All Quiet on the Western Front

[Michael Rolls]

well, I tried it. As a graphic depiction of the horrors of trench warfare, it is very good. However, I still much prefer the original - in fact I gave up on this one with about half an hour still to run. For my mind, it didn't even come close to portraying the betrayal and hopelessness of those young men which come across so very loud and clear in the original. I don't - obviously - know how it ended, but I an pretty sure it wouldn't have the pathos of the original

[klondike]

To be honest I doubt that anybody who hasn't experienced war themselves can have any idea of what war is like and none alive today can know what trench warfare was like. Those making a film today will rely entirely on guesswork. I wasn't impressed with either 1917 or Dunkirk although both got reasonable reviews.

I quite enjoyed reading the Stephen Ambrose histories and the series based on one of them - Band of Brothers.

[Scrumpy]

I thought it was brilliant..
It showed that everyone was affected by war regardless of who/ what they were fighting for..
It also showed that the soldiers were just cannon fodder..
and (mostly) those that gave the orders didn't take any risks..
All very,very sad..

[klondike]

I'll give the new one a try then if it is in the emporium. I sometimes wonder if I would have shaped up but I'm very glad that I never had to.

Looks like the new one is a German production. There is English dubbing but now I see that I recall comments that the dubbing wasn't all that good and a lot of the nuances were missed. I can't stand subtitles which would likely be as bad and I've forgotten most of what German I ever learned which wasn't a great deal anyway.

[Michael Rolls]

Scrumpy
Yes, it portrayed the totality, but to my mind it missed the effect on the individuals in the way that the original did, perhaps in its determination to convey that very totality.

[Scrumpy]

The dubbing didn't detract from the viewing..
I never watch anything with subtitles though.. My reading is not quick enough.

[Michael Rolls]

nor mine, which makes my hearing problem all the more frustrating! Partial subtitles are better than nowt

[Jacqueline]

The original Lew Ayres version was very good, although it is years since I saw it,  ordinary young men dragged int a war  for the top peoples arguments, much like today, the young Russians don't want to be there either. 

Fact I didn't know, Lew Ayres was married to Ginger Rodgers. 

[Michael Rolls]

I didn't know that

[Alex]

I haven't watched this yet, but I will.  All the years I lived in Germany, I never met anyone who didn't fight on the Russian front - nobody fought the Brits     funny that.......    
I tell a lie, there was one auld fella who fought in Norway in a 'mountain division', I got the impression he thought he'd been rather lucky serving there.

I'm watching a series called Night Agent, it's OK but some of the acting is a bit ' suspect ' 

[klondike]

Just finished watching the new All quiet on the Western Front. I enjoyed it and thought it was well done.

[Michael Rolls]

have you seen the original?

[klondike]

I'm not sure. Probably not. It's in the Emporium so I have downloaded it plus a TV movie from 1979. I'll give the 1930 version a go first. Given events after it was made it may have made a good film but it certainly had no political influence.

[klondike]

Watching the 1930 version and to be honest I much prefer the 2022 film. I wonder how long ago you watched it Mike. I find the script pretty cheesy, special effects unconvincing and the acting hammy in the old film  - cinematography has moved on in best part of a century.

[Michael Rolls]

seferal years ago - bit I preferred the emphasis on the individuals - the inheritance of teh boots was especially poignant - chacun a son gout, I guess