"All Quiet on the Western Front"

Paper Summary:

This paper reviews "All Quiet on the Western Front", a 1979 film about the life of soldiers during World War I, directed by Delbert Mann. The author summarizes the film which follows the journey of the main character, Paul Baumer, from a young student who believes the lies told to him by his country that war is glorious, to a hardened soldier who believes that the cause he is fighting for is meaningless. The paper discusses the symbolism of Paul's drawing of a bird before he is shot and killed and also examines the themes of the film; humanity and the horrors of war.

From the Paper:

"The film underlines the fact that only the governments and leaders of governments who are not risking their lives desire war. The film ends with Paul drawing a bird in the trenches, for one representative image of peace and nature in no man's land, when he is shot and killed. The bird symbolizes Paul's desire to fly free of where he is, and also his old, schoolboy interests and talents, which he abandoned to go to war. Throughout the film he tries to hold onto his drawing ability, to provide himself with some sense of identity outside of the military, although he has fewer and fewer positive images to sketch as the war wears on."

Sample of Sources Used:

• "All Quiet on the Western Front." 1979. Directed by Delbert Mann.

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• Book Review # 73731 : "All Quiet On The Western Front"

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