Some stories never get old. This is also true for films about war, even if we wished otherwise. “All Quiet on the Western Front” is a bitter pill to swallow. A new film adaptation of Erich Maria Remarque‘s novel about World War I, directed by Edward Berger, tries to not only show the historical event but to put the audience in the shoes of the young protagonist, Paul, as well. We share the guilt, horror, and pain with him, and that’s where visual language is of great importance. The cinematographer James Friend reveals everything about the cinematic look they created, and why the immersive camera on All Quiet on the Western Front works so well. This is James Friend’s first war film, and also the first work that has earned him an Academy Award nomination for the best achievement in cinematography. No wonder though. When he speaks about the vast amount of thought and preparation put into the visual grammar of “All Quiet on the Western Front”, it sounds like the most important and difficult project in his career so far. In the ASC Clubhouse Conversation, held by Erik Messerschmidt, Friend admits he doesn’t speak a word of German (which is the original language of the novel and the movie), and that made him quite anxious before the shoot. But when the principal photography began, the fear dissolved because the cinematic language transcended the spoken word. We want to share some of his tools and techniques in approaching camera work...
Published By: CineD - Wednesday, 8 March, 2023