ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT MOVIE REACTION! First Time Watching! Full Movie Review | Oscars 2023

[@ReelRejects]

What did you think of this film?! - Leave A *LIKE* & *SUBSCRIBE* kzbin.info - Full Length Reaction Watch Alongs & MORE For *SS* Rejects! www.patreon.com/thereelrejects

[@jamesbuchananbarnesss]

Really liked it!

[@aaronleesgbclieutenant]

Greg, can you and John PLEASE react to Band Of Brothers? It's a true docuseries about the Airborne in WW2. PLEASE I am begging you

[@КиануДепп]

1930 and 1979 🍿🍿🍿

[@derpy501st2]

@@КиануДепп true

[@MaticTheProto]

may I ecommend you the movie Das Boot?

[@michelefusco7172]

The even sadder part is that the young soldier at the end takes the scarf from Paul's corpse but forgets to collect his dog tag, which means that there would be no closure for Paul's family. Paul would just be another one of those soldiers listed as "missing in action".

[@essisaloheimo3700]

Oh now, I didn't even catch this T_T

[@donovan51617]

Wish I didn’t see this comment😮‍💨👌🏽

[@pratikdey804]

He was in the enemy area , they were collecting their own dogtags

[@uncle7215]

lol you've really been copying and pasting my comment from Dos Cavazos' reaction video word for word

[@Butchzillaa]

The Unknown Soldier. Another great book

[@godabandonedthistimeline]

Shout-out to Felix Kammerer (the actor that played Paul) because that's his first performance on-screen and he delivered! People don't really talk about his performance when talking about All Quiet on the Western Front but it's important to recognize his talent

[@adleajeh]

He was great! Even in his interviews for this film, he's mature and professional.

[@tiefseehase9503]

@@adleajeh He was, or still is, a actor in theatre. And arguably acting in theatre is more difficult as in movies, so its no wonder he can act well and is mature :)

[@godabandonedthistimeline]

@@tiefseehase9503 Yes but doing theater is really different from doing a film. I'm impressed by how well he adjusted to that completely different environment

[@pneumonianakey]

What????? First performance on screen? That's crazy.

[@PowerDiva]

THIS. I really thought he should have been nominated for an Oscar. I was shocked to find out it was his first movie. He was really great.

[@reconsoldier135]

Reading the book the hardest part to get through is when Paul is trapped in the artillery crater with the French soldier he stabbed and had to listen to him slowly die. Absolutely gut wrenching

[@leonorekuhn3911]

And we talked about this very scene so long in class, analizing every last detail

[@WSlopeAggie]

​@@leonorekuhn3911 Same. One kid started crying again. Can't blame him, honestly

[@technoshamanarchist]

Never read the book, but I, a 46 year old man, cried like a baby watching that scene.

[@justalpha9138]

@@technoshamanarchist That scene broke me the most. My dad served in the Army, and I'm about to join the Air Force. Me having to engage in hand to hand combat with a knife like that??? Ughhhh... I probably would lose and die out of fear and sadness alone. 😢

[@technoshamanarchist]

@@justalpha9138 I hear you. I hope we don't get to experience another war soon.

[@AndrewAHynd]

'This feels like they are just waiting around to die' You almost perfectly summed up WW1.

[@baruckobungoo8225]

Pretty much war in general over the past 300 years

[@KITN._.8]

That and “it’s so unnecessary”. War, is always and entirely unnecessary.

[@アキコ2003]

@@KITN._.8 lol suuuure...no. its necessary if youre being under attack, if nobody attacks, no need to defend, no war. if nobody wants to colonize, guess what? no war if nobody wants to take away freedom from others...no...war. simple, if nobody starts war, it doesnt exist.

[@user-hp5hk6jy3n]

WWI propaganda had a huge focus on enthusiasm, bravery, patriotism - anything that would get the people to willingly go and fight for their countries. It was almost like brainwash, they truly believed the heroic promise that they were told. This is why reality hit so hard

[@stevemcgowen]

The difference is the Germans fought for conquest, while others were just defending their homes from the Germans...

[@ingobordewick6480]

Significant for WWI is, that the last wars before it were fought with Muskets, no one knew what they were going to with all the technology and the military tactics hasn't adaped to the new technologies either. The generals fought this war as if they were still using muskets and cannons.

[@celine_aeterna]

@@ingobordewick6480 and it kinda remain the same until mid WW2. Basically the germans steamrolled half of ww2 just by taking new concepts into action, while the rest got forced to adapt by then.

[@Quotenwagnerianer]

And then they left all of that out of this adaption and instead focused on the armistice talks, that were absolutely not part of the book, because the story does not even progress beyond 1917 in the book. The most important scene is Paul going back to his old school, where they expect them to do a patriotic pep talk to rally the next class of young men to become volunteers. And instead he tries to warn them about the truth and no one wants to listen. Because the propaganda is stronger than his first hand account. THAT is a scene that should have been in a movie. It is in the 1930's version though.

