If there's one thing I've learned from watching movies for this site, it's the respect and admiration a lot of critics have for director Lewis Milestone.  In 1930's All Quiet on the Western Front, he explores the experience of a young German who eagerly signs up for duty in the army during the first World War, and is quickly shown exactly what it means to be a solider.  It's based on the novel by the same name (which I have yet to read) by Erich Maria Remarque.

I've basically outlined the story for you already.  A German schoolboy named Kat (Louis Wolheim) joins up for the army after a rather overplayed exposition by his teacher.  Really this opening sequence almost put me off the movie entirely.  The overzealous preaching of the teacher, coupled with the giddy "oooo sign me up!" actions of the kids, topped off by the trashing of the classroom in excitement and patriotic fury... it's a bit much.  But I suspect that's on purpose, just to show how over the top a lot of propaganda and flag waving can get.

But he signs up, and is shipped off from his peaceful little German burb, to a nearly decimated city someplace else near the front, and is quickly initiated into soldierhood.  The shells start falling nearly as soon as they're off the train, and some of his squad mates meet their doom early on.

From there he waits, quivering in a bunker with the rest of his mates as the shells fall around them.  Trying their wits and nerves, and even the grisled veterans are visibly nervous and scared.

Then it begins, they're called to action in the trenches, and Milestone makes his statement about the pointlessness of it all.  The encroaching Allied forces getting cut down by machine guns, overrunning the trenches and the messy close-quarters combat that ensues.  Then they're pushed back, only to have the tables turned as the Germans make an advance on their lines, to suffer nearly the exact same fate.

I'm going somewhat out of order here, so bear with me....  There's a section where Kat returns home, lauded as a hero, but he wants none of it.  Called back to that same classroom to tell his glorious tales of battle, he winds up telling quite the opposite tale, of being scared out of his mind, and of the horrors he's seen, much to the dismay of his patriotic teacher.

In another segment, he's pinned down in a hole with the body of a French soldier whom he had to kill, and we're treated to some more of that Milestone pontification that seems to permeate his films to the core.

And there is a lot of that.  Although its fit in much better here than in other Milestone pictures such as the dull "A Walk in the Sun", and even the more mainstream "The Halls of Montezuma."  The squad talks about the usual Milestone topics: Why are we here, fighting? What does it mean? Does anybody really care?....  You get the point.

How does it end?  Well, on that note I was a bit disappointed, but I suppose it fits with the entire theme of the picture.  Be it a little too "art school" for my tastes.

Even for the early days of "talking" cinema, this film can get a bit intense.  And given the era, I can't really fault the performance of anyone, I mean in 1930 "movie acting" was still a new art, and the cast really isn't full of your typical "stars" to speak of.

Sure All Quiet on the Western Front is more "anti" war at its core than a lot of pictures (aren't most of them anyway?) and it's told from the "enemy" point of view....  But this isn't a picture about us vs. them, or historical events, or any of that.  It's a thoughtful look into the events and experiences that (as they say) turn boys into men, and men into crying little boys again, and that scar their souls for the rest of their lives.

And in that respect it truly is a classic war movie.

Technorati Tags: war movie review, all quiet on the western front, 1930, world war i 1, lewis milestone, erich maria remarque, louis wolheim

H.G. Wells really was a bloody genius, and a prophet in the vein of Jules Verne.  His book, The Shape of Things to Come, presents a sort of "history of the future," and predicts with uncanny accuracy some of the terrible aspects of warfare that would come to pass only a few short years later.

In Things to Come, the movie starts out in a fictional city called Everytown, but its safe to say that it serves as an allegory for any modern city.  In this version of the future, war is imminent, and eventually Everytown is bombed into oblivion in an offensive that can only be described as a prediction of the 1940 "Blitz" of London.

Pre-World War II war movies like 1939's Wings of the Navy are, at least to me, interesting to watch.  Why?  They offer an insight to a world untouched by the events of that war, and have a certain optimism and quality that can never be reclaimed.

So it is with Wings of the Navy.  Here we find a group of cadets heading off to Pensacola to start training as naval aviators, including an Iowa farm boy and a Brazilian officer on loan.  They're up against a Lt. Cass Harrington (George Brent), who's family has been at the forefront of naval aviation.  Then there's his younger brother, one Jerry Harrington (John Payne), currently in the submarine fleet.

Of course when Jerry learns that Cass will be training this group of men, he decides to get a transfer, against the advice of his brother.  During this time, Jerry meets Cass's current significant other, Irene (Olivia de Havilland), and they fall in love behind Cass's back.

That plotline really pales in comparison to the main story, which is of the training the men receive.  It's hard to believe that wood and canvas bi-planes were once the cutting edge of aviation, and some of the methods taught, and executed are just incredible to behold.  What are considered dangerous acrobatics today were par for the course then in dogfighting school.

Unfortunately not all the cadets take to their training so well as Jerry. Its one of these cadets which Cass takes on a second check flight, which ultimately ends Cass's aviation career in a horrible crash that leaves him disabled.

All is not lost for Cass, though, who has designs for a new airplane that he tries to get pushed through channels.  During one of the final test flights, his trusted test pilot takes a nosedive, further pushing Cass into despair.

Jerry comes to the rescue though, resigning his commission and reflying the test, coming through with flying colors.  Oh, and he wins the girl in the end, too.

Wings of the Navy is a fun, innocent, light hearted love story slash drama that provides a glimpse into pre-war aviation at its best.  The cast performs brilliantly, without too much of the overdramatizing that sometimes plagues early films.  You'll actually find yourself in suspenseful anticipation during parts of it, and laughing at some of the antics.  (Jerry's instrument training flight is particularly good.)

A side note: When I was finished watching Wings of the Navy off my DVR, I happened to flip over to The Military Channel, where "Anatomy of an F/A-18" was on.  Talk about a lesson in progress.  Its hard to believe when you see it like that, the difference between then and now....  And it looks like copies of this are non-existent, so yet again, a big thanks to Turner Classics for bringing this to us!

Technorati Tags: war movie review, Wings of the Navy, 1939, George Brent, John Payne, Olivia de Havilland, naval aviation, pre-world war ii 2