All Quiet on Western Front (1979)

Much like the book and the original movie, the story takes place in 1914 central Germany at the eve of World War I. Many schoolboys (and yes, just like the original film, they oddly speak English with American and British accents, yet its...Germany?) are destinted to join up with the Kaiser's army and fight for the "Fatherland". Paul Baummer (Thomas) is an eager young boy who doesn't exactly look like the fighting type (truth be said, Thomas is giving into too much of his John-Boy image from "Waltons", but nevermind that), in fact he gets distracted easily. But he and his school buddies join the resistance. After going through harsh training with anal Himmelstoss (Holm), they are sent to the frontlines of France. There, they meet Katczinsky (Bognine) AKA "Kat", a seamlessly old warhorse that takes the boys in and teaches them how to fight. And unless you haven't read the book or just know the story like everybody knows the Cinderella story, one-by-one the boys die horrible deaths in the trenches and it's to a point where even some lose their minds. Paul is sent back home because of injuries but returns because he feels like the trenches are his home. Only for his to find out that he's the only remaining of his group aside from Kat, who dies a long and painful death after being hit by shrapnel and being carried a mile or so by Paul to safety. Ouch. Once again, Paul is distracted by something and thus we have "All Quiet on the Western Front"

The tv movie won a Golden Globe for Best Made-For-TV Movie and it definately deserved it. The production vaule was superb and you can tell. I merely wonder if the director intended the film to be released theatrically, because it's quite well shot and pretty high on special effects scale...that is for the 70's. One such thing that would bug a lot of history buffs is just how not a single word of German is spoken throughout the entire movie...and it takes place in Germany! It would be like an American movie were everybody speaks French, but it's Southern California! Right up along side "Enemy at the Gates" (Russians speak with British accents, Germans speak with American?) it's a well endowed movie and a perfect selection for a history class.


A Classic.   May 28, 1999
11 out of 13 found this review helpful

This is a fine WWI film. The acting is outstanding. Richard Thomas is excellent as Paul Baum. Ian Holm is also very good as the drill instructor. Ernest Borgnine rounds out the cast of fine acting. Made for television, this film was not eligible for the Oscars but if it were it should have at least garnered a best actor or best director. (War films often do not win best picture) As the other reviews indicate, it does reflect the war from the German perspective. The battle scenes are very well done (even for 1979). It compares with the Razor's Edge. Both films are deep and demonstrate a youthful look at the world turning into the cold cruel reality of war and life itself. Amazon.com is amazing. I have been looking for this film for years. It is a grand film and one of the favorites from my youth.


Not the Original TV version   December 31, 1999
Tobler (USA)
11 out of 16 found this review helpful

The video "All Quiet on the Western Front"is not the original one shown on TV in 1979. It was editted by about 30 minutes. If you ever see the it you will see the difference. The uncut version is much clearer. Examples of editing include the scene with the Kaiser when Himmistoss recieved the metal it is explained why he got the metal in the uncut version.there are other examples mostly dealing with anti war themes sounds funny for an antiwar movie but...............


Great movie!   July 14, 2004
11 out of 14 found this review helpful

This film is great! I remember watching it when I was 8 or 10 and it fascinated me. Great action, great battles, great movie! Definitively for all war-movie buffs.

Also, to the reviewer from London who wrote a review on the 13 June 2003, actually, the helmet the guy is wearing is the Stahlhelm model 1916 or 1918 wich effectively was produced by German high command at the end of the war to replace their old helmets wich were thougth ill-suited for trench warfare. You can see by the ventilation holes (the 2 horns on each side of the helmet) that it is either a M1918 or M1916 since futur Stahlhelm (helmets) were fabricated with smaller ventilation holes. So the movie, in terms of equipement and uniforms is quite accurate.