All Quiet On The Western Front: Stunning Visuals; Not Enough Character

I was a little late to seeing All Quiet. The hub bub surrounding the film got me curious and I was given a copy of the new 4K BluRay, double disc format exclusively through Netflix. The 4K is nothing short of glorious given the stunning production quality of the film in general, but I found myself struggling after I watched it, because it didn’t quite connect.

Another War Movie

When a film is written, it is usually done under the understanding that most “everything has been done before”. With that in mind, screenwriters are challenged to make their slant of a story unique and give an audience a fresh perspective on whatever the subject entails.

There are numerous films about war, from specific people in them to specific happenings within the scope of the war. When treated right, the film can become a truly epic “stand out” amongst the crowd. To make that happen, every single department involved in the film must be equally committed to the unique vision and come together to create the ultimate masterpiece.

All Quiet On The Western Front, adapted from the 1929 novel by Erich Maria Remarque and directed by Edward Berger, attempts to follow young German soldier Paul Baumer (Felix Kammerer) and a handful of his friends, from their joyful enlistment to their tragic deaths, near the end of the first World War. Berger emphasized the importance of the “German perspective”, and how it became his “driving force” throughout.

According to the booklet that comes with the Blu-ray set, he wanted to capture how German’s view of war was “marked by grief and shame, sorrow and death, destruction and guilt” rather than the more “optimistic” tales told by English or American perspectives. That message becomes quite clear to us through the darkness, chaos and senseless death within the film.

We see how reckless power and ego drives war and how each of the soldiers fighting for the leaders become just one of many faceless casualties. The film also deals with the loneliness and isolation of the soldiers when they realize that what they were being sold when they enlisted, isn’t actually the brave, heroic, patriotic mission they understood it to be.

War is hell. It is desolation, destruction and complete inhumanity brought by those unwilling to do the fighting for the power and greed they are harboring for themselves. We see that the boys learn this immediately after experiencing the front lines. Innocence, youth and the ability to live a normal life is eradicated. No one “wins” anything.

Source: Netflix

what is it all for?

The film takes place, mostly in France, when the German occupation was coming to a close. Shot in Prague, the visuals throughout most of the film are a cornucopia of sumptuous, emotional beauty, so much so, that when we aren’t actually at the front, we forget about all of the brutality happening elsewhere.

We get to see Paul and his mates when they are called off the front, to duty in rural areas, where the German soldiers are still camped in France. Some fun is had, but they all stay pretty morose in general, hoping to return home or to family. It’s an uneasy but inevitably awkward and tense interaction, given that small talk is now wholly irrelevant for them.

The men scramble for food and water and are generally uncared for by their commanding officers. Paul watches as each of his friends gets killed, one by one and yet, he tragically stays committed to a losing battle.

Berger adds scenes of an armistice agreement taking place on a luxury train between the French and German officers. Here we get to see what negotiations might have looked like. We also see the vast discrepancy between how the officers live in peaceful houses of plenty compared to the cold, bleak, scarcity existence of the soldiers on the front.

It shows the dynamics of how disingenuous and cruel the upper echelon is in times of war, and also how the current system works in every day life. Why should the wealthy and powerful care about everyone else if they have all that they need and more?

It is a metaphor for how they continue to get us to fight their wars and do their work, in exchange for an unachievable and inaccessible fairy tale outcome that keeps us subservient and poor the rest of our lives.

We exist solely to serve them, die for their causes and make them more wealthy.

Source: Netflix

In All honesty…

Though the production design and cinematography is off the charts phenomenal, I felt perplexed and cheated by the lack of character development.

I felt extremely disconnected from the characters. They seemed only part of the machinations to show us what war was like during this particular time of WWI. Though what happens to each of them is horrific, it felt expected and too easy to part with them, because I knew barely anything about them.

There is very little talk of family they are leaving behind or their dreams and ambitions. We don’t know who Paul is or what he came from. We never know his thoughts. We never get to know why being a part of this was so important to him nor why he persisted when he knew it was a losing battle.

