FILM #21
OF 39
95TH ACADEMY AWARDS | 2023 OSCARS CHALLENGE
“All Quiet On The Western Front”
FEBRUARY 17, 2023
NETFLIX
DAY 25
OF 48
Best MOTION PICTURE OF THE YEAR
Produced by Malte Grunert
Best Achievement in Cinematography
Cinematography by James Friend
Best Writing (Adapted Screenplay)
Written by Edward Berger, Lesley Paterson & Ian Stokell
Based on Novel by Erich Maria Remarque
Best INTERNATIONAL FEATURE FILM
Germany
Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures
(Original Score)
Composed by Volker Bertelmann
Best Achievement in Production Design
Production Design by Christian M. Goldbeck
Set Decoration by Ernestine Hipper
Best Achievement in Makeup and Hairstyling
Makeup & Hairsyling by Heike Merker and Linda Eisenhamerová
Best Sound
Sound Design by Viktor Prášil, Frank Kruse, Markus Stemler, Lars Ginzel and Stefan Korte
Best Achievement in Visual Effects
Visual Effects by Frank Petzold, Viktor Müller, Markus Frank and Kamil Jafar
“All Quiet on the Western Front” is a look at some of the horrors of World War I through the eyes of a new German recruit. From the start, when an unnamed soldier dies on the battlefield, and the viewer follows what happens to his recycled clothing, you get all the foreshadowing you need. Paul (Felix Kammerer) and his friends are excited to go to war. But that changes very quickly when the volatility of war kicks in; the surprise attacks, starvation, and the godforsaken trenches.
While expertly crafted, the film is not an entirely new look at war. The makeup, sets and visual effects are on-par with any great war epic. What stood out to me was the score by Volker Bertelmann. A dark, electronic part occasionally rises, putting you in a melancholic mindset perfect for investing in these soldiers and what they’re going through.
Edward Berger and his team do a great job of creating a sense of timelessness. Even though the film takes place around 1917-1918, it feels like any war. And with world conflicts still a real thing, you get a sense that you could insert Paul and his friends into any period, and it would all feel the same.
The 1930 Hollywood version of “All Quiet on the Western Front” is considered a classic. And it never bothered anyone that America was telling this deeply German experience. But the fact that there’s a German filmmaking team behind this new adaptation of the novel makes it feel like more of a personal story.
Is “All Quiet on the Western Front” the year’s best film? Not in my opinion. But it captures the essence of war in a way that surprised people. And it is leaps and bounds ahead of the other International Feature Film nominees, so I do see it becoming an Academy Award-winning film.
PREVIOUS NOMINATIONS
Malte Grunert
| First-time nominee |
James Friend
| First-time nominee |
Edward Berger
| First-time nominee |
Lesley Paterson
| First-time nominee |
Ian Stokell
| First-time nominee |
Germany
| 91st Academy Awards (2018) | Best Foreign Langauge Film | “Never Look Away” | Nominee |
| 89th Academy Awards (2016) | Best Foreign Langauge Film | “Toni Erdmann” | Nominee |
| 82nd Academy Awards (2009) | Best Foreign Langauge Film | “The White Ribbon” | Nominee |
| 81st Academy Awards (2008) | Best Foreign Langauge Film | “The Baader Meinhof Complex” | Nominee |
| 79th Academy Awards (2006) | Best Foreign Langauge Film | “The Lives of Others” | WINNER |
| 78th Academy Awards (2005) | Best Foreign Langauge Film | “Sophie Scholl – The Final Days” | Nominee |
| 77th Academy Awards (2004) | Best Foreign Langauge Film | “Downfall” | Nominee |
| 75th Academy Awards (2002) | Best Foreign Langauge Film | “Nowhere in Africa” | WINNER |