[@gdesiree29]

They literally are sent to die

[@user-ne4pm8cg3t]

This is one of those films that have never had a bad adaptation. From the first released back in the 1930s, then the one made for TV in the 70s, to now. The horrors of war legitimately stand the test of time.

[@MitchJohnson0110]

The made for TV version is criminally underrated imo

[@mulrich]

You mean one of those *books* that has never had a bad adaptation.

[@Quotenwagnerianer]

I beg to differ. THIS is a bad adaption. A really bad one. It's a strong movie, but it is not "All quiet on the western front". I don't know what it's supposed to be, but it has so little to do with the book that it better be named something completely different.

[@WSlopeAggie]

​@@Quotenwagnerianer It has the same core motifs and important scenes, but I agree that it is an entirely different film in every other way. But hey, still a great movie, more than deserving of all of the Oscars

[@reconsoldier135]

More people need to react to this movie, it’s a masterpiece, no soldiers in history had it worse than those on the Western Front

[@ChrisSmith-tu9bu]

Im just impressed with the director what a great first film

[@Miineralice]

@@ChrisSmith-tu9bu Also the acting debut of the guy playing Paul, Felix Kammerer. What a great accomplishment as your first film!

[@reconsoldier135]

@@as3723 i love the 1979 version as well

[@chrisrobinson4165]

Eastern Front WW2

[@chrisrobinson4165]

@Jackson Millz the most vicious theater in history

[@Dtaras420]

The sad and one of the most frightening things about that tank scene was that was the first time they saw tanks on the battlefield. I can't imagine the sheer dead cold feeling with fear mixed in being a solider seeing a tank for the first time and have nothing to destroy it.

[@j33w22]

No it wasn't. That scene was a day before the wars end and they had already been fighting for over a year at the point in the movie. Tanks were first used in 1915 as well so they definitely knew of them. The horror I'm sure is still real, but saying it was their first time seeing it not true.

[@fr3stylr322]

@@j33w22 Actually it could be, because semantically speaking, just because they heard of them doesn’t mean they’ve seen them in real life. And hearing about a tank is nothing compared to having to attack a tank.

[@TherapyGel]

​@@j33w22 Not every frontline included armored combat, and the specific battle at the end is never clearly stated and doesn't match exactly with any documented battle. Considering the immense turnover rate of infantry throughout the war, it's likely that many of the men fighting in the last battles of the war wouldn't have ever actually encountered tanks in combat. And even ignoring that, it's clear that as far as our main protagonists are concerned, it's their first time seeing tanks in combat. Surely they'd heard of them at that point in the war, but knowing of them and facing them are two very different things.

[@maddoxio]

​@@j33w22for those particular troops it probably was. Tanks weren't that common at the time.

[@chilling_at_pontiff]

What's so Erie about it for me is the fact you see all the soldiers ,French and German alike walking around together at the end. Literally one minute before they were killing each other any way they could, the next minute the walked among each other just men trying to get home. I know all wars to some degree are like this ,but of all the wars in history I'd hate to be a part of ww1 the most.

[@sophiaisabelle027]

All Quiet on the Western Front (2022) will leave you in a state of emotional distress. What the soldiers went through was absolutely absurd yet devastating to a certain degree.

[@bobbyfischer9927]

Last of Us 2 was more heartbreaking

[@motivationmike4722]

​@@bobbyfischer9927 shut up dude this isn't a fucking video game. Real people fucking died fighting a real war. Just get out of the comment section if you're honestly this stupid

[@motivationmike4722]

​@@bobbyfischer9927 honestly you should be ashamed to make such a stupid remark. You have no idea what war is like

[@eclipped]

@@bobbyfischer9927 yeah well this shit is real

[@bobbyfischer9927]

@@motivationmike4722 It’s a joke dude. “You have no idea what lose is” Joel Miller. Chill out lol

[@blackwolf721000]

The bitter irony is that the cold pressure the French marshal puts on the German negotiators to sign the surrender, to accept full guilt for the entire war even though both sides were equally motivated to start it, was what in the end brought major motivation to Hitler's rise to power.

[@sabrinawhitley819]

Thanks for the reaction. I‘m from Germany. The brother of my grandmother died as a soldier at the front in world war 2. He was 17 or 18 and happy that he could fight, like the boys in this movie at the beginning. At the end he was killed by a tank in one of the dugouts. I cried so much when I watched this film, because it felt so real and it’s kind of the history of my family too. This movie deserved every single Oscar, that it won. Hopefully many people all over the world will watch this movie now. It’s so important to understand how cruel war and how important peace is.

[@MitchJohnson0110]

I'm American and i've seen all 3 adaptations as well as read the book. It's really a story every person should be familiar with, and one we should never forget.

[@mattharris5315]

I'm from Wisconsin and my great grandfather, who was born in Dresden and immigrated to the US, went back to Europe as a US soldier. At the same time he still family in Germany who fought the German Empire. After the war, he was able to help 2 cousins get to America in the 1920s. And today, I have many cousins today because of this. It's crazy how it worked out, and I think about it often.

[@deakksyy]

Rot op nazi, je bent hier niet gewenst.

