I've been wanting to do this for a while...watch all the Academy Award winning movies. With snow and colder days ahead, I'm moving forward with watching my list of movies. First up on my list is the classic, All Quiet on the Western Front.
Way back in college, I read this book for a European history class. I don't really remember much of the details of the book. It has been...hmmmm...20+ years afterall. So needless to say, I watched the movie without remembering what the plot was.
My overall impressions of the movie were...
- The sound was very loud. Explosions going on all around. I can only imagine how loud it actually is on the front lines. There was nothing quiet about the western front, or any other for that matter.
- Even though the movie was made almost 80 years ago, the topic is as relevant to day as it was then. War is hell, especially if you are the one sent to fight the war.
- The most interesting scene was one where Paul and his buddies wind-up in a French house with some women. Since this movie was made in 1929, no "bedroom" scene was actually shown in graphic detail. But what was shown was the silhuette of a bedframe, with Paul explaining to the young French girl that he'll probably never see her again. The implication is clearly that they played "hide the bayontte". What a difference 80 years makes.
The "classic" movies that I see and actually enjoy are "hit and miss". All Quiet on the Western Front" was definately a hit.
