Spectacular and shocking: World War I from a German perspective
The new movie “There is nothing new in the West” succeeds in being one of the most impressive, successful and unforgettable war movies of recent years. And what makes it so? First and foremost the great direction by Edward Berger, the fine cast of actors, and of course – the spectacular production and setting
War movies are definitely gaining momentum in recent years, but many of them simply fail to rise to the occasion and provide an impressive and authentic viewing experience. But “there is nothing new in the West” is definitely not like that. It is not only different in the local landscape, it also stands out as the best war film released in recent years.
The film follows Paul, a high school student who, like many of his friends, gets carried away and forges his parents’ signature in order to join the war (which has been going on for two years at the time of the film). From that point, the film provides dozens of hard-to-watch, shocking scenes, but ones that manage to be free of clichés. As mentioned, unlike other war films.
Berger succeeds in doing something different, fresh, innovative in “There’s Nothing New in the West”. He examines every situation in a sharp, controlled way, one that intensifies the tragedy of the situation and the entire film, and of course the terrible war. Even in the most difficult scenes, amidst the chaos of the battlefield, the film manages to provide a human, small, voyeuristic point of view.
The result is a fascinating viewing experience, which manages to pin the viewer to his seat throughout these complex two and a half hours. A lot of that, as mentioned, due to the spectacular images, the soundtrack, and the actors. This is a film that is definitely recommended for viewing in the cinema, but if you missed the opportunity, nevertheless, do not give it up.
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