This theme is also conveyed through the scene where Paul volunteers to patrol the area to discover the enemy position. Paul witnessed sudden bombardment and had jumped into a shell hole where he sought shelter. Suddenly there is a flash and a clamour and, to his shock, a French soldier jumps into the shell hole in which Paul was crawling. Paul stabbed the soldier instinctively, and was forced to watch as the soldier died slowly. When Paul seeks forgiveness from the French soldier that he stabbed in the trench, he says: “Forgive me, comrade. We always see it too late. Why do they never tell us that you are poor devils like us, that your mothers are just as anxious as ours, and that we have the same fear of death, and the same dying and the same agony – Forgive me, comrade; how could you be my enemy?” This provides further support for the theme that war is futile and senseless.
Another major theme of the movie in "All Quiet on the Western Front" is that reality is different from fantasy. The first setting is of Germany in the beginning of the war. The main character of this story is Paul Baumer. He is first seen in, "All Quiet on the Western Front" as a young student who daydreams about war. The theme is firstly expressed in the schools of Germany. The professors of the many schools were spreading propaganda, hoping to recruit young soldiers to fight the war, "for father Germany." The professor with glasses who taught Paul's class was very enthusiastic in his lectures of serving the nation. He said things like "your nation has served you well; now it is time for you to serve your nation!" Things like this inspired the schoolboys to become soldiers in the new German army. While the professor talked about how courageous heroes they could be if they joined the army, the young boys went off daydreaming about being victorious heroes in the war. This is the scene where the young men believed being a soldier and serving their country was a great honour, but their minds were immediately changed after entering the battle field.
Soon after training the young men were sent to the battlefield, the Western Front. Shortly after arriving the battlefield they were had do patrol the area. In that time they witnessed their first artillery fire. It was horrifying, especially for Detering. Detering is a farmer who constantly longs to return to his wife and farm. He is also fond of horses and is angered when he sees them used in combat. He says "It is of the vilest baseness to use horses in the war," when the group hears several wounded horses writhe and scream for a long time before dying during a bombardment. Already it was not as their professor had expressed in his lectures in their time in the classroom. The young men had found out soon enough that living conditions were hard and that food was scarce. This conveys the theme; reality is different to fantasy
The movie “All Quiet on the Western Front” had two major themes. The themes; futility and senselessness of war, and reality is different from fantasy. These themes from this movie were expressed in specific scenes; the opening scene, when Paul patrols the area, the school scene and the scene where the young men enter the battlefield. It is saddening to see that two sides have to constantly fight each other when all they want is peace and the propaganda making the young men believe in such stories as becoming victorious heroes and serving their country was a great honour.
by
idacoolkid (student)
