammerer playing the role of Paul Bäumer, the story’s central character. Whilst not a main character in the book renowned Spanish-German actor Daniel Brühl (“Rush”, “Captain America: Civil War” and “The Alienist) will be playing the role of Matthias Erzberger, a politician who initially supported the war but later came out against it, eventually becoming the German finance minister after the war.

The book, written by Erich Maria Remarque, is about the experience of German soldiers during the war, dealing on extreme stress, physically and mentally, and their alienation from civilian life when returning from the front.  Remarque himself was veteran of World War I. While it is a huge success after its first release, it was criticized for undermining the German war effort and furthering the author’s pacifist agenda. The book was one of the first books to be burned when the Nazi party came to power in Germany.

The 1930 film adaptation became the first Best Picture winner at the Academy Awards (Oscars) that is based on a novel. It was directed by Lewis Milestone with Louis Wolheim, Lew Ayres, John Wray, Arnold Lucy and Ben Alexander as the main actors. It also won the Academy Awards for both Outstanding Production and Best Director.  The 1979 television film adaptation was a British-Americana production with Richard Thomas and Ernest Borgnine as main characters with Delbert Mann as director. It won the Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture Made for Television and an Emmy Award for Outstanding Film Editing for a Limited Series or a Special.

You can watch a clip of the 1930 adaption and remastered full length edition of the 1979 one posted on YouTube below:

"All Quiet on the Western Front", directed by Edward Berger will be featured at the 2022 Toronto Film Festival on September 12 and will be streamed on Netflix on October 28. It is Germany’s entry for the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film at the 95th Academy Awards.