[@Menhir_Plaisir]

No more brother wars. Cheers from France ! Love Germany

[@RedGamer155]

the only true "Anti-War" film I've seen. Plenty of others show the horror but there's always a side to root for, always a team or group to root for. This felt truly hopeless, chaotic, and random. Like real wars are. There are no heroes, there is no surviving through hope and hard work. Your life is a random one to been taken. Its all luck.

[@tilltronje1623]

You should also watch Das Boot and Stalingrad

[@MitchJohnson0110]

Das Boot is a very good anti-war film also.

[@hammakabula2424]

Stalingrad (1993) Gemany has the intense like this film

[@maxgeorge1463]

The greatest anti-war film of all time BY FAR is Come and See. It provide the most realistic depiction of the effect of war on the fragile nature of humanity.

[@kb4265]

and come and see

[@mister_wide]

I absolutely loved this movie. The soundtrack always gets me emotional.

[@ChrisSmith-tu9bu]

I think its been nominated for soundtrack and sound design

[@aliti9315]

@@ChrisSmith-tu9bu They won: Best International Feature, Best Original Score, Best Production Design and Best Cinematography

[@ChrisSmith-tu9bu]

@@aliti9315 yes I saw that I was really happy it got recognized...it really was an excellent excellent film

[@tyrionlannister1628]

Your reaction to the “soup scene” was exactly how I reacted, I was more concerned with them helping him eat then realizing what was about to transpire, even when he started stabbing himself with the fork I didn’t understand what I was seeing. Movie actually had me in shock.

[@hoodieso8858]

That scene honestly gave me flashbacks when I was at MCRD San Diego for recruit training. After lights while I was a rover for firewatch, a recruit went into the head (bathroom) into the rain room (shower area) with IP scissors. That's all I'm going to say.

[@CiaoKnives]

This film is so emotionally draining and yet so beautiful.

[@rhinoujakey8887]

That's a true war movie - no glorifying of "heroic actions", just the pure pain and craziness that people encounter(ed) in combat

[@lapisinfernalis9052]

9:48 The sad part about this is, that he was not only bored but also intelligent enough to calculate their advancements with only limited info about troop movements as well as limited aids. He had to do everything without a calculator or similar, had to know distances and the surfacec area of France in his head.

[@mylamename14]

I really appreciate how well this movie shows the dehumanization of war. The men eat with such animalistic urgency, partly because they’re starving & party because they’re being hunted at all times. They’re base creatures just trying to survive. And still, so many men died from exposure & disease, let alone from combat. Harrowing.

[@jessmadeamess]

The original movie was mandatory watching in my german school. There really aren’t war glorifying movies made in Germany I can think of, and we get taught only to not repeat our history (obviously this lands or or less successfully with some people 🙄). Thrilled to see this realistic and magnified POV of a war soldier get international attention, and hoping there are some lessons in here.

[@psalter872]

Germany definitely took civilian casualties in Afghanistan so seriously that a senior officer resigned, or something to that effect. That would never happen in the states.

[@acdragonrider]

Daniel Bruhl came to a screening here in LA and they mentioned a tidbit I found interesting. Apparently Hitler banned the original film and those few screenings where it was showed, the Nazis had rats sent in. So bruhl, Berger and co were really glad to finally make a German film and release it .

[@40hup]

@@psalter872 The officer you probably mean is Colonel Georg Klein. In 2009, he ordered a bombing raid (by allied US planes) on two broken-down gas trucks - the gas was leaking and many people were collecting the gas. The pilots (afaik) asked twice if they should really drop the bombs, because the situation did not seem threatening to them, and he explicitly confirmed the strike, somehow believing the people on the ground were mainly "terrorists" (which is not really comprehensible). Most of them were basically civilians, maybe some Taliban among them, but not organised, many children too. 91 people were blown apart and burned by the gas. It was a disaster. At first the army and the German government tried to cover it up, but later journalists uncovered the truth. This shook the German people and led to the resignation of the Minister of Defence, who had been part of the cover-up. Colonel Klein was not even relieved of his post for this, but was only relieved of his post in "regular rotation" some time later. There was an internal investigation, which later found him technically innocent (although nobody agreed with the decision). When the dust settled, Georg Klein was quietly promoted - another scandal in itself.

[@OrionInSpace]

1917 was my favorite film of 2019 and when I saw the trailer for this movie I was so hyped. An incredible movie that might not literally be like the book but when sequences like the negotiation ones with Daniel Bruhl were on screen they made the story more terrifying and sad. Incredible movie.🙏🏻

[@legofan4047]

Check out „Blizzard of Souls“ it‘s a lesser known ww1 movie and was described as „the more realistic 1917“. It mainly takes place on the eastern front in ww1 and russian civil war.

[@OrionInSpace]

@@legofan4047 damn I've been getting a lot of war movies suggested lately because of this movie and hey I am all for it

[@thomasblackport5951]

I've never felt so... empty... at the conclusion of a film.

[@BiblicalTrinitarian]

Ikr I finished watching this movie and we had to go to a church activity/feast and I was dead silent the entire time.

