All Quiet on the Western Front

It's really astonishing how, after learning about camera angles and director secrets - watching movies completely changes.

All of a sudden, I have a new respect for classical, war - movies.

I've began to see why things are happening in the movie. I've began to understand the concept of the "everything having a purpose".

All of a sudden, behind the acting - I hear the non-existent shouts of the director telling the actors to do this and that...

All of a sudden ...

I understand why the camera zig-zags from left to right; as if through the eyes of the soldiers.

I understand why the camera fills from up high; to demonstrate the significance of the soldiers during the war - the dehumanization - the value of their lives.

I understand why the camera is put on the ground and how it's basically being trampled on; to symbolize how the main protagonists of the movie are getting closer and closer to the ground and all in all - to their death.

The concept of dehumanization is both an obvious and underlying motif used within the whole plot line. For example, Franz Kemmerick's death portrays that motif extremely well. His death is only noticed by ONE person - as if he didn't matter. While in juxtaposition, before the war started; they were all best friends. This movies accurately (I believe) portrays how the war changes people; how they are transformed from humans to savage-like serial numbers.