Paul Bäumer, a naïve teen, and his companions Albert and Müller, who all harbor romanticized and patriotic ideas about war, serve as the central characters of the storyline. Paul lies about his age in the documents in order to join the army and defend his country. He and his friends are eager to fight on the front lines, seize French territory, and triumphantly head back home. Sadly, once Paul finds himself inside a trench, unprepared and wearing another soldier’s outfit, things get worse. When the young soldiers see the horrors of battle and witnesses the destruction first-hand, all the grandeur quickly fades away. The conditions for all the men on the front are still as bad as they were in their initial days, despite the possibility of peace looming in the distance. When the battle is over, they end up losing all the zeal and naivety with which they had begun.
What message does the movie’s title convey?
The title of the movie is a reminder of the lies and deceit fed by the government and its officials, who previously led their nations to engage in arguably the world’s deadliest war. The statistics indicate that neither side suffered a significant loss. According to those in positions of power, everything was in order. But millions of soldiers were wounded and brutally killed on the western front lines by their silence. Millions of warriors lost their lives while attempting to satisfy the egos of the leaders who were simply too self-centered to see past their own needs.
What was truly happening on the western front lines?
Towards the end of World War 1, armored vehicles, chemical weapons, and other trench warfare techniques were being deployed for the very first time in combat history. Humanity had never witnessed anything so catastrophic before. At the time, an alliance known as the Central Forces was created by Germany, Bulgaria, Austria-Hungary, and the Ottoman Empire. They were at war with the United States of America, Canada, Japan, Great Britain, France, Russia, Italy, Romania, and the other Allies. When a group of soldiers were killed on the western frontier of the German-French borderline, their clothing and other belongings were removed from their bodies and returned back, where they were cleaned, repaired, and prepped to be used again. Matters could have gone differently for Paul Baumer and several others if they had learned about the reality of the situation before enlisting in the military.
Why did Paul and his companions decide to join the army?
Four young men, Paul Baumer, Albert Kropp, Fraz Behm Muller, and Ludwig Behm, decided to be a part of the military in the early summer of 1917. The officials arrived and delivered an encouraging speech. They talked about being patriotic and virtuous, who in reality were merely misleading impressionable young boys. The leaders’ inspirational speeches were nothing more than a ruse. A whole generation had been successfully brainwashed by them. They persuaded them that participating in combat was in their nation’s aka their fatherland’s best interest.
What did Paul and his companions witness after joining the army?
Paul was pleased when he received his uniform, but his joy was short-lived. When he arrived at the western front, he immediately became aware of the situation on the battlefield. Inside the trenches, Paul befriended Stanislaus Katczinsky. The situation of the troops in the trenches appalled Paul. We learn that the young boys lacked any fighting expertise. Due to a shortage of time, they received no training of any kind. They were simply placed in the middle of the French combat right away. Paul understood the purpose of the order “Start Collecting”, which they frequently mentioned in the trenches. It implied that all of the deceased’s badges had to be removed from the corpses in order to have a record of the deceased soldiers. Inside the trenches, Paul first discovered Ludwig’s glasses before coming across his lifeless corpse. Paul’s first experience with death came at that time. Paul was transferred to Champagne, a French region thereafter. Very little food was supplied on the battlefield there. A goose was once taken from the home of a French farmer by Paul and Katczinsky. It seemed as though their concerns had vanished that day as they ate delicious meat alongside Tjaden, Kropps, and several others. After a very long time, they ate well. Aside from meals, other rare sights were females, clean sheets for the bed, and new clothes. Katczinsky was illiterate so Paul read his letters for him. While the troops were in battle, their families were working hard to make ends meet. In addition to being away from his family, Katczinsky’s child had passed away. He told Paul that he might never be able to return home even after the war. He was aware that he would probably never be able to lead a regular life after witnessing immense brutality, death, and destruction.
What were the leaders’ views on the war?
Germany’s way of living had experienced a major setback, but the arrogant and ruthless leaders were unwilling to accept defeat. They thought it was brave to continue the battle while endangering the lives of the troops. The search for 60 young soldiers who had been absent since the previous day was assigned to Paul, Katczinsky, Kropps, Tjaden, and some others. The German government treasured every single person and soldier, and definitely not because they respected their lives, but instead because they were extremely low on troops and supplies. Major Von Brixdorf, among the General’s most dependable men, gave him regular updates. According to the General, social democrats could lead to the destruction of mankind. He had given the German delegation, led by Matthias Erzberger, an instruction to go to Compiegne in order to negotiate a ceasefire with the French, but he had no desire to sign a peace agreement. To protect his pride and his personal interests, he was willing to offer the life of every single soldier. According to the General, without war, a soldier’s life is meaningless. On the other hand, Matthias Erzberger wasn’t like that. He understood the ridiculousness of the orders the Germans were giving to their troops. He was attempting to persuade the French as well as the Germans to reach a compromise. Even though he was aware that the French Government’s terms were impractical, he was nonetheless eager to end the bloodshed. He did not want any more soldiers to suffer.
How did Paul feel while and after killing a French soldier?
German soldiers who were starving fought because they had no other alternative. The rules were straightforward: kill or be killed. Paul and another French soldier ended up fighting. He ruthlessly wounded the French soldier, acting as if he was driven and unable to comprehend his actions. After a moment of reflection, Paul saw that he had nearly killed someone. Although it was already too late, he began to tend to his wounds. Paul came to understand the fact that it wasn’t his fight. He had no justification for killing an innocent person. He became aware that he was a glamorized soldier who had been given an untrue sense of purpose.
Does Katczinsky make it through the war?
On November 11th 1918, the Armistice of Compiegne was signed, in which it was agreed that the war would end at 11 am. Tjaden killed himself, while Kropps died during the war. Katczinsky assured Paul that they had been the privileged ones since they were still alive. The soldiers were unable to derive any purpose from the war they fought. They mourned the passing of the folks who they had previously shared laughter and meals with. Paul and Kat decided to steal a bird from the exact same French landowner once more. Paul entered the barn, but sadly the farmer’s younger son shut the door. Katczinsky was instructed to flee for his life by Paul after he was able to escape. The farmer’s son chased Katczinsky and then shot him. A soldier who had witnessed the bloodiest battle was powerless against the hatred that a young boy was harboring.
Does Paul make it through the war?
The General wasn’t satisfied so since the peace pact had not officially taken effect, he ordered the forces to attack Latierre despite the ceasefire. Paul’s luck ran out this time as he couldn’t withstand the physical demands of battle. Like him, one other young soldier was in charge of gathering badges. In the hopes that one day the young kid would see that fighting is pointless, Paul sacrificed his own life to save the boy’s. Paul never believed that he would be immortalized by sacrificing his life for his country. All he wanted was a better world. Tragically, “a fair world” was only going to exist in people’s imagination as long as men having inflated egos and false pride held the reins of power. Read More: All Quiet On The Western Front Movie Review
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