Review of All Quiet on the Western Front (1930) by Kevin N — 17 Oct 2010

An effectively disturbing antiwar statement from the early days of sound cinema that flattens most films of its kind even today. The production itself is a bold and daring endeavor; it is more violent and less merciful than perhaps any war film made up to that point, and its ability to shock and shake has not been lost over the years.

I thought the structure of the film was particularly hard-hitting, an unbalanced and slow-moving film that takes enough time to establish these soldiers as human beings and then tastefully but unrelentlessly throws them into the hell that is war.

Battle sequences are tense and realistic, and the acting follows suit.