Am I the olny teen that likes All Quiet on the Western Front?

[Willi Von Klugerman]

Am I the only teen out there that likes All Quiet on the Western Front?Problably,which is a shame because this is such a very poignant and moving film.To those teens that watch stuff like CGI bathed films like 300 and Flyboys,this film won't stand a chance to gain their interest in this beautiful peice of cinema!The only time I was ever annoyed and ticked off by WWI aviation was when that D.H.4 kept dropping bombs at Paul and Kat.I was like,"Leave them alone,their not doing anything to you!".The battle scenes were quite amazing,and many of those extras for the battle scenes were veterans of The Great War.It had so many moving scenes and should get more notice to the modern public!

(Always thought that was a creepy poster)

[Lyle]

This film is a true classic and there's no reason to feel you are a strange young person to like a film that's nearly 80 years old. For example I've been a fan of silent films since I was a teen.

It's a powerful film and a real indicment against war...Louis Wolheim did a great job as Kat, too. The shriek of shells is pretty creepy.

[bristol scout]

Hi Guys,

YES--it is a good film--OF IT'S KIND.

Anti War--Pacifist Films invariably have a political agenda---and that can be good or bad!

Paths of Glory, with a strong performance by Kirk Douglas is another powerful indictment against war---other 'politically ----agenda driven anti war films like Oh! What a Lovely War---GALLIPOLI---the long running British t.v. series 'the monocled mutineer' can be (whilst good stories) dangerous if they are taken to literally!

Not all wars a immoral, futile or evil--ask the FRENCH if W.W.1 was futile? ask the American negro if the Civil War was justified?

I suppose i'm saying temper the film's 'message' with what it might have cost NOT to fight these war's.

Dave.

[Ginger.]

I never appreciated how good the original film was... till I saw that dreadful remake with John Boy Walton in it!

[Pete Hill]

Hi Willi,
Good on you for your choice of cinema, the film is a classic and it has certainly dated less than other war films of that era.
Watch the French Infantry attack on the Paul and his comrade's trench sector and then watch the Omaha Beach sequence in 'Saving Private Ryan' and all of sudden, the latter does not seem quite so original anymore.
The film has been called 'brave' by some writers. I disagree with that judgement, the film was actually a shrewd commerical venture. It was released at a time when anti-war sentiment and Pacifism were very common in society and people were ready to respond to a film that depicted the Great War in such a light. A film does not have to be brave in order to achieve greatness. You could argue that a film such as John Wayne's The Green Berets was actually a brave film as it was released at a time when the anti-war protest movement against the Vietnam War was gaining momentum in the USA and the film's stance and message was actually flying in the face of popular opinion of the time.
In that sense, I agree with what Bristol said about war films and political agendas. The 1981 Australian Film 'Gallipoli', as fine and powerful a film as it was, did have such an agenda, namely that the whole campaign was a tragic farce and that the Australians were used as cannon-fodder by the incompetent and merciless English. So Gallipoli could not be called a 'brave' film either. The film was preaching a message that the Australian public liked to hear, ie it was all the fault of those Bloody Poms! The few brave Australian historians who tried to protest the in-accuracies in the film were shouted down.
Keep watching those classics, mate. Their survival depends on younger folk like you keeping their memory alive.
Pete.

[bristol scout]

Originally Posted by Ginger.

I never appreciated how good the original film was... till I saw that dreadful remake with John Boy Walton in it!

Hi Ginger,
Although i seem to remember Ernest Borgnine giving his usual fine performance (as Katczinsky) and Delbert Mann's directing meant it was never going to be totally bad!

As a little aside---remember Ernest Borgnine as Kirk Douglas' 'dad' in 'THE VIKINGS' ? He was two years YOUNGER than Douglas when he played that role!!

Dave.

[Ginger.]

All Hail Ragner!!!

[Cruz Verras]

I'm glad you liked the film Willi,I'd be worried if you did'nt
The original Kat is unequaled,such a "face".
Saw the film for the first time about your age,which makes me think about the first time that I ever went to see a film, an obscure russian film, black and white, called " The ballad of a soldier". Same feelings as "All quiet...", made its mark.Look it up, its worth it.

Cheers Cruz.

[gustav gans]

I devoured the book first before seeing the movie. I was in the 7th grade and picked up a free copy from the RIF program (Reading Is Fundemental) that would distribute books to kids. It must have been a tie-in to the Thomas- Borgnine version as they were on the cover but once my folks got a VCR (early 80's) I went searching for the original film first and was glad I did.
Poor Kemmerich, all he wanted out of life was to be a Forester.

[Willi Von Klugerman]

You gotta feel bad for Behm,he never even wanted to join but did so out of peer presure.Just on his first day in the front he gets blinded by a shell explosion while repairing wires at night,starts shouting and idly runs off into No-Mans-Land and gets shot up.