The first scene itself sets a definite tone of the movie. There is death and destruction everywhere. Trenches are full of dismembered bodies floating in the murky waters and gloom is shrouding faster than the ever present mist mixed with the gunpowder smoke. But what gave my heart a cold numbing shock was the ‘recycling’ scene, that journey of an uniform was really practical but brutal.
In reality the war itself is a protagonist in this classic novel written by Eric Maria Ramarque. It is indeed the WWI which is taking this story forward, moving men and their machines towards an endless cycle of battles, bloodshed and traumatic reality. People are moved like chess pieces in this massive board filled with vengeance, violence and vapid interests.
For the sake of storytelling though, the narrative moves with the plot line of four friends who rather enthusiastically have enlisted themselves for the admiration and pride of their fatherland. As the movie doesn’t talk much about their background but just hints at a reality far removed from the ugly realities of warfare.
So we meet Paul Bäumer, Albert Kropp, Franz Müller, and Ludwig Behm who are at 17, quite idealistic and full of passion for achieving greatness for their beloved country- Germany. Without giving much thought for their families or looking at the consequences of the ongoing battles around them, they enlist themselves to fight against the enemies in the middle of WWI.
From this point on, the story moves with them with Paul becoming the central focal point of the plot as the movie progresses. What follows are the bloodied and gory scenes of carnage, constantly being on guard against the enemy and also against the natural elements, hungry and sleepless nights, frigid and frightening surroundings and some amature tomfoolery.
These tough times brings all of them together and they form bonds with the veterans in their regiment- Stanislaus “Kat” Katczinsky and Tjaden Stackfleet. At the beginning, they all are colleagues battling through the trenches against a common enemy but by the end of it, they form a bond of solid friendship. As Paul starts loosing the sense of reality, all what he holds near and dear and comes close to realising the void filling out his days, Kat is the one who is keeping him tethered to the bright future beyond the ongoing bloodshed.
But when that reality shatters, will Paul be able to survive? How can anyone survive anything of this and comes out normal? And why does the war never ends for Paul although the power-to-be has declared an end to it? These are some poignant questions and more we try to find answers for it throughout this masterfully crafted movie, more we disillusioned with the realities of war.
The screen adaptation, settings and overall direction is absolutely top notch. It successfully manages to transcend the stark realities of war specially juxtaposing the real battles on the ground vs the power games behind them. The realities of soldiers who are actually fighting can be a whole world different from those who are asking them to make the ultimate sacrifice, that’s one of the main takeaways of this movie and its presented in such a stark contrast that it hurts to watch. At the end, the viewers leave with their hearts yearning for a calming peace which we know in more ways than one is hard to come by.