All Quiet on the Western Front Synopsis

Paul Baumer (Richard Thomas), Josef Behm (Paul Mark Elliot), Albert Kropp (David Bradley), and other classmates all enlist in German military at the start of World War I after being told tales of the glory of war by their teacher. Paul and his classmates continue on to military training camp, where they meet their instructor and public enemy, Corporal Himmelstoss (Ian Holm). He puts them through weeks of grueling training until they become proper soldiers. The night before their graduation, the boys group together in an act of comradery, and humiliate Himmelstoss when he comes out of the bar, drunk. The next day, they can hardly contain their smiles at the graduation.

Immediately after their graduation, it’s off to the trenches, their new home for the duration of the war. They meet their new instructor, Stanislaus Katczinsky (Ernest Borgnine), whom they call “Kat.” He explains that he will spend the next few weeks teaching them to forget what they had been taught at the military camp and to help them learn practical skills and knowledge they will need for war in the trenches. On their way to the shelter, some shells are dropped on the camp and the boys experience their first real life war experience.

In the next several years, the boy’s experience on the field grows, and with time they all become seasoned veterans. However, with time comes loss. In the trenches, even the slightest injury could result in an infection and a spiral effect leading eventually to death. Even Paul is eventually shot and sent home for some time, along with Albert. However, too much time in the trenches has left him a shell of his former self. He is no longer entertained with what he previously considered to be enjoyable activities.

He leaves for the trenches before his come leave ends, writing to his mother his feelings of being out of place at home. Very shortly after he returns to his comrades, he witnesses them die on the field, one by one. Soon he is the last man from the original class to survive. However, his luck does eventually run out. One day in the trenches, he catches sight of a bird, very much like one he saw staring out the window of his classroom back at home. He sticks his head slightly above the trenches to get a better look at it for his sketches. He is promptly shot by a French soldier.

Historical facts about the movie’s plot:

1. The Germans were the first to use flamethrowers. 2. Almost 10 million soldiers died in WWI. The Allied Powers lost roughly 6 million soldiers. The

Central Powers lost roughly 4 million soldiers.3. The Spanish Flu caused almost 1/3rd of the deaths in WWI.4. Dogs were used in WWI to send messages to the front line with capsules attached to their

bodies.5. WWI is the sixth deadliest conflict in the history of wars around the world.6. The US joined WWI very close to the end of the war; only a year and a half before the end.7. During WWI, American hamburgers were renamed so Salisbury steak, since the hamburger was

named after Hamburg, Germany.

Political Facts about World War I:

1. Woodrow Wilson’s campaign slogan for a second term was “He kept us out of war.” A year later, the US joined the war.

2. World War I caused a chain reaction which eventually led to the rise of dictators and caused World War II.

Economic Facts about World War I:

1. World War I cost Germany roughly $37 million.2. World War I cost the US roughly $22 million.

Social Facts about World War I:

1. The US originally wanted to stay out of World War I. It was not until the Germans sunk US and British cargo ships that the US entered the war.

2. World War I and subsequent wars caused an increase in nationalism and aided to unite the nations, causing the US to enter the “Roaring Twenties.”

Political Facts about 1979:

1. Jimmy Carter was president during 1979.2. Walter Mondale was president under Jimmy Carter in 1979.

Economic Facts about 1979:

1. The Walkman was popularized in 1979.2. There was a crisis in 1979 regarding automobile fuel.

Social Facts about 1979:

1. Listening to tapes on a Walkman was popularized in 1979.2. The Bee Gees were popular in 1979.

The movie was not influenced much by the time when it was made. All Quiet on the Western Front was originally made in 1922, which would have served more to antagonize Germany. However, it was remade in 1979, so the public was given plenty of time to cool down about Germany and have a movie provide insight into the life of a group of German soldiers in the trenches.

I liked “All Quiet on the Western Front.” From a historical standpoint, it provides good insight into the life and beliefs of an average German soldier in WWI. It also serves to point out that the war was not fought because of the German and French’s hate for one another, but rather for a sense of loyalty to one’s nation and duty to one’s country. I would give this movie a four out of five. It was well done, fairly historically accurate, and it was quite entertaining. I would recommend this to anyone in need of a movie covering WWI, or a war movie in general.