Superb directing and cinematography. Beautiful sound design and production, and even if I didn't like the constant synth "dun dun dun," I was shocked to learn it was actually part of the soundtrack. The movie succeeded in showing the real hell of trench warfare in all its dreadful infamy. So what happened with the writing? Why does this movie pretend to be an adaptation when it's so far removed from the planned POV experience Remarque envisioned for Paul?
And sure, the last two adaptations weren't 100% faithful as well, but this one just goes overboard in every sense of the word.
War is terrible, and people who are in charge of decision-making are caricatures - was never the point. The point has always been that the individual life of the soldier doesn't mean anything on the battlefield or means much for a civilian who only sees war in the news reel. Why does the 2022 version insist on making Paul "give up on life" and simultaneously do a Rambo act with a thousand-yard stare in the last minutes of the film? Saving the young conscript and essentially trading his life for him Doesn't that make him a hero? And is his death not in vain? The complete opposite of what Remarque tried to showcase. The movie also doesn't show Paul's leave, where we are confronted with the fact that returning to civilian life will never make him whole and the resentment he feels toward everyone back home.
Instead of anything Remarque tried to impart, we get the political background of armistice talks that don't amount to much and take away from the isolation of the soldiers.
And I guess the decision was brought about by nothing but German collective guilt, where an unnamed Prussian general orders an ego-driven attack knowing an armistice is already signed. The complete opposite of what was actually happening in November of 1918 was that allies were ordering complete senseless attacks, knowing it was all already over. I wish I understood what motivated all these awful decisions, except for trying to stand out from previous adaptations.
And sure, the last two adaptations weren't 100% faithful as well, but this one just goes overboard in every sense of the word.
War is terrible, and people who are in charge of decision-making are caricatures - was never the point. The point has always been that the individual life of the soldier doesn't mean anything on the battlefield or means much for a civilian who only sees war in the news reel. Why does the 2022 version insist on making Paul "give up on life" and simultaneously do a Rambo act with a thousand-yard stare in the last minutes of the film? Saving the young conscript and essentially trading his life for him Doesn't that make him a hero? And is his death not in vain? The complete opposite of what Remarque tried to showcase. The movie also doesn't show Paul's leave, where we are confronted with the fact that returning to civilian life will never make him whole and the resentment he feels toward everyone back home.
Instead of anything Remarque tried to impart, we get the political background of armistice talks that don't amount to much and take away from the isolation of the soldiers.
And I guess the decision was brought about by nothing but German collective guilt, where an unnamed Prussian general orders an ego-driven attack knowing an armistice is already signed. The complete opposite of what was actually happening in November of 1918 was that allies were ordering complete senseless attacks, knowing it was all already over. I wish I understood what motivated all these awful decisions, except for trying to stand out from previous adaptations.