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Manchmal ist dies ein Werk des wörtlichen und monologischen Pazifismus, welches die Akteure zu klar eingegrenzten dringlichen Reden über die Unsinnigkeit eines Krieges leitet - jedoch sie sind weit entfernt von der Wirkung von Remarques Buch, welches um Längen weniger rhetorisch ist. Stellenweise ist dies ein Meisterwerk, welches gekonnt Abkürzungen verwendet, verständliche Symbole und auch ohne Worte dringlich ist. Die letzte (Doppel-) Szene gehört zum besten, was in den Schützengräben (nicht nur) des Ersten Weltkriegs entstanden ist. Lew Ayres als Bäumer wirkt leider sehr theatralisch, und absoluter Höhepunkt des Films ist Louise Wollheims Kat. Gemessen an seiner Zeit wird der Film sicherlich mit seinen massiven und relativ suggestiven Kampfszenen überraschen (die gnadenlose "dahinmähende" Kameraansicht in den "Maschinengewehr" - Szenen ist mir in Erinnerung geblieben) - obwohl sich Milestones Film aus heutiger Sicht einer stillen Groteske annähert, sofern sich den die Macher gerade mit einer Beschleunigung bedienen ... Ein ausgezeichnetes Werk seiner Zeit, die immer noch an die Dringlichkeit eines Kriegsbildes sowie die rein präventive und humanistische Funktion glaubte. (10.02.2012)

The film is a dignified adaptation of Remarque's famous novel and at the same time one of the artistic peaks of American interwar film production. Of course, if you look for mistakes in it, you will find them. The technical quality corresponds to the time of its creation, which means that in some places it is necessary to turn a blind eye. The film, understandably, strongly resonates with the widespread pacifism after the First World War. Remarque's novel reads like an indictment of war, militarism, and authoritarianism, but in my opinion, it is not pacifist. In the film, pacifism has a declarative nature that blatantly stands out in some moments. The acting is still slightly burdened by the era of silent film, which had after all ended not long before the film was released. However, compared to other productions of that era, these minor shortcomings become insignificant. All Quiet on the Western Front towers in the same way as the Eiffel Tower towers over the Paris cityscape. Considering when it was made, I won't be nitpicky and I'll give it the maximum number of stars. This film deserves it. Overall impression: 90%. (31.08.2017)

If you're looking for the cornerstone in the pyramid of (anti-)war movies, you've come to the right place. The look into the faces of frightened and starving soldiers waiting in the trenches for the fateful order has lost none of its impressiveness and testimonial value. They went to war full of enthusiasm and youthful determination, and left with a deep scar on their souls that even time cannot sufficiently heal. The excellent script based on a legendary novel cleverly contrasts profound ideas and harsh reality, while the timeless direction keeps the atmosphere at freezing point, adding a very naturalistic touch to all the battle scenes – now of course visibly outdated. It is true that the attempt to capture all the themes of Remarque's masterpiece doesn’t always work and the runtime becomes lethal in some places, but the melancholic tone of the story, crowned by the wonderful last shot, makes everything that is imperfect and immature effectively forgotten. 85% (04.11.2013)

The depiction of the battles in this movie is extremely well done, which leads to the feeling of fear for what is yet to come. The death of individual characters may seem a bit excessive, but even today it doesn't necessarily have to look twice as realistic. There are powerful emotional scenes present that are not seen as much today, so even though the film shows signs of aging, its message still holds strong. A great adaptation of one of the most significant war books. (21.07.2014)