Film Analysis: All Quiet on the Western Front - Essay Example

? Film Analysis Review of the film All Quiet on the Western Front through a detailed analysis of the content and the significance in terms of the film’s historical context. Name Institution Date Introduction The film All Quiet on the Western Front gives an intuitive story of six soldiers of the German nation who personally volunteered to fight for their country during the World War I. this film chronicles the soldier’s demise in the aspects of intellect, spirit and physical well-being. In addition, movie is an adaptation and deep reflection of a legendary novel by Eric Maria Remarque. Gutierrez (2006) claims that in the novel, these young Germans enlist to fight in the World War I and the horrors of the wars devour their idealism as well as their political certainties that end untimely with their deaths pg. 78. The movie focuses entirely on the narration of an incredible and observant soldier Paul Baumer. Paul is fast to portray and reveal the horrors that accompanied the trench wars that included gas attack, rat infestations, and fatal illnesses in the Western front. In addition, the film addresses and works on the goal of exploring the purpose and the destined purpose of the World War I. In the United States, the film remains as one of the most influential and popular educational tools in the education of concepts and unfolding events during the World War I. However, the film’s story line is in the perspective of the German that was among America’s enemies during the war. An American journalist by the name Henry Louis Mencken denoted the film as a classical and unquestionably among the best works regarding the World War. Since time immemorial, few films play the striking role of educating and delivering powerful anti-war messages in the American context and the world as a whole. Lewis Milestone’s extraordinary evocation in the film describes the tragic follies associated with the wars. Most reviews associate the film as the best movie as it displays and portrays innocent and determined German soldiers and their juxtaposed states in respect to the harrowing immediacy concerning the trench warfare. However, the soldiers fail at the expense of their tools and they fail to match the equipment of their enemies. In this light, the film displays a philosophical underpinning of the surging wars that leaves the audience in awe both in heart and mind. The youths are in the comfort of their class and in reference to the encouragement of their teacher they enlist for the inclusion in the army (Shmoop, 2010 Pg. 78). It is inconsiderate to think that the result is a good fight to in and this is contrary to the fact that there are no good fights and there is ultimately and always a winner. In addition, victory in most instances is similar to defeat. In the education of American history, this film serves a definitive role in ensuring that sometimes loyalty and patriotism is the source of death in the military men. In this context, the dialogue in the film in some cases expresses a sense of stagy and arch as compared to today’s standards. Paul watches helplessly as the world slowly crumbles them to their demise amidst all the madness, inescapable and indispensable loss as well as chaos in the trench wars. He recalls the butterflies he trapped as a young boy and put in glass cases. This reflective flashback serves as comparison to the current state he experienced in the trenches as he watched helplessly as their demise beckoning. With this summary, one may wonder why they should care in reference to the unfolding turn of events film affecting Paul and his comrades. The film provides a varied perspective regarding the events that unfolded during the World War in comparison to what the Americans allow. From the film, the audience has the opportunity to hear and process the views of the German soldier that is a big enemy of the American nation as well the allied forces. This creates a sympathetic attitude towards the ‘enemy’ and this also induces reflective reasoning with the aim of defining the true meaning of an enemy (Kelly, 2002 pg. 56). The German, Paul, helps the audience critically establish the main reason that forces countries to go to war and also to describe the main reason why countries feel and express no mercy at the number of victims affected. In comparison, the wars that affect these countries are very different and the imagination of young and determined youths such as Paul helps us explore issues such as identity, dreams, and mortality. As much as the film provides a differentiated perspective on the World War I, it is also indispensable to think about the different themes expressed in the film. Although these themes are in a way similar to those of the American history, they shed light by including other themes not in the American history. The question of identity is the most prevalent theme in the film as it seeks to answer the destiny and fate of an individual with close reference to Paul the young German soldier. The soldier discovers