‘All Quiet on the Western Front’ review: A gut-wrenching reminder of the dogs of war

German soldier Paul Baumer sits in a muddy crater in no man’s land, his head in his hands as the battle rages on around him. All Quiet on the Western Front Director: Edward Berger Cast: Felix Kammerer, Albrecht Schuch, Daniel Bruhl, Sebastian Hülk, Aaron Hilmer, Edin Hasanovic and Devid Striesow Runtime: 147 minutes Storyline: The anti-war drama follows German soldier Paul Baumer, who is forced to face the brutal realities of war Not far away, General Friedrichs, a military commander, gorges on a spread laid out in a pristine, solemn dining room, all the while grumbling that the impending armistice is an act of cowardice. Erich Maria Remarque’s anti-war novel already holds a reputation for being one of the most honest and disturbing accounts of what young German soldiers experienced in World War I. Remaking Remarque’s magnum opus today is no doubt a herculean task, but if anti-war movies serve as artistic efforts to remind us of the horrors of war, the latest iteration of All Quiet on the Western Front has done a splendid job, putting it up there with the likes of Saving Private Ryan and 1917. All Quiet on the Western Front stands out not only for capturing the abomination of war but also in its message that young men who are sent out to fight are like lambs to the slaughter — merely pawns in the machinations of bloodthirsty generals.