All Quiet on the Western Front and Longest Day Comparison

The themes of ‘All Quiet on the Western Front’ and ‘The Longest Day’ were quite different. Both works were based on world war two, but the main points that were explained in each were much different. In the following narrative, I will explain the similarities and differences within the two works.

The main similarity between the two works is that they are both based on war. ‘The Longest Day’ takes place during world war two, in particular the day before and the day of the invasion of Normandy. ‘All Quiet on the Western Front’ takes place during world war one, from the point of view of Paul Baumer, who fought in the German army in France. Another similarity is that they show a military perspective. ‘The Longest Day’ shows perspectives from the allied forces as well as the German army, while ‘All Quiet on the Western Front’ is largely based on the perspective of a German soldier and the small group he is with. However, the similarities pretty much end here.

The theme of ‘The Longest Day’ is based on the military strategy of the D-Day invasion of Normandy. The perspective is through several different characters, and shows how the beaches of Normandy were taken. It shows the planning that went behind the invasion, and how unorthodox the invasion was in terms of military strategy. The film depicts German military men as baffled and often confused regarding the tactics of the allies. In this film the Germans always seemed one step behind. The allied forces are always ready and willing to follow orders and extremely upbeat about what they are doing. It does not show any sign of morale ever going down.

On the other hand, the theme of ‘All Quiet on the Western Front’ is much different than this. Instead of showing several different main characters, it focuses on Paul Baumer and the group he was with in world war one. It shows what war is like through the eyes of one soldier as oppose to a whole platoon, and as a result is a much more personal account of how war can affect a person.

‘All Quiet on the Western Front’ shows how war can weigh down an individual. Often times during this time period, war was glorified as honorable and not seen for how terrible and vicious it was. Paul Baumer eventually starts to break down and question himself on whether or not he should even