Rating: 
Summary: Great film but would have been better without the editing.
Review: As most of the other reviews have noted, this is a great movie. What disappointed me though was that a lot of little parts were edited out. I saw this movie on TV several years ago and recorded it. I thought it was excellent and eagarly purchased the DVD. I wish now that I had kept my tape. Because although the edited parts did not take away much from the story as a whole, those same parts added so much more to it. For example in the unedited version, during training Paul Baumer comes to the aid of one of his comrades who has fallen into the mud. For this he is punished by Corporal Himmelstoss. Later at the front, Paul and his platoon mates are sitting in their dugout and discussing why Himmelstoss received the Iron Cross. By this time Himmelstoss is behaving more human and when he enters the dugout he is no longer taunted. In fact Kat moves over on his bunk to make room for him. These are only 2 examples. There was much more.Still a good movie, but because of the editing I rate it only 3 stars.
Rating: 
Summary: A Well endowed portray of the classic novel/movie
Review: As the 70's came to a close, nobody exactly knew what was beyond the horizon of the 80's...much to say it's taste in TV movies. "All Quiet on the Western Front", a 1979 made-for-tv movie, said it all. You have your all-star cast of "The Waltons" Richard Thomas, academy award winner Ernest Borgnine, cult fave Donald Pleasence and British actor Ian Holm. Unlike it's 1930 counterpart, which places itself in the hall of fame of war epics, this update gives more and askes for little. Much like the book and the original movie, the story takes place in 1914 central Germany at the eve of World War I. Many schoolboys (and yes, just like the original film, they oddly speak English with American and British accents, yet its...Germany?) are destinted to join up with the Kaiser's army and fight for the "Fatherland". Paul Baummer (Thomas) is an eager young boy who doesn't exactly look like the fighting type (truth be said, Thomas is giving into too much of his John-Boy image from "Waltons", but nevermind that), in fact he gets distracted easily. But he and his school buddies join the resistance. After going through harsh training with anal Himmelstoss (Holm), they are sent to the frontlines of France. There, they meet Katczinsky (Bognine) AKA "Kat", a seamlessly old warhorse that takes the boys in and teaches them how to fight. And unless you haven't read the book or just know the story like everybody knows the Cinderella story, one-by-one the boys die horrible deaths in the trenches and it's to a point where even some lose their minds. Paul is sent back home because of injuries but returns because he feels like the trenches are his home. Only for his to find out that he's the only remaining of his group aside from Kat, who dies a long and painful death after being hit by shrapnel and being carried a mile or so by Paul to safety. Ouch. Once again, Paul is distracted by something and thus we have "All Quiet on the Western Front" The tv movie won a Golden Globe for Best Made-For-TV Movie and it definately deserved it. The production vaule was superb and you can tell. I merely wonder if the director intended the film to be released theatrically, because it's quite well shot and pretty high on special effects scale...that is for the 70's. One such thing that would bug a lot of history buffs is just how not a single word of German is spoken throughout the entire movie...and it takes place in Germany! It would be like an American movie were everybody speaks French, but it's Southern California! Right up along side "Enemy at the Gates" (Russians speak with British accents, Germans speak with American?) it's a well endowed movie and a perfect selection for a history class.
Rating:
Summary: A Well endowed portray of the classic novel/movie
Review: As the 70's came to a close, nobody exactly knew what was beyond the horizon of the 80's...much to say it's taste in TV movies. "All Quiet on the Western Front", a 1979 made-for-tv movie, said it all. You have your all-star cast of "The Waltons" Richard Thomas, academy award winner Ernest Borgnine, cult fave Donald Pleasence and British actor Ian Holm. Unlike it's 1930 counterpart, which places itself in the hall of fame of war epics, this update gives more and askes for little. Much like the book and the original movie, the story takes place in 1914 central Germany at the eve of World War I. Many schoolboys (and yes, just like the original film, they oddly speak English with American and British accents, yet its...Germany?) are destinted to join up with the Kaiser's army and fight for the "Fatherland". Paul Baummer (Thomas) is an eager young boy who doesn't exactly look like the fighting type (truth be said, Thomas is giving into too much of his John-Boy image from "Waltons", but nevermind that), in fact he gets distracted easily. But he and his school buddies join the resistance. After going through harsh training with anal Himmelstoss (Holm), they are sent to the frontlines of France. There, they meet Katczinsky (Bognine) AKA "Kat", a seamlessly old warhorse that takes the boys in and teaches them how to fight. And unless you haven't read the book or just know the story like everybody knows the Cinderella story, one-by-one the boys die horrible deaths in the trenches and it's to a point where even some lose their minds. Paul is sent back home because of injuries but returns because he feels like the trenches are his home. Only for his to find out that he's the only remaining of his group aside from Kat, who dies a long and painful death after being hit by shrapnel and being carried a mile or so by Paul to safety. Ouch. Once again, Paul is distracted by something and thus we have "All Quiet on the Western Front" The tv movie won a Golden Globe for Best Made-For-TV Movie and it definately deserved it. The production vaule was superb and you can tell. I merely wonder if the director intended the film to be released theatrically, because it's quite well shot and pretty high on special effects scale...that is for the 70's. One such thing that would bug a lot of history buffs is just how not a single word of German is spoken throughout the entire movie...and it takes place in Germany! It would be like an American movie were everybody speaks French, but it's Southern California! Right up along side "Enemy at the Gates" (Russians speak with British accents, Germans speak with American?) it's a well endowed movie and a perfect selection for a history class.