and clearly defines his identity from a naive and young youth to a wise soldier fighting in the front line. The soldier in most instances applies his personal definition in so many ways and in the context of other people. Such is the expression that he uses ‘salt of the earth’ in referring to people with no identity an instance being his comrade Kat. He refutes the intuition that the uniform they wear as a form of identity and he quickly adds that one needs to consider oneself as a definition of the characteristics one depicts. Questions are about identity are an important aspect in the civilization of man and the encouragement of fulfillment of destiny. Another important theme in the film as depicted by the director involves dreams, plans and hopes for the future. Vefsins, (2007) believes that the World War I was a time that did not show any signs of elevation as well as improvement in the number of raging attacks on the countries. The film exposes the dreams and hopes of men who undergo treacherous conditions in the trench wars. The conditions were abysmal with increased rates in mass deaths as frequent occurrences. In this light, the violent exposure shapes the soldier’s belief regarding concepts of dreams and life. These themes are the basis for educating the current youth on the plights that conjured these individuals into increasing effort to make the dreams and hopes true realizations. The director is quick also focus on the themes of sacrifice. The soldiers in the film make uncountable sacrifices that all end in nothing fruitful. They give up all their beliefs for the good of serving their country in the trench wars. They forego all their ideals whilst believing that their service to their country that in the case of the film are incomprehensible and false. The fact that they make these sacrifices for unknown and unspecified reasons gave rise to a widespread tension. It is as though they did not entirely know what was happening at the time of enlisting for the army. Closely linked to the theme of sacrifice is the theme of patriotism. This is the love for an individual’s country over all other things. However, the director does not paint and reveal any of the three soldiers as patriots. Bloom (2009) believes that they are the instruments for elected teachers and politicians who employ the personal stilted senses of patriotism with the goal of encouraging them to give up their lives in the conquest of serving and defending their countries pg. 32. This reflects heavily on the acts of patriotism as expressions that are pathetic because of the negativity in their outcomes. The young comrades fight tirelessly to protect their allies in comparison to fighting to protect their fatherland. All of these themes play vital roles in the education of historical events that unfolded during the World War in the countries that took part. It is common to find that these are among the most addressed and most prevalent issues in the historical analysis of these countries around the world and the film provides an informed and detailed analysis into these issues. In deduction, other significant themes in the context of historical studies include revenge, mortality, innocence, and primitiveness. Film studies are academic disciplines that deal with various aspects of theoretical, critical, and historical approaches to the film industry and films. In most instances, films are closely linked to the histories pertaining societies in which the film comes into being. Films serve as a source of aesthetic history stored over generations that is a basis of future reference. Films created in the context of a people’s culture and beliefs are a source of vital information in the education of future generations regarding the ways of the people that existed in the past. For instance, the film All Quiet on the Western Front provides a revelation of the events that unfolded during the World War I (Remarque, 2008, pg. 76). this is a classic example of how films influence the modernized societies as well as giving a deep insight into the ways that the wars affected the people. In this context, it is accurate to conclude that films serve significant roles in historical studies and it is also appropriate to conclude that the film is history as history is fine. Bibliography Gutierrez P (2006) The Story Behind Erich Maria Remarque's All Quiet On The Western Front: Heinemann Library. Bloom.H (2009) Erich Maria Remarque's All Quiet on the Western Front, 2nd Ed: InfoBase Publishing. Shmoop (2010) All Quiet on the Western Front: Shmoop Literature Guide: Shmoop University Inc. All Quiet on the Western Front (1930) Directed by Lewis Milestone. Lew Ayres, Louis Wolheim (138 min.) L. Vefsins, (2007) FYRIRSPURN · SERPONTUN · KENNARAR · ISLENSK UTGAFA· L?RDOMSRIT · ISLENSK KORT · HASKOLAVORUR ·  A. Kelly (2002) 'All Quiet On the Western Front': The Story of a Film: I.B.Tauris. E. M. Remarque & H. Bloom (2008) All Quiet on the Western Front: InfoBase Publishing. R.A. Rosenstone (2006) History on film/film on history, Harlow: Longman.  Read More