[@ArjunTalksMovies]

Honestly this is probably my favorite of all the best picture nominees. I really loved it

[@davejennings9460]

I agree

[@maxgeorge1463]

ok. That's pretty wild, but alright

[@PowerDiva]

Everything Everywhere was probably my favorite, but this was Top 2 for me. I knew when I watched that it would be a dark horse come awards season. It wasn't even really in the conversation until the last couple weeks before the Oscars. Then it got the second most number of nominations and wins.

[@datboidego]

I stayed up waiting for this film to release, I couldn’t sleep after it ended. One of the most horrific/emotional movies I have ever seen, deserves many awards

[@celine_aeterna]

It won 4 Oscars, so well deserved.

[@thoji215]

I kid you not, I finished this movie less than an hour ago. The first 10 minutes kept me tense, and that's a hard thing to do. The movie's constant tension is what makes you anticipate the worst, especially when one scenario keeps repeating and you do not know how it will turn out. Absolutely fantastic movie.

[@michelefusco7172]

The Film just won 4 Academy Awards! Congratulations, well deserved 🎉

[@davejennings9460]

This movie is way better than the movie that won Best Picture!!

[@LAMusing]

“We are forlorn like children, and experienced like old men, we are crude and sorrowful and superficial-I believe we are lost.” . When the Nazi's took power, All Quiet on the Western Front was one of the first books to be burned. The book was written in 1928 by a German veteran of WW1. It was first serialized in a magazine, then printed as a novel a year later. It was very popular in the US and around the world and sold 2.5 million copies in 22 languages in its first 18 months in print - but in his home country of Germany, there were many very angry about it. Especially from members of the emerging Nazi party. in 1930, screenings of the Academy Award-winning film based on the book were met with Nazi-organized protests and mob attacks on both movie theatres and audience members. The author was, in many ways, a spokesman for those survivors "destroyed by war, even though it might have escaped its shells."

[@loiniksw]

this is one of the most brutal films i've seen in a long time, it's incredibly well done

[@jaydenisaidiot07]

I live in a area where the most famous battle of ww1 was fought and I still find remains of this cruel war in my backyard

[@Mrmz44]

That crater scene is probably the hardest scene to watch in any movie. Gets me every time

[@MitchJohnson0110]

It's been adapted 3 times, and three times it makes my heart sink.

[@aaronvarela89]

​@@MitchJohnson0110 "we could have been Brothers"

[@chrishead5110]

Hey man. This is a fucking brilliant review of the most upsetting film I've ever seen. Was with you all the way. You nailed it when you mentioned the choreography of the scenes near the beginning, and of course the horrendous tragedy of the war was exactly that; a choreographed waste of life. My great-grandfather was an English soldier who fought in WW2. He was one of the subjects of the recent film Operation Anthropoid. His task failed, he was training other soldiers to kill Reinhard Heydrich. But before any of that he was a commander during the first British tank battle of WW1. I was privileged to have met him shortly before he died. This is how to review a film, and you would have made him proud. My very best x

[@brandonayala4605]

I’m actually very surprised you reacted to this film, but I’m glad that you did. Such a great film with great messages and I think it deserves to be reacted more here on KZbin.

[@bradleygrant4123]

I first read the book about 20 years ago and then watched the original film. I believe this film did a good job of conveying the central theme of the book, the futility of war. You picking up on that message despite not knowing anything going into the film, demonstrates that success. There has been some pushback on changes made in this film but to me, the most iconic scene, in the crater with Duvall, was present. I felt uncomfortable during that entire scene, which is what I wanted. It is the scene that has stuck with me the most because I take away that these men were not too different, and in many ways were more alike than they were with their respective leaders.

[@Dravakin]

The soundtrack to this movie is so good. It sounds so aliens and unsettling

[@moviemetalhead]

When did movie scores become "soundtracks?"

[@kuronaialtani]

1917, They Shall Not Grow Old, and All Quiet on the Western Front are my absolute trifecta of war movies Something just gets to me that no other genre of movie does when I watch stuff like this, the down in the dumps day to day “what’s gonna happen, who’s gonna make it, will we even see the end of this” existentialism

[@forestman2382]

1917 is the most unrealistic war movie I ever seen. It is more like a war fantasy than a realistic portrayal of world war 1 . This movie is alot more realistic

[@Coneyislandqueennn]

The reason they were so stunned by the tanks and kept shooting at them was because that was their first time ever seeing a tank. Most of them didn’t know anything about them. Or that they even existed

[@acdragonrider]

The storytelling in this film is peak. Introducing us to one man , taking us through this montage of recycling dead men’s uniforms and then realizing when he’s wearing someone else’s clothes. It’s one of my favorite sequences ever made in cinema.

[@kjk8941]

I am German. I started watching the movie but couldn't finish it. My grandpa, with whom I had a very good relationship, was forced to serve on the front in France during WW2 because he was the oldest son. He was 15 and one of the few young men (or boys) from our village who survived. When the war was over he walked back home. Just thinking about what he and others had to go through breaks my heart. And it still happens today. When will mankind finally learn that there are no winners in war?

