Towards the end of the First World War a naive group of young Germans, stirred up by patriotism join their nation’s army. Paul (Felix Kammerer) has to forge his father’s signature on his papers to join up but is certain that in a few weeks they will be marching on Paris and bring glory to their country. Instead he finds himself knee deep in the water of the trenches where he will watch everyone around him die for nothing. 

Paul’s desperate bid for survival is juxtaposed with the German delegation sent to parley a surrender. Led by Magnus Erzberger (Daniel Bruhl) they have the desperate knowledge that every day they delay trying to reach a more favourable settlement thousands of young German soldiers are dying. 

The films opening shows us this predicament perfectly. A young man in the trenches joins his fellow soldiers in an attack over the top. We witness a slaughter and then the collection and burial of bodies. Their boots and clothing stripped, sent home, washed, bullet holes sewn up and then as Paul is handed his uniform he spies a name tag on it. The young man’s name from earlier sewn into the top. He is told it is a mistake, it happens all the time, the uniform must not have fit that young man as the tag is torn out and dropped to the floor where many others already lay. 

Co-writer and director Edward Berger’s film is a perfect rendition of the classic war movie. The futility of it all is interwoven with the sense of camaraderie between the men, their initial excitement to their bitter realisation. He uses plenty of beautiful imagery of nature between the brutality of the warfare. Something that brought to mind Terence Malick’s masterpiece The Thin Red Line. Whilst the battle scenes themselves are spectacular both in their scale and the horror they portray. 

Kammerer in his first ever acting role is perfect. The disillusionment and loss written on his mud caked face in certain key scenes evoke such emotional reactions it is hard not to feel bitter disappointment for him and his compatriots. 

All Quiet On The Western Front instantly goes into the pantheon of truly Great War movies for me.