| 70th Academy Awards (1997) | Best Foreign Langauge Film | “Beyond Silence” | Nominee |
| 65th Academy Awards (1992) | Best Foreign Langauge Film | “Schtonk!” | Nominee |
| 63rd Academy Awards (1990) | Best Foreign Langauge Film | “The Nasty Girl” | Nominee |
| 58th Academy Awards (1985) | Best Foreign Langauge Film | “Angry Harvest” | Nominee |
| 52nd Academy Awards (1979) | Best Foreign Langauge Film | “The Tin Drum” | WINNER |
| 51st Academy Awards (1978) | Best Foreign Langauge Film | “The Glass Cell” | Nominee |
| 49th Academy Awards (1976) | Best Foreign Langauge Film | “Jacob, the Liar” | Nominee |
| 46th Academy Awards (1973) | Best Foreign Langauge Film | “The Pedestrian” | Nominee |
| 32nd Academy Awards (1959) | Best Foreign Langauge Film | “The Bridge” | Nominee |
| 31st Academy Awards (1958) | Best Foreign Langauge Film | “Arms and the Man” | Nominee |
| 30th Academy Awards (1957) | Best Foreign Langauge Film | “The Devil Came at Night” | Nominee |
| 29th Academy Awards (1956) | Best Foreign Langauge Film | “The Captain of Kopenick” | Nominee |
Volker Bertelmann
| First-time nominee |
Christian M. Goldbeck
| First-time nominee |
Ernestine Hipper
| First-time nominee |
Heike Merker
| First-time nominee |
Linda Eisenhamerová
| First-time nominee |
Viktor Prášil
| First-time nominee |
Frank Kruse
| First-time nominee |
Markus Stemler
| First-time nominee |
Lars Ginzel
| First-time nominee |
Stefan Korte
| First-time nominee |
Frank Petzold
| First-time nominee |
Viktor Müller
| First-time nominee |
Markus Frank
| First-time nominee |
Kamil Jafar
| First-time nominee |
A young German soldier’s terrifying experiences and distress on the western front during World War I.
Directed by Edward Berger
Netflix
October 7, 2022
148 minutes
ACCOLADES
BAFTA Awards — Original Score [Winner]
BAFTA Awards — Best Sound [Winner]
BAFTA Awards — Best Screenplay (Adapted) [Winner]
BAFTA Awards — Best Film Not in the English Language [Winner]
BAFTA Awards — Best Cinematography [Winner]
BAFTA Awards — Best Film [Winner]
BAFTA Awards — Best Director [Winner]
BAFTA Awards — Best Make Up & Hair (Nominee)
BAFTA Awards — Best Achievement in Special Visual Effects (Nominee)
Alliance of Women Film Journalists Awards — Best Adapted Screenplay (Nominee)
Alliance of Women Film Journalists Awards — Best Non-English Language Film (Nominee)
Allywood Film Critics Ass. Awards — Top Ten Foreign Language Film [Winner]
Art Directors Guild Awards — Excellence in Production Design Award Period Film (Nominee)
Ass. of Motion Picture Sound Awards — Excellence in Sound for a Feature Film [Winner]
British Society of Cinematographers Awards — Best Cinematography in a Theatrical Feature Film [Winner]
Capri, Hollywood Awards — Foreign Language Film Award [Winner]
Chlotrudis Awards — Best Cinematography (Nominee)
Chlotrudis Awards — Best Adapted Screenplay (Nominee)
Chlotrudis Awards — Best Production Design (Nominee)
Cinema Audio Society Awards — Sound Mixing for Motion Pictures – Live Action [Winner]
CinEuphoria Awards — Best Editing – International Competition [Winner]
CinEuphoria Awards — Best Make-Up – International Competition [Winner]
CinEuphoria Awards — Best Cinematography – International Competition (Nominee)
CinEuphoria Awards — Best Original Music – International Competition (Nominee)
CinEuphoria Awards — Best Special Effects (Sound or Visual) – International Competition (Nominee)
Columbus Film Critics Ass. Awards — Best Foreign Language Film (Nominee)
Critics Choice Awards — Best Foreign Language Film (Nominee)
Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Ass. Awards — Best Foreign Language Film (Nominee)