[@Selam_Zii]

20:43 This is not one of the most, it is the most brutal and terrifying scene I have ever seen in movies history!!!

[@brianstanton6026]

I've seen this 3 times and I feel like it's the greatest war film of the last 10 years, It's so realistic and convincing that you feel like you're there with them the whole time.

[@mylamename14]

This movie earned the Oscars it won this year. Such a masterful piece of filmmaking in every way.

[@EleventhCubFan]

This movie is amazing. I love it even more than the original. Give this movie all the technical Oscars!

[@howiejbrown6919]

It's insane that, from the 18 month flash-forward to the end of the movie, all of it takes place in 1 week.

[@baoccaaa]

i love the commentary that consists of "uhh", "wow", "damn" and *silence*

[@sinrenfield]

This should have won Best Picture.

[@SilviaViolin]

My granddad was in WW2, he got caught by the Russians in Serbia and then brought to the working camp in Sibiria, where he got tortured, but he managed somehow to survive coming back to Germany weighing 40kg and being psychologically disturbed. It took him about 4 years to become human again. But he was never able to talk about it, as he kept having nightmares until the end of his life.

[@aaronvarela89]

I recommend a movie called "as far as my feet will carry me" if you haven't seen it already

[@nape8198]

I'm very sorry to hear that. My grandpa was captured by russians as well and ws brought to a gulag in today's Kasachstan, former UDSSR. Our family was lucky since he came back, had a few stories to tell, but it didn't broke him. He also joined the german democratic party when his kids were older. He died in the old age of 91 and remained a strong headed man, always with an enthusiastic smile on his face. He truely is a role model for me.

[@marianheilmeyer8103]

This scene in the bomb crater where Paul just starts apologizing to the french soldier after stabbing him to death, just broke me, this was just brutal to watch and at this point I just wanted it to stop. I felt done and burned and kcerall just broken. Great movie an absolute masterpiece but ...what the hell. I'm glad it won at the awards as much as it did Much deserved I hope germany finnaly starts making good movies again.

[@whitekryptonite]

In Flanders Fields the poppies blow Between the crosses, row on row, That mark our place; and in the sky The larks, still bravely singing, fly Scarce heard amid the guns below. We are the Dead. Short days ago We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow, Loved, and were loved, and now we lie In Flanders fields.

[@Mrs.blt84]

Great reaction! This movie lingered with me for days after watching it. More people should be reacting to this!

[@roryyoung6433]

I know that awards don’t determine a movies worth, but I do want it to win Oscars so that more people watch it.

[@SHmoogleThe1st]

Incredible the difference in movie message and cinematography when the story is written. Hollywood really shows it as one side being the "hero" or "good and bad side" of war. This book was written by a real WW1 German soldier who fought in the eastern front. The way people look at war is different due to the author actually experiencing what hell is and masterfully putting those experiences on paper. Really honest, after watching this movie, other Hollywood movies seems so dull and weird. This one really makes you see the world in another way and it had me thinking about what soldiers went through on those days for a while week.

[@zachnotzack4]

To this is the best War film I’ve ever seen. A true masterpiece.

[@notoriousbmc1]

Great movie, that deserves oscars, but it's the screenwriter, Lesley Paterson's story of getting the movie made, that makes me want her to win one. A story of triathlons, injury, debt and determination.

[@nikareims85]

They are so excited and young and happy in the beginning.. naive kids experiencing the horrors of war, which changes their lives forever. Also, the music and cinematography were amazing. Chefs kiss 🤌🏻

[@kellycurran4608]

Loved this movie.. Just when you thought Paul was gonna make it.!! It was the first movie for the actor playing Paul. He was fabulous..

[@JoshCerda]

For those questioning the hardline of the French general in terms of refusing a ceasefire, it’s more complex than mere brutality. For starters, in terms of the politics of the war, France was extremely bitter towards the German Empire due to the Franco-Prussian War which resulted in the loss of the French region of Alsace-Lorraine in which the retaking of was a major military objective. Secondly, the German Empire was considered as the ones starting the war by backing the Austro-Hungarians in their aggression towards Serbia. Germany also were the ones that officially started the Western Front by the launch of the Schlieffen Plan and their offensive into Belgium and then France. Thirdly, Germany had, at that point, committed war crimes in Belgium including the mass murder and deportations of civilians so the general view of the Germans wasn’t a good one. So in the eyes of the French, the Germans had started the war and they are only begging for an end since they’re on the losing side of it.

[@Funk_Reactions]

This is a great movie. That ending though. I was oh wow. I didn’t see that coming.

