Goes to show how a second viewing can make a big difference. I'd been of the opinion this was creaky and boring, the kind of movie that would have been better as a silent movie a year or so earlier. I was an idiot for thinking this. It's just as visually dynamic as most silents, and the sound gives it a naturalism that suits the material infinitely better. Devastating.

Deserves its classic status, but with some caveats. The narrative template for the basic war film is basically already in place here, and the battle scenes and practical effects are convincing even now. But the acting exists in some strange transitional period where we're moving from silent to sound, and it's highly riffable, the expressions highly .giffable, and the story's compelling themes are turned into bludgeoning weapons by the script delivery. It's all delightfully naive BUT it clashes with the remarkable visual realism. The final shot coaxed some manly tears out of me though, so overall it works as more than just a historical touchstone, it's a good story.

Almost amazing that another World War took place after this was made. Probably the best American anti-war film, it manages to accomplish in short sequences what many contemporary directors fail to accomplish with entire movies.

The film is better than I remember the book being in junior high school. I suspect I would feel differently if I read the book today.

I was particularly impressed with the technical accomplishments of the film, especially the battle scenes. Considering it was made in 1930 I found the level of realism refreshing. I also appreciate the starkness of the film and the hopelessness of the ending.

The acting isn't the best I've seen, for sure, but in this case that's beyond the point.

An early hit for the then-up-and-coming Universal Studios, All Quiet on the Western Front is a film that wouldn't look out of place alongside the iconic horrors the studio would follow it with through the next decade. It's a harrowing depiction of life on the front line during the First World War, most remarkable perhaps for coming from the German perspective. In its marked bleakness, the horror of combat often contrasted with the beauty of nature, one can see the vast influence it continues to exude on the genre in the form of The Thin Red Line and many others. With a cast whose expressivity holds over from the silent era, direction that emphasises the inherent atrocity of humanity, and a relentless atmosphere of dismal darkness, this is a profoundly affecting piece of work, a powerful reminder of the truth of war: there are no good and bad guys, just lots and lots of dead guys.

One of the most powerful anti-war films ever, Lewis Milestone's 1930 masterpiece will remain relevant for as long as war exists. The first truly great Best Picture winner.

Wow. For a war movie this early on, this is impressive. The DVD I have is of a very rough print, but I don’t know if there is a cleaned up version out there. Either way, good print or bad, the story comes through brilliantly. And the performances, which are a bit stilted and amateurish, only serve to make the characters feel more authentic, and authentically young and naive. Very moving.

An early hit for the then-up-and-coming Universal Studios, All Quiet on the Western Front is a film that wouldn't look out of place alongside the iconic horrors the studio would follow it with through the next decade. It's a harrowing depiction of life on the front line during the First World War, most remarkable perhaps for coming from the German perspective. In its marked bleakness, the horror of combat often contrasted with the beauty of nature, one can see the vast influence it continues to exude on the genre in the form of The Thin Red Line and many others. With a cast whose expressivity holds over from the silent era, direction that emphasises the inherent atrocity of humanity, and a relentless atmosphere of dismal darkness, this is a profoundly affecting piece of work, a powerful reminder of the truth of war: there are no good and bad guys, just lots and lots of dead guys.

The best WWI movie ever made

If you want to see the psychological downside of war through the eyes of the early 19th century, this is your movie. It's a great movie from the perspective of the Germans during World War I and the mental troubles that they went through. I liked the movie. You'll probably like it, if you don't mind movies from 1930.

I Like 1930's All Quiet On The Western Front, I Like It Because I Like Universal Pictures, 1993's Schindler's List Is My Favorite Universal Pictures Film.