Denver Film Critics Society Awards — Best Foreign Language Film (Nominee)
DiscussingFilm Critics Awards — Best International Feature (Nominee)
Dublin Film Critics Circle Awards — Best Screenplay (Nominee)
European Film Awards — European Makeup & Hair [Winner]
European Film Awards — European Visual Effects [Winner]
GALECA: Society of LGBTQ Ent. Critics Awards — Non-English Language Film of the Year (Nominee)
Georgia Film Critics Ass. Awards — Best International Film (Nominee)
Golden Globe Awards — Best Motion Picture – Non-English Language (Nominee)
Hawaii Film Critics Society Awards — Best Foreign Language Film (Nominee)
Hollywood Critics Ass. Awards — Best International Film (Nominee)
Houston Film Critics Society Awards — Best Foreign Language Film (Nominee)
Indiana Film Journalists Ass.Awards — Best Foreign Language Film (Nominee)
Indiana Film Journalists Ass.Awards — Best Musical Score (Nominee)
Indiana Film Journalists Ass.Awards — Best Cinematography (Nominee)
Kansas City Film Critics Circle Awards — Best Foreign Film (Nominee)
Las Vegas Film Critics Society Awards — Best Foreign Language Film [Winner]
Las Vegas Film Critics Society Awards — Best Cinematography (Nominee)
Latino Ent. Journalists Ass. Film Awards — Best Non-English Language Film (Nominee)
Latino Ent. Journalists Ass. Film Awards — Best Adapted Screenplay (Nominee)
Motion Picture Sound Editors Awards — Sound Editing – Foreign Language Feature (Nominee)
Music City Film Critics’ Ass. Awards — Best International Film (Nominee)
Music City Film Critics’ Ass. Awards — Best Cinematography (Nominee)
National Board of Review Awards — Best Adapted Screenplay [Winner]
North Carolina Film Critics Ass. Awards — Best Foreign Language Film (Nominee)
North Carolina Film Critics Ass. Awards — Best Adapted Screenplay (Nominee)
North Dakota Film Society Awards — Best International Feature [Winner]
North Dakota Film Society Awards — Best Cinematography (Nominee)
North Dakota Film Society Awards — Best Visual Effects (Nominee)
North Dakota Film Society Awards — Best Sound (Nominee)
North Dakota Film Society Awards — Best Makeup and Hairstyling (Nominee)
North Texas Film Critics Ass. Awards — Best Foreign Language Film (Nominee)
Online Film Critics Society Awards — Best Film Not in the English Language (Nominee)
Phoenix Critics Circle Awards — Best Foreign Language Film (Nominee)
Phoenix Film Critics Society Awards — Best Foreign Language Film [Winner]
San Diego Film Critics Society Awards — Best Adapted Screenplay [Winner]
San Diego Film Critics Society Awards — Best Foreign Language Film [Winner]
San Fran. Bay Area Film Critics Circle Awards — Best International Feature Film (Nominee)
Seattle Film Critics Society Awards — Best Film Not in the English Language (Nominee)
St. Louis Film Critics Ass. Awards — Best International Film (Nominee)
Sunset Film Circle Awards — Best International Feature (Nominee)
Vancouver Film Critics Circle Awards — Best Foreign Language Film [Winner]
Washington DC Area Film Critics Ass. Awards — Best International/Foreign Language Film (Nominee)
Best Motion Picture of the Year
EXPERT PREDICTIONS
1. “Everything Everywhere All at Once”
2. “The Banshees of Inisherin”
3. “The Fabelmans”
4. “Top Gun: Maverick”
5. “TÁR”
6. “Elvis”
7. “All Quiet on the Western Front”
8. “Avatar: The Way of Water”
9. “Triangle of Sadness”
10. “Women Talking”
PERSONAL PREDICTIONS
1. “Everything Everywhere All at Once”
2. “The Banshees of Inisherin”
3. “The Fabelmans”
4. “TÁR”
5. “All Quiet on the Western Front”
6. “Top Gun: Maverick”
7. “Women Talking”
8. “Elvis”