[@kingatgota6428]

I saw it coming because i read the book for english in high school but the way they did it here was even sadder, in the book it was still crazy but zamn

[@dashiejinxx100]

So a point of interest that I am glad this film showed - The Tanks. The First World War was the introduction of Tanks onto a battlefield. These rhombus shaped tanks had never been seen before, and this film captures that horror. This was something unimaginable. A giant metal box, impervious to your bullets, with cannons that could destroy your position and team, and machine guns that could cut you down. An account I read from an allied soldier one time was that he was stationed somewhere in France, and there were giant shapes covered in tarp/cloth. He had asked what was under the tarp and was told simply "tanks." Naturally, he took it to mean supplies for the troops, as in they were tanks of water. That was obviously not the case. This film takes place in 1917, so at this point the Mk1 tank used by the British had been in service for a little under a year at the least, having entered service in 1916 .The MK4 Heavy tanks, which I believe are the ones in the film, were introduced in 1917. Bare in mind that a whole year had passed since the first tank, and it is unlikely many soldiers will have known about them beyond rumours from survivors - tall tales meant to scare younger more vulnerable soldiers. It was also in 1917 that Germany would begin development on their own tank, the A7V Sturmpanzerwagen, but it wouldn't see combat until March 1918. Germany spent a lot of time actually developing anti-tank weaponry rather than their own tanks - and there are rumours of acquiring allied tanks for their own use. Anyway, rant over. This film is phenomenal and this was a good reaction - not a bland "oh wow thats cool i guess." Subbed :)

[@elchupacabra1406]

Pretty sure it was the French Saint Chamond Assault tanks that were shown in the film. Every sector of the Western Front is different but the Germans in 1918 here would have definitely known about or seen at least the Renault FT Light tanks, or the British Whippet and MK4 tanks you mentioned. Definitely one of my favorites depictions of WW1 tanks tho in recent film

[@Marquiselee1371]

The watch along i would never have expected but can’t be happier it’s here. My favourite book of all time and a superb movie!!

[@mimand2437]

I don’t know if anyone mentioned it already, but the original German title is: “im Westen nichts Neues” which can be literally translated to: “nothing new in the West(front)” which is also the last sentence of the book(at least if I remember it correctly) but that sentence is a report that is sent to the higher ups bc yk they had to know what happened in the front lines, which underlined just how insignificant Paul’s life was to the military, since it’s nothing new and they didn’t even mention his death in the report or anything either

[@chickmcgee1000]

When I was a senior in high school 1977, I’d go sit and visit with my elderly great uncle, a WWI veteran. One afternoon he opened about some of his experiences in the trenches of France. The rats, lice, mud, weeks unbathed. I read All Quiet On the Western Front after those talks. This film is incredible. Your reaction to it, treated the subject with the depth and reverence it deserves.

[@TheBenKlepaczzz]

It was awesome how today it won during the Oscar’s for best picture and 3 other awards. It really was well deserved

[@VideoClubRandom]

Amazing movie. Could you also react to Argentina 1985? I'm sure it will lose the Oscar to this one, but it's still a great movie and I'm sure you'll love it. For comparison, think of something like Trial of the Chicago 7 meets Spotlight...

[@LoonatheHellhoudgaming]

World War 1 was referred as "The War to end all Wars" or "The Great War" the war started in 1914 when the heir of the Austrain throne was assassinated and The German empire had allied with the Ottoman Enpire (also known as Austrian empire) and the war ended in 1918 (11:00 am at the 11th month on the 11th day) the war was meaningless due to constant stalemate of the trench Warfare as for the terror of Tanks this was to try and force their way past the German lines (1916 to 1918) and the flamethrower scene was a bit over because they would never shoot the flamethrowers randomly only above the upcoming trenches to make the enemy suffocate from lack of oxygen, and the reason Tjaden kills himself is due to his injuries (shot above the knee) he HAD to be amputated to prevent the risk of both infection and future issues and due to his wounds being the thing that mentally breaks him he'd rather be dead than crippled, Kat was the one who basically pulled the boys together to teach them how to survive in a shithole like the trenches (food was extremely scarce in WW1 si it was reasonable why kat and the others dug in) and when all of Paul's friends died as you saw he just gave up and rather die in a battle then be shot for wanting to go home when the peace treaty was signed at 5 am it wouldn't be in affect until 11 am so for the next 6 hours all the soldiers wouldn't be able to see their loved ones again, and the reason why it took so long was it had to be sent out to every soldier from France all the way down to the British in Pashendale and Ypres and the death was just a common and daily thing from 1914 to 1918, you can get some better understanding of some battles of WW1 by the Swedish heavy metal band Sabaton to learn more of parts of the war as well as WW2, Vietnam and the Soviet Afghan war

[@StefanBuscheZUKUL]

I highly recommend "Under Sandet - Land of mine" and "Das Boot - Directors Cut"

[@TheDesiDragon]

Absolutely amazing film. Can definitely see it winning best picture, or at least for costume/sound design. The brutality of the first World War was captured perfectly, and the boom synth score thingy was my favorite part of the film. The fact that in super intense moments, they used that, and in sad scenes, they used a slower, more score-y version but with the same notes is so sick!