Rating:
Summary: It screams Oscar!
Review: Best movie I've seen in years!!!!
Rating: 
Summary: An addition to the family library...
Review: Either this movie, or the original (black and white) version are excellent additions to the family bookshelves. If you are viewing this with kids, they may prefer this slightly (to them!) more modern version. The acting is quite good in this made-for-TV adaptation of a classic WWI movie that was banned by Hitler (a good indication that it should be watched!) because it was anti-war, and his need was to encourage, not discourage, young men to fight. From the viewpoint of young German soldiers who at first are eager to fight, until they face the realties of war, it is a classic WWI anti-war movie. Although there is war-related violence, it may be OK for some kids, but parents should view it first. Four stars because even though it is in color, it isn't quite as good as the original black and white.
Rating: 
Summary: Not that great
Review: First of all, before reviewing this movie, please make sure you do not get the 1979 version of this film confused with the 1930 version. Paul did not die when reaching for a butterfly; he was drawing a bird. I, for one, do not see what everyone is raving about for this movie. I had to watch it in my history class and then write a paper on it. I found the acting very weak; especially in "touching" moments. When soldiers were falling on the battlefield, it looked like they tripped and fell. Perhaps for the time, the cinematography was satisfactory but there are much better war-time movies out today. I'm not saying this film has nothing to offer, though the book is much more powerful and beneficial in documenting a German soldier's expereince in WWI.
Rating:
Summary: Not that great
Review: First of all, before reviewing this movie, please make sure you do not get the 1979 version of this film confused with the 1930 version. Paul did not die when reaching for a butterfly; he was drawing a bird. I, for one, do not see what everyone is raving about for this movie. I had to watch it in my history class and then write a paper on it. I found the acting very weak; especially in "touching" moments. When soldiers were falling on the battlefield, it looked like they tripped and fell. Perhaps for the time, the cinematography was satisfactory but there are much better war-time movies out today. I'm not saying this film has nothing to offer, though the book is much more powerful and beneficial in documenting a German soldier's expereince in WWI.
Rating:
Summary: An admirable remake.
Review: For some reason a whole host of classic films were remade for television in the 70s. Most, like the remakes of "From Here to Eternity," "Miracle on 34th Street," and "It's Wonderful Life," were dreadful, pale imitations of the originals. This remake of "All Quiet on the Western Front" is an exception. It is really well-done and the production values are very good for a television movie probably because it was made for a theatrical release. (It was released in theaters in Europe; but not in the US.) Along with the great production values are the terrific performances. Richard Thomas was a household name at the time due to his role as John Boy on the TV show "The Waltons." His performance in "All Quiet in the Western Front" is very good. He certainly had the talent to move on to bigger and better things, but he was never able to fully shake that image of John Boy. Ian Holm is great as the spiteful, martinet drill instructor. And Patricia Neal does a fine turn as Paul's ailing mother. Borgnine is ok; but he is a little too old and fat to be believable as an infantryman. The original is an undeniable classic. Still the greatest anti-war movie ever made. Yet the remake is not a pale imitation and some viewers might prefer it to the original simply because of its more modern acting techniques and color cinematography.
Rating:
Summary: Getting There
Review: Having done a college thesis on this book and the two movie versions, I feel qualified to write reviews. Acting is far better here than in the version of 1930, and so are the special and sound effects. The reason is clear enough: in 1930, actors were new to the concept of sound in films. However, just looking at the DVD cover you know you will have to take this one with salt: he hasn't even got the right helmet on- that one is more WWII than WWI. Apart from things like that which only sticklers such as myself will actively object to, this is an excellent adaptation of a wonderful book. buy it, unless you hold a degree in German Militia in which case all this will do is annoy you. This means you, Mikhail.
Rating:
Summary: One of the best war films I have ever seen.
Review: Human is so weak in a war, war is so cruel to all people. As best as some likely war films of former Soviet Union. Peace is so wonderful .
| 