9. “Triangle of Sadness”
10. “Avatar: The Way of Water”
Best Achievement in Cinematography
EXPERT PREDICTIONS
1. “All Quiet on the Western Front” — James Friend
2. “Elvis” — Mandy Walker
3. “Empire of Light” — Roger Deakins
4. “TÁR” — Florian Hoffmeister
5. “Bardo, False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths” — Darius Khondji
PERSONAL PREDICTIONS
1. “Empire of Light” — Roger Deakins
2. “All Quiet on the Western Front” — James Friend
3. “Elvis” — Mandy Walker
4. “Bardo, False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths” — Darius Khondji
5. “TÁR” — Florian Hoffmeister
Best Writing (ADAPTED Screenplay)
EXPERT PREDICTIONS
1. “Women Talking” — Sarah Polley
2. “All Quiet on the Western Front” — Edward Berger, Lesley Paterson & Ian Stokell
3. “Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery” — Rian Johnson
4. “Top Gun: Maverick” — Ehren Kruger, Eric Warren Singer, Christopher McQuarrie; Story by Peter Craig and Justin Marks
5. “Living” — Kazuo Ishiguro
PERSONAL PREDICTIONS
1. “Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery” — Rian Johnson
2. “Women Talking” — Sarah Polley
3. “Top Gun: Maverick” — Ehren Kruger, Eric Warren Singer, Christopher McQuarrie; Story by Peter Craig and Justin Marks
4. “All Quiet on the Western Front” — Edward Berger, Lesley Paterson & Ian Stokell
5. “Living” — Kazuo Ishiguro
Best INTERNATIONAL FEATURE FILM
EXPERT PREDICTIONS
1. “All Quiet on the Western Front” (Germany)
2. “Argentina, 1985” (Argentina)
3. “Close” (Belgium)
4. “The Quiet Girl” (Ireland)
5. “EO” (Poland)
PERSONAL PREDICTIONS
1. “All Quiet on the Western Front” (Germany)
2. “Close” (Belgium)
3. “The Quiet Girl” (Ireland)
4. “Argentina, 1985” (Argentina)
5. “EO” (Poland)
Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures (Original Score)
EXPERT PREDICTIONS
1. “Babylon” — Justin Hurwitz
2. “The Fabelmans” — John Williams
3. “The Banshees of Inisherin” — Carter Burwell
4. “All Quiet on the Western Front” — Volker Bertelmann
5. “Everything Everywhere All at Once” — Son Lux
PERSONAL PREDICTIONS
1. “All Quiet on the Western Front” — Volker Bertelmann
2. “The Banshees of Inisherin” — Carter Burwell
3. “Babylon” — Justin Hurwitz
4. “The Fabelmans” — John Williams
5. “Everything Everywhere All at Once” — Son Lux
Best Achievement in Production Design
EXPERT PREDICTIONS
1. “Babylon”
2. “Elvis”
3. “Avatar: The Way of Water”
4. “All Quiet on the Western Front”
5. “The Fabelmans”
PERSONAL PREDICTIONS
1. “Elvis”
2. “Babylon”
3. “All Quiet on the Western Front”
4. “Avatar: The Way of Water”
5. “The Fabelmans”
Best Achievement in Makeup and Hairstyling
EXPERT PREDICTIONS
1. “The Whale”
2. “Elvis”
3. “The Batman”
4. “All Quiet on the Western Front”
5. “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever”
PERSONAL PREDICTIONS
1. “Elvis”
2. “The Whale”
3. “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever”
4. “The Batman”
5. “All Quiet on the Western Front”
Best Sound
EXPERT PREDICTIONS
1. “Top Gun: Maverick”
2. “All Quiet on the Western Front”
3. “Avatar: The Way of Water”
4. “Elvis”
5. “The Batman”
PERSONAL PREDICTIONS
1. “Elvis”
2. “Top Gun: Maverick”
3. “All Quiet on the Western Front”
4. “Avatar: The Way of Water”
5. “The Batman”
Best Achievement in Visual Effects
EXPERT PREDICTIONS
1. “Avatar: The Way of Water”
2. “Top Gun: Maverick”
3. “All Quiet on the Western Front”
4. “The Batman”
5. “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever”
PERSONAL PREDICTIONS
1. “Avatar: The Way of Water”
2. “Top Gun: Maverick”
3. “The Batman”
4. “All Quiet on the Western Front”
5. “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever”