[@zeldanerd08]

Honestly, I love that you are not a historian or a hobby historian and watched this movie. I was curious how you would take the movie as an "average" viewer. What I mean by "average" is someone who isn't familiar with WW1 in general, the book, movies, etc. You reacted in a way that made me content with their choice to deviate from the novel a bit, I am absolutely on board with it. Because YOU felt the dread, you felt the pointless deaths, you understood the message. Well done sir. Well done.

[@DarkysLPs]

The " sequel" to the book hit me way harder than "Im Westen nichts neues", it's called "Der Weg zurück" and it explores how soldiers adjusted to normal life again

[@Tiger0408]

Idk how anyone adjusted from all of that

[@NicholasMcClure]

Maybe the most tragic part is that the extreme hard line of the French negotiators and the massively punitive terms of the German surrender DIRECTLY sowed the seeds of WWII within a generation.

[@ProNice]

The Treaty of Versailles signed to officially end WWI, had several devastating consequences. The treaty placed full blame for the war on Germany, and the German people felt humiliated and bitter about the punitive terms imposed upon them. It imposed heavy reparations on Germany, which devastated its economy and caused widespread poverty and unemployment. Germany lost significant territory as a result of the treaty, which further weakened the German economy and military. The treaty redrew the national borders of Europe, which led to the displacement of millions of people and the creation of ethnic minority groups in many countries. These ethnic tensions contributed to the outbreak of conflicts and wars in Europe in the decades that followed. Overall, the Treaty of Versailles created a political and economic environment that was conducive to the rise of fascism and the Nazis, the outbreak of World War II, and the subsequent Cold War. Its legacy continued to shape the geopolitics of Europe and the world for many years to come. Truly a violent document of resentment and hatred. We were lucky that the winners of WWII learned from that and didn't create a second Treaty of Versailles.

[@bobopogorobocvvxcxc4307]

@@ProNice I disagree with your last statement. If ww1 allies treated germany like ww2 germany, which was bomb all their cities, keep german pow for several years in camps, execute practically all of their politcal leadership, divide the country in occupated zones and make the country cease to exist for several years, I don't believe there would have been a ww2.

[@ProNice]

@@bobopogorobocvvxcxc4307 Mass destruction, executions, and dividing a country aren't the factors that ended up effective in making lasting peace in Europe. That's something the allied forces knew. There were many factors - most of them actually productive and NOT destructive: Like the creation of the United Nations and the promotion of international cooperation. The demilitarization of Germany and the fusion of French and German Steel industries. Also Nuclear Non-Proliferation: Efforts were made to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons and promote disarmament. The War Crimes Trials didn't just turn out to be "executions", but actually were held to prosecute high-ranking Nazi officials for war crimes, crimes against humanity, and other offenses committed during WWII. The Marshall Plan provided aid to Western European countries to rebuild their economies after the war, instead of simply chopping them up and stripping them of resources. This was designed to promote economic stability and prevent the rise of extremist political groups. The North Atlantic Treaty Organization was also created to provide collective defense against potential aggression from the Soviet Union, including West Germany. Also, many European countries began to decolonize after the war, granting independence to their former colonies, addressing the root causes of conflicts, and promoting stability in newly independent nations. Last but not least: the creation of the European Union for the sake of political and economic cooperation among European nations. This was explicitly designed to prevent future conflicts and promote stability in the region.

[@bobopogorobocvvxcxc4307]

@@ProNice I disagree on that optimistic portrayal. UN but there were the League of Nations too to promote peace and it was useless just like the UN doesn't have the power to force any of the big 5 to do anything without their consent as shown by the many wars after and even right now with Ukraine. So France and Britain should have demilitarized germany by force like in ww2. Also france has the nuclear weapon unlike germany so I don't find it relevant. And i'll argue the fact that Ukraine gave up its nuclear weapons is why russia can invade and murder ukrainians without worry. The point of my executions point is that the allies removed the german political class from power. Unlike ww1 where former militaries like Ludendorff promoting the back in the stab myth independant of the nazi later. I'd argue the marshall plans infeoded the european powers to the US. Since they no longer have any economy capable of doing anything. So did NATO, which is why the french left the integrated command. Decolonizing promoting stability I want to say a big no, the european powers certainly did not promote stability with their myopic borders drawings and minorities empowerement over others leading to tensions, civil war and genocides. The EU is only the one I agree, and even then of course the french and german accepted. Again when your old political class is dead, the new one is more obedient to the new power. You think the germany of after ww1 would have accepted something like the eu ? With people like Ludendorff or Rudolf Havenstein who intentionally provoked an inflation to avoid paying reparations ? Why would the german fused their industries with the french after ww1 ? Unlike france, germany's industries were intact and safe while france still have areas where you can't go because of all the shells in the ground. Before Versailles, Germany was the first power of Europe with a bigger population and the biggest industrial area of its neighbors. After Versailles, Germany was still the first porwer of europe with a bigger population and still having the biggest industrial area. Only ww2 destruction forced it to cooperation.

[@lauramartin7675]

If you're interested in more WWI stories I'd suggest "Deadline Gallipoli". It's about the Allied Forces campaign in The Dardanells, Turkey, 1915. Also reveals what journalists went through trying to get accurate information back to their homelands.