The closest we get to see of Paul changing emotionally, is a brutal scene that takes place in a bomb pit where he kills one of the French soldiers. We get to see his horror and the realization that he is actually brethren to the soldier that he just stabbed to death. That was heartbreaking and pivotal, but we see no other defining moments for him.

The same goes for every other character in the film. All of the what’s, why’s and from where’s are completely withheld from us. We are supposed to live through the main characters eyes in a film, but all he does is watch and react like any person would when death and starvation is rampant.

We see the breadth and copiousness of this magnificently produced film turned to almost nothingness with the shallowness of the characters existing within it. None of the characters deaths mean anything without this connection which left me questioning what was all of the production design and cinematography for?

Berger stated that he pretty much just let the actors do their thing without directing them and he was happy with what they did. The acting itself was highly competent, however, the actors really had nothing to do except exhibit the normal outer human reactions when placed in a situation that is this extreme and shocking. We missed all of the beauty and fascinating nuances found within each unique being, which renders the abundance, expanse and pith of acting to common and mechanical, practically neutering it.

I also found the main musical theme to be inappropriate for the film. It sounded like it belonged more in a SciFi film and felt noticeably displacing from the world we were supposed to be in.

With that said, I still feel I can’t splat it, but had any other component of the film been deficient, it would’ve earned it on its own. As mentioned above, any film is a symphony of artists in numerous departments that all have to be on point to create greatness, and that starts with a phenomenal script.

If you are a fan of the film I highly recommend the 4K version. It’s as close to the theatre as you can get right now and it’s a worthy piece for your collection.

Handmaid's Tale Season 4: A Stunning, Spectacular, Emotional Journey

Hulu’s spectacular series, The Handmaid’s Tale, returns for Season 4. If you thought the past three seasons were good, be prepared to be breathless with, hands down, the best, most impressive season of the series.

Bringing the Best and Pulling ALL of the Punches

At the end of season 3, June (Elisabeth Moss) had managed to rescue around 80 children from the clutches of Gilead and flew them all to Canada to be reunited with their real families. She, painfully, stayed behind to help more children and handmaids and, of course, find her own kidnapped daughter, Hannah (Jordana Blake).

Season 4 keeps the momentum going, blazing with the fire of war both literally and figuratively. Unlike many of the past seasons that ceremoniously focused on character back stories, Season 4 wastes very little time in it’s forward and, sometimes, backward motion. Every single episode has a soul-shattering revelation and/or a shocking development that is unmissable.

We welcome back the regular characters of past seasons and meet a few new ones. From the steadfast Moira (Samira Wiley), the scheming Waterfords, Fred and Serena, (Joseph Fiennes and Yvonne Strahovsky); the stealthy Nick (Max Minghella) to the brilliant Ann Dowd, as the earnestly vengeful Aunt Lydia.

There isn’t a cast member that doesn’t give their absolute best to each of the characters. There is no slack anywhere, at any moment. Through all of the powerful and heart wrenching circumstances, the actors fully embody their characters and the performances are outstanding.

Moss gives her best performance to date in the series, which speaks volumes, as her past performances of June were nothing short of riveting.

This season, June is expected to endure more than any human can take and Moss never relents. Sometimes searing, other times agonizing, her performance should be at the top of every list during awards season. Moss also takes a hand at directing three of this season’s episodes.

Source: Hulu

In All Honesty…

There aren’t enough words to express the brilliance of Season Four’s daunting, impassioned, rollercoaster.

I expected that Season Four would be good but I never expected the level of dedication, effort, struggle and mastery that the artists of this season give both on and behind the screen. Everything about this Season is spectacular and cannot be missed.

When I say that every single episode holds a secret or happening that will shock, move, disturb, make you laugh or make you cry, I mean it. I literally felt exhausted for the actors at times. Handmaid’s Tale, Season Four, gets into your skin, grips you and makes you participate.

