All Quiet on the Western Front
Directed by Lewis Milestone, 128 minutes (restored version), Floor 3 Pink Zone 791.4372 ALL
War Horse
Directed by Steven Spielberg, 140 minutes, Floor 3 Pink Zone 791.4372 WAR
This month marks 100 years since the end of the First World War. It seems appropriate then to look at representations of the War from two perspectives, one from the inter-war period with All Quiet on the Western Front and from a contemporary period with War Horse.
All Quiet on the Western Front is a challenging film. Following a Company of German soldiers from enlistment to the near collapse of the Army on the western front. Countering Allied propaganda during the War and the hefty demands of the Treaty of Versailles, All Quiet on the Western Front emphasises that soldiers on all sides were normal individuals, innocent, who suffered, feared, and died in the worse conditions. The narrative of the film is not particularly complex, following the soldiers in their daily lives. Rather the film highlights the realities of war; powerful scenes show the maddening effects of continued shelling, the lack of food and clothing, vermin, and violence.
The explosions found throughout the film show the film’s production value and at times the film is surprisingly graphic. However, moments do show the age of the film, for instance sped-up footage is used for fight sequences, though this adds to the ferocity of the battle. As a whole the film serves as a good embodiment of life in the trenches and the horrors of the War. Following the soldiers rather than a narrative is an effective technique to provoke empathy in the viewer, and to express the confusion and frustration felt by those living and fighting through the War.
Conversely, in War Horse the First World War is the backdrop to a heart-warming narrative between Albert (Jeremy Irvine) and his horse, Joey. Starting in Devon we see Albert, a teenager, tend to his family’s farm. These opening scenes reflect how the film is (mostly) family-friendly, I am thinking particularly of the family’s duck which offers comic relief chasing away debt collecting landlords. This is perhaps reflective of the source material, a children’s book by Michael Morpurgo (also available in the Library at Floor 1 Yellow Zone R3 MOR). War Horse is likely to appeal with its noticeable stars throughout including Tom Hiddleston, Benedict Cumberbatch, Emily Watson, and David Thewlis (among others), certainly it is more entertaining and approachable for a modern audience than All Quiet on the Western Front.
This is not to say that War Horse does not give a powerful impression of the War. As men go over-the-top, the realistic battle demonstrates the horrors of war, from shelling, to machine guns, and poisoned gas; this sequence bears a resemblance to that found in All Quiet on the Western Front. A tracking shot of a panicked Joey emphasises the disturbing maze of no-mans-land, and draws the viewers’ attention to the reality of War, as well as the impressive cinematography of the film.
Whilst at times War Horse leans to an anglicised vision of the war, there is still an emphasis on the shared humanity, and suffering, found on both sides of the trenches. These two films were created some 80 years apart, have distinctly different tones and narratives, from challenging to family friendly; yet, both share the same message: we are all alike and innocence is found on all sides of war.
Why They Are Significant?
Winner of Best Picture at the Third Academy Awards All Quiet on the Western Front is synonymous with the war film as a genre. Whilst War Horse has become a modern classic of literature, stage, and film.
For More On The War:
Oh! What a Lovely War, dir. by Richard Attenborough (Paramount Pictures, 1969) – A different take on the war film as a musical comedy based on the stage musical (791.4372 OH)
Did you also know that Staff and Student’s at the University of Leicester have access to Box of Broadcasts? Full of films and programmes recorded from Freeview and Radio for use in research and education. See a show coming up that will be useful for your studies or classes? You can record it and make clips via Box of Broadcasts and it will be available every user of BoB indefinitely. Just log in at https://login.learningonscreen.ac.uk using your IT login.
For instance, if more information on the War would be useful for your research, why not watch:
‘I Was There: The Great War Interviews’, BBC 2, 14 March 2014 (on BoB as a repeat on BBC 4).
Written by Phil Wintle
