There’s a lot of praise floating around the internet for the latest World War I-era film All Quiet on the Western Front, with critics and audiences worldwide being thoroughly moved by its powerful message.
Yet there is somehow a subsection of social media that is accusing the film of being heavy-handedly leftist and liberal, seemingly because of its overarching anti-war message, and it is sparking some incensed responses.
It would appear that the film’s naysayers seem to be missing the point of the film as well as its source material, the novel by Erich Maria Remarque of the same name – which is quite evidently anti-war, dealing with the reality of the physical and mental stresses that soldiers in the trenches live with.
Twitter users are calling effectively calling the film’s detractors crybabies who want their war movies to play out like a Call of Duty game, which sugarcoats the harsh terror, violence, and trauma of being on the battlefield. There have been some humorous reactions to the whole saga:
Thankfully those accusing All Quiet on the Western Front of being leftie anti-war nonsense are in the minority, as the movie is leaving a lasting impression on the majority – with the gritty and sobering take on World War I earning raucous reception, with some even deeming the film as Oscar-worthy.
Its Rotten Tomatoes score speaks for itself, sitting at a 94 percent rating with critics and 92 percent with audiences. We had similar thoughts about the film, particularly how the capabilities of modern cinema enabled a deep dive into the minds of the soldiers it followed.
All Quiet on the Western Front is directed by Edward Berger and is the third film adaptation of Remarque’s novel, the first coming in 1930 from Lewis Milestone, the second a CBS TV film by Delbert Mann in 1979. The 2022 film is streaming on Netflix, and it was absolutely dominant on the service over the weekend.
