Review of All Quiet on the Western Front (1930) by Scott S — 27 Apr 2013

All Quiet on the Western Front (1930) -- [8.5] -- SPOILER REVIEW: The grand-daddy of 'anti-war' war movies is Lewis Milestone's "All Quiet on the Western Front," the first non-musical talkie to win the best picture Academy Award.

The film is stylistically way ahead of its time, with sweeping camera movement, realistic (non-theatrical) acting, deep layers of action in the photography, and sophisticated action choreography -- all of which you just don't see in most other films from the early '30s.

Lead actor Lew Ayres (just beginning his long career) over-acts a few times, and the script gives him a few too many pointed lines, but he's good overall. The supporting cast is actually better -- especially Louis Wolheim as the tough sergeant who becomes a second father to his young, frightened troops.

The film is told in many powerful vignettes, from a school teacher's impassioned plea that his entire class sign up for the war en masse, to a montage of death scenes shot from the perspective of a comfortable pair of boots that are passed down from soldier to soldier.

The heart of the film, however, lies in Ayres' and Wolheim's characters. The film ends in their back-to-back death scenes, both captured by Milestone with little fanfare and devastating nonchalance.

The ultimate image of Ayres' reaching for a butterfly (the last thing he ever does) has become an icon in Hollywood film history. In addition the the best picture Oscar, the film also won for best director and was nominated for screenplay and cinematography.