Critics and viewers alike have praised Netflix’s new world war film All Quiet on the Western Front and called for it to be nominated for an Oscar.
The film follows the life of German soldier Paul Bäumer (Felix Kammerer), who, after enlisting in the army with his friends, finds himself confronting the shattering reality of war and shattering their hopes of becoming heroes.
Since its premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival, the drama has received critical acclaim and is Germany’s entry for Best International Feature Film at the 2023 Oscars.
Recognition: Critics and viewers alike have praised Netflix’s new World War I film All Quiet on the Western Front and called for it to be nominated for an Oscar
Now critics and viewers have hailed the WW1 epic as “one of the greatest war films ever made” as they described it as a “completely gut-wrenching” film.
On Rotten Tomatoes, the German-language film secured an impressive audience score of 90 percent while the critics’ Tomatometer score was 92 percent.
Overwhelmed viewers praised the film on Twitter, describing it as a “must-see”, before calling for it to be nominated for an Oscar.
Many compared it to the 2019 war drama 1917 and 2015’s The Revenant, starring Leonardo DiCaprio, insisting it was better than both epics.
Praise: The drama has received critical acclaim and is Germany’s entry for best international feature film at the Oscars 2023. Pictured: Daniel Brühl in the film
One viewer wrote: “Went to see All Quiet on the Western Front today. What an incredible film.
“Genuinely brilliant, absolutely gut-wrenching, and everything I hoped 1917 would be, but wasn’t. I feel completely exhausted by it. A must see, even if you’re not interested in the First World War.’
Another said: All quiet on the Western Front on Netflix is a masterpiece, probably one of the greatest war movies ever made. If the Oscars give appreciation to foreign films, this one should win all the awards.’
“All Quiet on the Western Front is one of the best of 2022. It’s an emotional, stressful, throbbing and dark film that pulls no punches,” wrote a third.
‘This should win awards’: Critics and viewers have hailed the WW1 epic as ‘one of the greatest war films ever made’ as they described it as a ‘completely gut-wrenching’ film
Another added: “The direction and cinematography are top notch. This movie is The Revenant + 1917. We need more war movies like this. Can’t recommend enough.”
While a fifth gushed: “So we all agree that All Quiet on the Western Front needs a film nomination, right?”
“The most brutal, harrowing, artistically beautiful, nihilistic portrait of violence, slaughter and the darkest aspects of war I have ever seen. The film is phenomenal,” concluded another.
Elsewhere, critics also did not hold back in praising the mighty war epic as they described it as one of the best war films ever made.
Impressive: On Rotten Tomatoes, the German-language film secured an impressive audience score of 90 percent while the critics’ Tomatometer score was 92 percent
What the critics are saying: All Quiet on the Western Front
The Awards Daily
Critic Mark Johnson described it as a “timeless and international anti-war classic” as he praised the film for its “slicing portrayal of the mental terror of war”.
He wrote: ‘All Quiet on the Western Front is a captivating film and a remarkable work.
“It is not only one of the best films of the year, but should also be remembered as one of the greatest war films of all time.”
Entertainment Weekly
Critic Leah Greenblatt said, “A film that feels both aesthetically dazzling and full of necessary truths: an anti-war drama that transcends the bombast of propaganda, mostly just because it’s so artfully and indelibly made.”
The Guardian
Grade: 
Peter Bradshaw awarded the war epic a generous four-star review, saying the entire film was powerfully “flavoured with this grim premonition of death”.
“All Quiet on the Western Front is a substantial, serious work, acted with urgency and focus and with battlefield scenes whose digital fabrication is expertly blended into the action,” he wrote.
“It never fails to do justice to its subject, but is perhaps aware of its own classic status.”
The New York Times
Ben Kenigsberg praised the film’s dramatic opening sequence, which devastatingly depicts a clearing lined with corpses, and commented on the incredible cinematography.
“The film aims to hit you with unrelenting brutality, and it’s hard not to be startled by that,” he concluded.
The Awards Daily’s critic Mark Johnson described it as a “timeless and international anti-war classic” as he praised the film for its “slicing portrayal of the mental terror of war”.
He wrote: ‘All Quiet on the Western Front is a captivating film and a remarkable work.
“It is not only one of the best films of the year, but should also be remembered as one of the greatest war films of all time.”
Critic Leah Greenblatt wrote for Entertainment Weekly: “A film that feels both aesthetically dazzling and full of necessary truths: an anti-war drama that transcends the bombast of propaganda, mostly because it’s so artfully and indelibly made.”
Powerful: Elsewhere, critics also did not hold back in praising the war epic as they described it as one of the best war films ever made in their streaming reviews
Meanwhile, The Guardian’s critic Peter Bradshaw awarded the war epic a generous four-star review, saying the entire film was powerfully “flavoured with this grim premonition of death”.
“All Quiet on the Western Front is a substantial, serious work, acted with urgency and focus and with battlefield scenes whose digital fabrication is expertly blended into the action,” he wrote.
“It never fails to do justice to its subject, but is perhaps aware of its own classic status.”
Plot: The film follows the life of German soldier Paul Bäumer (Felix Kammerer), who, after enlisting in the army with his friends, finds himself at risk of the terrible realities of war
The New York Times’ Ben Kenigsberg praised the film’s dramatic opening sequence, which devastatingly depicts a clearing lined with corpses, commenting on the incredible cinematography.
“The film aims to hit you with unrelenting brutality, and it’s hard not to be startled by that,” he concluded.
All Quiet on the Western Front is a German epic anti-war film based on the 1929 novel of the same name by Erich Maria Remarque – which was burned by the Nazis when they came to power.
Epic: All Quiet on the Western Front is a German epic anti-war film based on the novel of the same name by Erich Maria Remarque – which was burned by the Nazis when they came to power
It is a harrowing depiction of the reality of the First World War based on his own experiences in the German army and is largely set in the trenches of the Western Front.
The German-language film sees Austrian actor Felix Kammerer take the lead as Paul Bäumer and also stars Inglourious Basterds star Daniel Brühl.
The original adaptation of the 1930 novel took home two Oscars, for Best Picture and Best Director, and was nominated in two other categories.
The novel was also featured in another Hollywood film in 1979, but the new film marks the first German-language adaptation for the big screen.
Devastating: It is a harrowing depiction of the reality of the First World War based on his own experiences in the German army and largely set in the trenches of the Western Front
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