We feel the emotions of the actors; we awe at the spectacular filming; we are astonished by the meticulous writing; and anguish and marvel with every twist and turn. There isn’t a moment of any episode that drags or is unnecessary.

Be prepared to burn in the blistering fire of June’s wrath as nothing will stand in her way to serve justice and bring Gilead to its knees.

Season Four begins Wednesday, April 28, 2021 exclusively on Hulu.

Summerland: Love Triumphs In A Time of War

There are so many films written about World War Two.

Most of these films are dastardly violent, as most are written by men, about the men fighting in it. Of course WWII was a momentous time in our history, and there have been several gorgeously made films about people’s struggles during this time, but the topic is a bit of a dead horse.

Because of this, I was hesitant to review this film, mainly because I am highly opposed to remakes and films filled with much of what has already been done.

However, Writer/Director Jessica Swale explores a new approach to this time, without making the war the focus. Instead, she composes a lesser seen centerpiece of this genre: Life living outside the war and one of love triumphing over great odds.

That is something that, especially in this day and age, we need to see a lot more of.

The Calm Amidst the Storm

Source: IFC Films

Alice (Gemma Arterton) is a loner living in a quaint cottage on the stunning white cliffs near Dover. Unlike most women of the day she is unmarried and focused heavily upon her writing, instead of family. This, of course, draws judgement and rumors about her from the people within the village.

Her life instantly changes, when she is called upon to care for Frank (Lucas Bond), an evacuee of London’s Blitz. Unprepared for any relationship, let alone a child, she rejects him and tries to pawn him off on someone else. Obstacles present themselves; Alice doesn’t get her way, which, like in a lot of films, turns out to be for her own good.

Though she’s cantankerous and hard on Frank at first, Alice finds that she has a lot in common with this young expellee and a true bond starts to form.

Lost Love

Throughout the story with Frank, we get to see the reason why Alice is so sullen and isolated. Interwoven flash backs tell the story of Alice’s long lost love Vera (Gugu Mbatha-Raw), a relationship beautifully portrayed by both Mbatha-Raw and Arterton.

Source: IFC Films

It’s a tender story of true love and some of the hardships they face attempting to manage a same sex relationship back when being queer was wholly untolerated.

Though they both love each other completely, Vera desires to be a mother above anything else. Given no other viable choice than to marry a man, Vera sets off on her own.

Broken-hearted, Alice never loves again and becomes the recluse we see at the start. Will they ever be reunited? Will Alice be able to overcome her grief enough to open her heart to Frank?

In All Honesty…

Summerland is a splendid, original film made the way they used to be. Back when Hollywood still produced actual originals, one could have seen a film like this on a lazy summer weekend.

It is full of heart, honesty, beauty and breathtaking cinematography. Arterton and Mbatha-Raw give poignant performances worthy of accolades. Their chemistry tingles and their longing is heart wrenching.

Source: IFC Films

They mastered the stages of love, starting with the electric nervousness of the first meeting to the agony and anguish of separation. Some might say that it is too sentimental and “sappy”, but they would clearly be the cynics who have never experienced true love, written in the stars.

Swale weaves in a good dose of folklore and earthly magic, getting Alice and audiences back in touch with their inner child. Though not based on a book, the film has all of the qualities of an engaging, period piece novel. Its locations are magnificent and liberating. From the white cliffs and rocky beaches, to the enchanting, rolling, green hills of England, it’s an escape for all of the senses.

The impassioned performances by Arterton and Mbatha-Raw brought me to tears, making me ache to see the characters reunited, in a perilous time where lives could be changed in seconds. It pushed to the forefront the heartbreaking reality of LGBTQ people living in this time, who could never freely express their love.

It was refreshing to experience a WWII story about people living their lives away from the violence of war. Summerland brings a sense of hope and belief that the power of love is greater than all of the ugliness of hate.

That is something we all need to hold on to when inevitable dark times persist. For love is what we truly are; all that we are seeking and the only thing worth fighting for.