In 1929, Erich Maria Remarque wrote All Quiet on the Western Front; it was a novel that focused on the horrors of war for German soldiers during WW1, which as a veteran of that war he had some first-hand experience in.

His anti-war sentiment has been translated to the big screen three times to date, with director Edward Berger’s version being the most recent.

World War I has been raging for three years in Europe, but 17-year-old Paul (Felix Kammerer), living in his sleepy, German village has been mostly unaffected by it. But he and his friends are chomping at the bit to get involved and do their bit for their country, so the four of them enlist in the army.

They are brimming with excitement at the idea of getting involved, but this quickly dissipates when they are swiftly sent to the front line, where they are immediately confronted with the harsh realities of war.

With guns in their hands, Paul and his friends soon discover that there’s nothing glamorous about war, as they find themselves surrounded time and again by the bodies of their fallen comrades.

Although described as an anti-war film, it could be argued that all war films are inherently anti-war; that’s certainly the sentiment from French filmmaker Francois Truffaut as he was quoted saying “There is no such thing as an anti-war film”.

Certainly as far as Berger’s take on it is concerned, there’s absolutely no glory in it. It’s a film that quickly throws his young protagonists into the thick of it, in the trenches, with gunfire all around them. It’s a dizzying experience for both them and the audience, struggling with a sense of bewilderment and confusion with an enemy bearing down.

Kammerer is excellent as the wide-eyed youngster, conveying a growing fear in his eyes as the horrors of war quickly envelop him. By the end of course, it consumes him, having been exposed to the endless barrage, and although still young in years, looking far from it both physically and emotionally.

With a background at this point in mostly directing for TV, Berger adapts superbly to the big screen, certainly giving his film a pleasing cinematic sheen.

The film also has a remarkable soundtrack by Volker Bertelmann, who for the most part forgoes a grand orchestral bed for something far more sinister, that wouldn’t sound out of place for a horror – but then what is more horrific than war. It’s no surprise he picked up a deserved Oscar, as well as the three others the film won, including for Best International Feature.

Berger’s film isn’t necessarily a refreshingly new take on war, as it follows, for the most part, the usual traits and themes that come with the war/anti-war genre. But every aspect of it is handled with such a strong and absolute vision, making it bold, bleak and heartbreaking in its presentation of the horrors of war that it delivers on all fronts.