A quick review of the movie "All Quiet on the Western Front" (1930). Also has a little commentary.

Based on the novel by Erich Maria Remarque, All Quiet on the Western Front is a film from the perspective of German soldiers fighting trench warfare against the French during World War I. The pacifist sentiment of the film is laid out in a title card in the first frame, which explains that the film is not an accusation, a confession, or an adventure, but that is simply trying to tell the story of a …

…of butterflies at home. Perhaps this butterfly reminded Paul of what he was missing back with his family. In the final scene, Paul and the other soldiers are seen marching grimly, superimposed over a battlefield filled with white crosses. They each look back, each having a look of resentment, futility, and despair. All Quiet on the Western Front is a brilliant film that compellingly expresses the death and destruction that is the reality of war.