[@KickBack-z6f]

I normally don't cry during movies,they're just movies but when I first saw this it really hit me,I'm glad to see I'm not alone on that

[@vinny.g5778]

I'm really glad they showed the french army, they are always forgotten despite being 60% of the front basically defending france and the free world behind them

[@pratikdey804]

When you were saying horrifying at the beginning of the movie I was thinking of the "cutlery" scene

[@ralfmeske8179]

he author of the novel lay injured in a hospital in my hometown of Duisburg during the First World War, and it is said that he began writing his novel there....

[@tosa2522]

The German general who commanded the final attack was more like the American General Pershing. It was he who ordered the last attack just before the end of the war. In the last 6 hours of the war, 11,000 soldiers were injured or killed. The last casualty of the war was the US soldier Henry Nicholas Gunther under Pershing's command. Gunther was shot and killed ("officially") at 10:59 am.

[@tanjaengel6263]

Such a good review! This war-movie is the only one i know which does not show heroism. You expressed and captured it so well. Im still kind of trying to process the whole story ... it keeps on having a hold on me.

[@tilltronje1623]

If you liked this one, with no heros and just pointless suffering, you will like Das Boot and Stalingrad. Also from Germany

[@tanjaengel6263]

@@tilltronje1623 Thanks for the recommendations! I will check them out for sure.

[@tilltronje1623]

@@tanjaengel6263 enjoy! With Das Boot try finding the directors cut. The shorter versions lack a lot of its impact

[@caleb_güero]

It's wild how much Germany has changed in 100 years.

[@MadsHansenXX]

Keep in mind that, the first time tanks were used, was in WW1. Seing such a huge monstrosity pull up, would be fucking horrifying. You wouldn’t know what to do and how to attack it

[@constancep7632]

Thank you for doing this. I knew I couldn't watch this movie on my own, so I watched this instead. These stories are so important, especially now. Let We Forget.

[@anthonycollins5305]

All politicians should watch All quiet on the western front.

[@honkmainster3552]

I played as an extra in this movie and let me tell you, it was really and experience. I saw myself few times (most of the times from a memory where I was standing/running at that time), most notably when Tjaden is handing letter to Kat, and when Tjaden is stabbing himself.

[@onyx747]

did you steal Tjaden's soup? or were you a wounded guy

[@whatthehexadecimal8830]

This film is insanely good. Glad you watched it!

[@akazanecki]

If you haven’t had a chance, Peter Jackson’s documentary about WWI, “They Shall Not Grow Old,” is a great watch to see the pointlessness in war and WWI.

[@0lyge0]

^This^

[@kuronaialtani]

Absolutely legendary documentary, I rewatch it every few months

[@nathanlindahl8336]

This is the greatest war movie ever made. Better than Saving Private Ryan.

[@davideddy8557]

Reading this book as a teenager alongside the poem 'Dulce et Decorum est' really shook me to my core.

[@SchupfnudelOfDeath]

I like the coincedent of wearing the Wonder Woman shirt since her movie also depicts WW1 and some trench warfare, although a bit different

[@TheZombieman87]

I liked that they used French St-Chamonds tanks instead of the more known Mark IV. 17:48

[@SuperBenathon]

When the tanks arrive, from the perspective of the soldiers on the front line…must have been terrifying.

[@donovankoch793]

I’ve seen pretty much every war movie that’s out there and none have made me feel more absolutely hollow than this one. No heroes. Just pointless death.

[@Wolfgoddess56]

The first war movie thst didnt cause me to cry but rather shocked me into silence. Very powerful. Everything about this from beginning to end is....intense.

[@gramergamer8696]

Well that boi at the end, it was Franz

[@comeonanadventure9598]

fact that they signed the end of the war at 5am 11/11/1918 but to be more poetic they waited to tell the front line until 11am and 3000 more soldiers in that 6 hour window

[@KayosHybrid]

The men who went to war during WW1 were literally just meat and life for the insatiable maw of the war machine. It was senseless, endless, unthinkable horror every single day. These men died screaming, starving, terrified, in hell on earth. Many were just naive boys. Children. They deserve to be remembered

[@EchoScape74]

Hi Greg, if you ever want to watch another great German war movie I highly recommend "Das Boot" Directors Cut in German. The dubbing is horrible. Give it a try, you 'll not regret it.

[@daynecooper9552]

Ohhh nice perfect timing before I go to work I loved this movie really feels original to how war would have been no winners in the end only losss and heartbreak truely a great film looking forward to this reaction !

[@bruckhaimer]

I watched it, the movie is epic. The saddest thing was at the end, when there were 15 minutes left to finish and they went on the attack

[@mauricioramirez5948]

The terrifying thing to think about is that no matter how horrible things look in movies like these, it was actually worse in real live. 😢

[@LordGoblinIV]

Such a good film, so glad to see your reaction on it but this film absolutely broke me such a thoughtprovoking film and the score is just so emotionally driven, a true masterpiece of filmmaking

[@lilmilontiktok]

I saw this in theaters. Such a fantastic movie