All Quiet on the Western Front (2022) is an immersive anti-war film that leaves viewers appalled, but captivated by the harsh realties of war. Having received 74 different award nominations and 34 wins, the movie is one to remember. Although the film seems to be more loosely based on the novel by Enrich Maria Remarque than previous movie adaptations, All Quiet on the Western Front (2022) still portrays an outstanding story that could capture the attention of a variety of different individuals. 

Directed by Edward Berger,  the film follows Paul Bäumer (Felix Krammer) and his friends, all young German teenagers, who have just voluntarily enlisted to serve in WWI. Shocked by the brutalities of the battlefield, the audience gets to watch how Baumer and the others come to adapt and try to survive at the danger-ridden western front.

Most often, war films tend to depict the struggle of one side, but this film shows the opposite. Instead of glorifying war, it truly comes to show what the absolute desperation and fight for survival looked like on both sides.War no longer looked like a patriotic battle, two countries battling the other to assert their own domination, but instead it looked like two men, nothing more than pawns, forced to fight to the death in the name of appeasing those in power.The film does a phenomenal job of portraying the tragedies and gruesome details of war. It is a powerful movie that showcased how propaganda could convince men to sacrifice their lives for a few meters of land.

 Despite the content of the film being heavy and depressing, All Quiet on the Western Front (2022) is filled to the brim with stunning cinematography. The Oscar-winning camera effectively works to create a massive juxtaposition through depicting memorizing stills of serene nature and of chaotic war. Additionally, the costumes were time-accurate and some even add further context into the plot. 

Having also won an Oscar for best original score, the background music also comes to play an important role in the film. In fact, one of the most memorable aspects of the movie has to be the distinct and eerie three-note tune of a Harmonia that echoes throughout the motion picture.

Overall, All Quiet on the Western Front (2022) is a riveting and heart breaking movie that is able to portray and capture the inescapable horrors of war and the irreversible damages it causes.