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Post by stephen on Oct 23, 2022 2:07:49 GMT
If you could meld the technical mastery of 1917 with the grueling bleakness of Come and See in an infernal forge, Edward Berger's vitally visceral take on Erich Maria Remarque's seminal novel is about as close as you can get. Deftly directed with some of the most fantastic battle sequences in recent memory, Berger imbues that skill with a permeating sense of dread, almost like a horror film. We gradually see the life and innocence stamped out of Felix Kammerer's protagonist until his soul is in tatters. Albrecht Schuch gives one of the most heartbreaking and haunting performances of the year -- would love it if Netflix actually put their weight behind a Supporting Actor campaign for him.
If I had one thing to ding the film for, it's that I wasn't overly thrilled with the cutaways to Devid Striesow's nearly cartoonish field marshall. The scenes are fine on their own, but they really undercut the horrors of the battlefield and the frustrating bureaucracy that Daniel Bruhl's character deals with. The Striesow stuff just felt like a bit too much by the end.
But man, what an achievement overall.
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Post by mhynson27 on Oct 23, 2022 7:23:10 GMT
Yeah, it's pretty fucking good. Technical mastery at its finest.
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Post by stephen on Oct 28, 2022 13:59:04 GMT
This one's on Netflix now, gang. Get on it.
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Post by Joaquim on Oct 29, 2022 4:50:56 GMT
This was insanely good. Probably the best portrayal of the sheer brutality, hopelessness and ugliness/dirtiness of trench warfare in WWI that I’ve seen. These kids are so excited to sign up for war but that immediately goes away as they’re transported to this hellscape and reality sets in. They all march to the frontline singing and chanting in the middle of a beautiful sunny day…and then they set foot in the trenches and take one long look inside. Paul starts out as a wide eyed boy excited to fight for his country and gradually descends into a completely broken man. The film does such a good job of putting you in these soldiers’ shoes and seeing what they had to go through, the conditions they had to live in in the trenches. It really is like a horror film at times, especially when the tanks roll in. You may think it’s just a tank but the tank was making its introduction in war at the time. These soldiers had never seen anything like this ever and you feel this heightened sense of terror set in as this man made horror beyond comprehension comes right at them. I love the decision to have most of the film set in the final days, hours, minutes of the war. Helps to really drive home the film’s message and make all the death and carnage hit harder, knowing all these soldiers are being tossed into the meat grinder for absolutely nothing. Pointers for the cinematography too of course but that goes without saying. What a film. Cinéma is back on the menu, boys
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Post by JangoB on Oct 29, 2022 15:08:50 GMT
It's a rock solid film and among its chief qualities is just how much emphasis there is on dirt, grime and cold. They're like a full-on character - after a while you start feeling the filth on your own hands. Pretty much everything is quite impressively staged, properly harrowing and fairly powerful. Initially I was a bit unsure about the score but eventually it won me over. Its first appearance did catch me off guard but in retrospect I actually appreciate that feeling. I do have a couple of problems with it but they're not detrimental to my appreciation of the piece. Berger's focus is pretty much entirely on the war itself which is fair but I felt that the human aspects of the story got a little bit lost in the shuffle. We don't really spend much time with Paul and his friends before they're thrown in the meatgrinder of battle, nor do we have the rather important section in which he goes back home for a while only to find it a place of alienation and discomfort. But that's a question of approach - the movie chooses to dedicate itself to showing the horrors of war in all of their relentless awfulness and on that front it definitely succeeds. Another slightly questionable choice for me is the ticking time bomb element with the end of the war literally unfolding alongside the main story. A great deal of AQOTWF's power comes from the everyday nature of the events but this adaptation decides to up the ante by adding that suspense element. And cinematically it works, no question about it. But no matter how good those high dramatics are, to me Paul's death just randomly happening on some calm day is more impactful and haunting than him getting killed literally seconds before the official end of the war. Same feelings about Kat really - the farm kid coming back for retribution is a good cinematic moment but a random death from shrapnel in the neck is still more powerful. Berger wants his film to feel both very realistic and movie-ish, and that's totally fine. Especially because he pulls it off. But I feel that the more grounded nature of the source allows for a more haunting experience. It's interesting that the BP-winning classic is actually closer to that feeling despite being a 1930 production. But even with all that in mind I really appreciated the film for what it was.
