1917 Opened the Door
Now that Sam Mendes’ 1917 has had a brief brush with Oscar glory, the door has been opened for all kinds of “me too” films focused on World War One.
For some reason, here at the beginning of the 21st century, we’ve rediscovered the horrors of World War One.
Part of that could be because of the breakdown of nationalism in the face of rampant corporate globalism.
Part of that could be the fact that no major democracy has gone to war with another major democracy in the last seventy years or so.
Part of it could be that voting populations in the Western World are freaking out the “smart” people by rejecting globalism at the ballot box.
Or all those reasons could be projection and it could just be that World War One has been ignored for too long as a subject for exploration in the same way that World War Two has been, and now its time has come.
From the trades:
Rocket Science and Amusement Park have acquired the rights and Amusement Park will produce anti-war drama “All Quiet on the Western Front,” to be directed by BAFTA winner and Emmy nominee Edward Berger (“Patrick Melrose,” “Jack,” “Deutschland ’83”). Daniel Bruehl is attached for the ensemble cast and will executive produce. Rocket Science is handling worldwide sales. The film will be produced by Malte Grunert (“The Aftermath,” “Land of Mine,” “A Most Wanted Man”) of Amusement Park, and Daniel Dreifuss (“Sergio,” “No”).
The Definitive World War One Novel
Other than Siddhartha by Herman Hesse, All Quiet on the Western Front is the definitive World War One novel, which was turned into the definitive World War One film.
From the trades, yet again:
The story follows teenagers Paul Baumer and his friends Albert and Muller, who – egged on by romantic dreams of heroism – voluntarily enlist in the German army. Full of excitement and patriotic fervour, the boys enthusiastically march into a war they believe in. But once on the Western Front, they discover the soul-destroying horror of World War I. Paul’s preconceptions about the enemy and the rights and wrongs of the conflict crumble. On the countdown to Armistice, Paul must carry on fighting until the end, with no purpose other than to satisfy the top brass’ desire to end the war on a German offensive.
Of course, All Quiet on the Western Front is ripe for Progressive blindness, considering that early 20th Century Progressive social and moral political policies, such as endless taxation, endless wars, globalism, and New World Order level social control, and the joys of eugenics, abortion, and leftist fascism.
So this project should clearly examine all of the seeds for all of these problems that we continue to battle 100 years later.
What Are We To Make of All of This?
Sam Mendes has done for World War One what the Wachowskis did for leather and Keanu Reeves: He has reinvigorated a dead subject matter in a broad genre that probably needs more exploration.
The casting, as usual, will show the way that this project is proceeding.
