All Quiet on the Western Front (1930)

When AFI came out with its list of 100 best movies a few years back, I noticed that one of the oldest films on the list was All Quiet on the Western Front. I am not usually partial to really old movies, as I am of the school of thought that film has gotten better over time, and as such most of the best movies have been made in the last 20 - 30 years.

However, I was astounded with this film. Released nearly 80 years ago, and a paltry 3 years after the first movie with talking sequences, this movie paints a picture of war that is just as horrifying and moving as Saving Private Ryan. The film is based on the novel of the same name, and follows a group of young soldiers as they are recruited into the Army to fight in the trenches during World War I. As they train and are finally sent to the front, they find that war is a truly terrible experience.

The quality of the sound and picture is nothing near modern standards, but I soon forgot about that as the plot progressed. There are some very vivid scenes in this film, such as where one of the primary characters, Paul, gets trapped in no man's land in a bomb crater with a dying soldier from the opposing army, and begs his forgiveness for killing him, or Paul's anti-war speech when he goes home after being wounded on the front. I was actually surprised at how violent and psychologically disturbing the movie was, despite being so old. But in the end, that is where the movie truly shines - as an attempt to portray war for what it really is. The film's message is timeless and will likely be important for all generations. I was deeply moved by the film, and highly recommend it to anyone.

Here is a clip of the film from youtube - warning, this is violent: