In the dimly lit living room of our home, I watched my adult son experience the brutal reality of war through Edward Berger’s adaptation of “All Quiet on the Western Front.” As tears streamed down his face, I realised that nearly a century after Erich Maria Remarque penned his haunting novel, its message still pierces young hearts with devastating clarity.
The film, released in 2022, doesn’t merely depict war – it thrusts viewers into the mud-filled trenches of World War I, where hope dies as quickly as the young soldiers who enlisted with dreams of glory. Through the eyes of Paul Bäumer, a German teenager who enthusiastically volunteers for service, we witness the systematic destruction of youthful innocence.
What makes this adaptation particularly powerful is its unflinching portrayal of warfare’s futility. The scene that broke my son wasn’t one of spectacular explosions or dramatic deaths – it was the quiet moment when Paul, having just killed a French soldier in hand-to-hand combat, watches the life slowly leave his enemy’s eyes. In that instant, my son understood what textbooks could never convey: the profound human cost of war.
As we observe Remembrance Sunday this November 10, the film serves as more than entertainment or historical drama. It becomes a bridge connecting generations – helping today’s youth understand why we wear poppies, why we observe minutes of silence, and why we must never forget. My son’s tears weren’t just for Paul or the countless young men who died in World War I; they were tears of recognition, understanding that each name etched on war memorials represents a story as accurate and tragic as those depicted on screen.
“All Quiet on the Western Front” accomplishes what every war memorial aspires to do: it makes us remember the statistics of war and its human face. As my son wiped his eyes after the film, he whispered something that would stay with me forever: “Mum, they were younger than me. They were just kids.” My son rarely shows his emotions. This was one of the few times he allowed the torrents to flow. My husband and I hugged him as I reflected on the war plaguing our world, from Ukraine to Congo, From Sudan to Palestine, it’s never-ending, and we must do better.
Wars must stop!
This Remembrance Sunday, as we honour the fallen, let us remember that the best tribute we can pay to those who sacrificed everything is to ensure their stories continue to move new generations. Through films like this, their experiences live on, teaching invaluable lessons about the cost of war and the precious value of peace.
In remembering, we must do more than recite “Lest we forget” – we must help our children understand why we must never forget. Sometimes, it takes a son’s tears to remind us that the past isn’t as distant as we think.
S. S. David 
A thought-provoking article! Thanks for sharing. If only world leaders will actually DO something about stopping wars, the world would have been a better place by now. Your son is a lovely young man.
Thanks Vanessa. Sometimes, world leaders haven’t got a clue on how to broker peace. Hoepfully, one day, they will get there. But I believe it’s ordinary folks like us that will start making a difference. Little by little. Kindness goes a long way. Enjoy the rest of your week! 🙂 🙂
This is very deep post, thanks for sharing your thought. And you have a remarkable young man as your son, for him to show such raw emotions means he cares. Too bad our world is not peaceful but deeply divided. All the same, it’s a befitting article, we should always remember the fallen soldiers and their sacrifice.
I’m happy you think so, Alex. I’m an eternal optimist and I hope, and pray one day, we’ll have complete peace in the world. Thanks for your visit and kidn comment. 🙂 🙂
Dear Seyi
Thank you very much for your moving post. We read Remarque’s classic “All Quiet at the Western Front”, one of the best anti-war novels we have read, unfortunately, we haven’t seen the film yet.
For us, the message of Remembrance Day is ‘no more wars’. The problem with day is that hero cult. Bert Brecht, a contemporary of Remarque, wrote ‘poor country that needs heroes’. We agree.
We wish you a happy week
The Fab Four of Cley
🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂
Dear Klauebern, Thank you so much for your kind comment I’m glad you’ve read the novel, “All Quiet at the Western Front,” the film is brutally honest about the horrors of war. I agree with you. Everything about ‘Remembrance and Armistice Day’ should be ‘no more wars’. But we all know that’s not true. I hope you’ll enjoy the rest of your week, my friend. 🙂 🙂 🙂
Dear Sandra
Thanks a lot for your kind answer.
We’ll have a day walking on our beach and collecting seal bones. Dina is a great bone collector. We even found two whale bones recently.
Some strange coincidence: Klausbernd was born in Cologne. And there as in the whole Rhineland the 11.11. at 11:11h is the beginning of the carnival season. It’s a big celebration in all the countries up and down the Rhine.
We wish our dear friend a happy rest of the week
The Fab Four of Cley
🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂
Dear Klausbernd, first of all, happy belated birthday to you!🎂😊☺️, I hope you had a wonderful celebration.
Cologne is a beautiful city in Germany, I wished to visit one day.
The 11th hour, of the 11th day, in the 11th month is indeed a special day. By some miracle, I pray for peace in our world. Thank you so much for kind comment and visit. Enjoy the rest of your week.☺️😊😊
Very timely post and well written. I too thought the film was brilliant, having just read the book weeks before and being blown away. If you’ve not read it, I urge you to do so. It’s every bit as good as the movie!
Thanks for your kind comment and visit, Ken. I trust your recommendation and will buy the novel. I hope you enjoy the rest of your week.😊
Dear Klausbernd, first of all, happy belated birthday to you!🎂😊☺️, I hope you had a wonderful celebration.
Cologne is a beautiful city in Germany, I wished to visit one day.
The 11th hour, of the 11th day, in the 11th month is indeed a special day. By some miracle, I pray for peace in our world. Thank you so much for kind comment and visit. Enjoy the rest of your week.☺️😊😊