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havok2
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Post by havok2 on Oct 31, 2022 23:59:14 GMT
This is a great picture technically. However, like most German films it definitely lacks a little bit of substance on its form. Much, much better than the horseshit that was 1917
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dazed
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Post by dazed on Dec 1, 2022 4:59:27 GMT
this shits on 1917
fantastic movie. really showed the horrors and brutality of war much better than most war movies. technically was brilliant and the characters made it heartbreaking. third favourite of the year.
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Post by Pavan on Dec 30, 2022 19:34:33 GMT
One of the best depictions of the brutality of trench warfare in WW1. A bit long but worth watching in its entirety but most of all the last few minutes where the film hits you hard. The ending feels a bit cinematic, but it doesn't take away from the rest of the film. Technically solid film too.
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Post by stabcaesar on Jan 20, 2023 17:32:04 GMT
I think the last 20 minutes or so are overkill, but before that it's pretty fucking phenomenal. The battle scenes are horrifying and the more quiet moments are incredibly haunting. Kammerer and Schuch (who's cute af btw, I'm in love) are sensational. If Paul and Kat's deaths were slightly less silly this would've been a perfect film.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jan 23, 2023 0:13:42 GMT
I loved the score!
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Post by sterlingarcher86 on Jan 23, 2023 3:02:43 GMT
Reminds me of “The Beast” from Sicario (RIP) in the dread it evokes.
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Post by Ryan_MYeah on Jan 25, 2023 2:15:24 GMT
I was an idiot before I rewatched this movie. I think it’s a step down from 1917, but it’s a great film regardless. A seamless blend between war film, coming of age, and psychological terror and panic.
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Post by stephen on Jan 25, 2023 2:17:06 GMT
I was an idiot before I rewatched this movie. I think it’s a step down from 1917, but it’s a great film regardless. A seamless blend between war film, coming of age, and psychological terror and panic. We all make mistakes. Like the Academy not nominating Edward Berger in Best Director, Felix Kammerer in Best Actor and (most egregiously) Albrecht Schuch in Best Supporting Actor.
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Post by Joaquim on Jan 25, 2023 17:10:47 GMT
I was an idiot before I rewatched this movie. I think it’s a step down from 1917, but it’s a great film regardless. A seamless blend between war film, coming of age, and psychological terror and panic. We all make mistakes. Like the Academy not nominating Edward Berger in Best Director, Felix Kammerer in Best Actor and (most egregiously) Albrecht Schuch in Best Supporting Actor. Don’t forget the editing snub, and I’ll go as far as to say the costume design snub too
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Post by Billy_Costigan on Jan 25, 2023 17:14:22 GMT
It's fantastic and firmly in my top 10, though I can't say I'm eager to rewatch it anytime soon. It's tough watch but I'm glad the Academy recognized it's greatness. Berger deserved a nod for Best Director though.
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Post by stephen on Jan 25, 2023 17:17:26 GMT
We all make mistakes. Like the Academy not nominating Edward Berger in Best Director, Felix Kammerer in Best Actor and (most egregiously) Albrecht Schuch in Best Supporting Actor. Don’t forget the editing snub, and I’ll go as far as to say the costume design snub too The way that they used costumes to tell a story in the opening five minutes of the film deserved a nomination on its own.
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Post by stabcaesar on Jan 25, 2023 17:19:20 GMT
I'm really confused that Schuch wasn't more in the conversation and didn't at least win some critics awards. I just don't get how anyone could have seen the movie and not single him out for accolades.
