Recently, a Netflix film adaptation of “All Quiet on the Western Front†was filmed. Produced by Daniel Bruhl and starring Felix Kammerer, it is a German anti-war film set during the final days of the First World War and the German Empire. The movie also points out that propaganda making war look easy and patriotic is, in truth, a lie made by governments to make young men join the military. As we will examine, the reality of war is much more grim and horrifying than any portrayal made by propaganda.
The movie begins in the spring of 1917, when the main character, Paul Baumer, joins the German army. By the spring of 1917, chemical warfare is used by both sides and trench warfare is seen in the west.
The United States has also joined the war, after the Russian Empire fell apart due to the Soviets. Soon, Paul and several friends who also joined the military, realize the true horror they signed up for.
A German delegation headed by Matthias Erzberger attempts peace talks with the French to end the war and prevent more lives from being lost. Meanwhile, the main characters continue to fight. One by one, Paul’s friends die in brutal conditions. At one point, a German offensive against the French turns into a complete disaster as the French use tanks and flamethrowers in a counteroffensive.
Paul begins to show sympathy for the French when, after killing a French soldier, he finds out that the soldier he just killed had a family. The news is announced that the war is going to be over soon. However, after another attempted offensive by the Germans, Paul is killed.
In more ways than one, the movie is as relevant as ever. With the Feb. 24, 2022, invasion of Ukraine by Russia, and other wars across the world, it needs to be pointed out how horrifying war truly is. We also need to remember that the propaganda put out about a war is not the truth, but a glorification of reality.
