All Quiet on the Western Front on Netflix: Do you want to see a story retold a third time? You just might!

Erich Maria Remarque, a German novelist, published a novel in 1929 called "Quiet on the Western Front." It helped shed light on the German soldiers' experience in the first World War and their civil life detachment when they returned home. Before the novel, the world did not think much about the Germans, their losses, or their experiences.

The novel garnered positive reviews and was turned into an Oscar-winning movie. Lewis Milestone, a Moldovan-American director, directed it in 1930, and it was brought to screen in 1979 again by Delbert Mann, an American director.

Edward Berger, a German director, is now the third to explore the story. Things are very different this time as Berger is german, and his perspective will be unique considering Germany lost the war.


Another reason is that the movie is German, apt as the story is of Germany. He said he enjoys British or American war movies but could never relate to them. He believes America was roped into both wars and was not asking for it. And then, in the Second World War, they freed Europe from fascism, leaving a very different history with the filmmakers and the people that came home. There's a sense of heroism about it, of honourable actions.

In Netflix's, "All Quiet on the Western Front", Berger has opted to redirect slightly from the original book in areas to tell the parallel story of Matthias Erzberger (played by Daniel Brühl), the man who signed the armistice between Germany and the Allied Powers on November 11, 1918.

Unlike Remarque, who was roused to tell the tale from his experience of fighting in World War I, Berger told Newsweek he felt it was "the right time" to tell this story, so the world could remember how it was 100 years ago.

FAQs

Q1. What did the novel talk about?
A1. It helped shed light on the German soldiers' experience in the first World War and their civil life detachment when they returned home.

Q2. Was America willing to take part in the wars?
A2. Edward Berger believes America was roped into both wars and was not asking for it.