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Post by stephen on Jan 25, 2023 17:21:00 GMT
I'm really confused that Schuch wasn't more in the conversation and didn't at least win some critics awards. I just don't get how anyone could have seen the movie and not single him out for accolades. Because he's a relative unknown, and because Netflix did not position All Quiet well for most of the season. It was their fourth-tier priority at best and only really surged at the end as their other potential projects winnowed down. But I agree. Anyone who watches that movie should by rights have had him high on their ballots. We best make up for it come AMARA time.
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Post by stabcaesar on Jan 25, 2023 17:26:33 GMT
I'm really confused that Schuch wasn't more in the conversation and didn't at least win some critics awards. I just don't get how anyone could have seen the movie and not single him out for accolades. Because he's a relative unknown, and because Netflix did not position All Quiet well for most of the season. It was their fourth-tier priority at best and only really surged at the end as their other potential projects winnowed down. But I agree. Anyone who watches that movie should by rights have had him high on their ballots. We best make up for it come AMARA time. At least he got that well-deserved BAFTA nod, which could only mean good things for his career.
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Post by stephen on Jan 25, 2023 17:27:34 GMT
Because he's a relative unknown, and because Netflix did not position All Quiet well for most of the season. It was their fourth-tier priority at best and only really surged at the end as their other potential projects winnowed down. But I agree. Anyone who watches that movie should by rights have had him high on their ballots. We best make up for it come AMARA time. At least he got that well-deserved BAFTA nod, which could only mean good things for his career. Indeed. I want the very best for that man. A Matthias Schoenaerts-level career at the very least. I do wish Felix had gotten his due as well. That movie just doesn't work without him.
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Post by Joaquim on Jan 25, 2023 18:33:36 GMT
Don’t forget the editing snub, and I’ll go as far as to say the costume design snub too The way that they used costumes to tell a story in the opening five minutes of the film deserved a nomination on its own. Such a powerful scene, and even going beyond those opening 5mins to the scene where Paul goes to pick up his “new” uniform and the officer rips off the tag and tosses it on the floor on a pile with all the other name tags. It just tells you everything you need to know about this war and how the upper chain of command regarded its recruits
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Post by Tommen_Saperstein on Jan 25, 2023 20:26:49 GMT
saw it a few weeks ago and I thought it was great but I don't understand the score nomination. Is there anything else going on musically that's interesting and memorable other than that three-note rock riff? I guess there are some cool sound effects thrown in to make it more cacophonous but it's too formless for my taste. It works for the film but isn't anything special on its own.
I plan on seeing it again soon but at first glimpse the score (and Schuch) didn't stand out to me.
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Post by mhynson27 on Jan 25, 2023 22:42:34 GMT
saw it a few weeks ago and I thought it was great but I don't understand the score nomination. Is there anything else going on musically that's interesting and memorable other than that three-note rock riff? I guess there are some cool sound effects thrown in to make it more cacophonous but it's too formless for my taste. It works for the film but isn't anything special on its own. I plan on seeing it again soon but at first glimpse the score (and Schuch) didn't stand out to me. Rock riff?? That's like full on dubstep/present day Zimmer.
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Post by Tommen_Saperstein on Jan 25, 2023 23:04:02 GMT
saw it a few weeks ago and I thought it was great but I don't understand the score nomination. Is there anything else going on musically that's interesting and memorable other than that three-note rock riff? I guess there are some cool sound effects thrown in to make it more cacophonous but it's too formless for my taste. It works for the film but isn't anything special on its own. I plan on seeing it again soon but at first glimpse the score (and Schuch) didn't stand out to me. Rock riff?? That's like full on dubstep/present day Zimmer. Zimmer himself said it sounded like rock lol. Inspired by Zeppelin apparently. Cool effect.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jan 25, 2023 23:54:49 GMT
saw it a few weeks ago and I thought it was great but I don't understand the score nomination. Is there anything else going on musically that's interesting and memorable other than that three-note rock riff? I guess there are some cool sound effects thrown in to make it more cacophonous but it's too formless for my taste. It works for the film but isn't anything special on its own. I plan on seeing it again soon but at first glimpse the score (and Schuch) didn't stand out to me. I've been listening to this all week.
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