Netflix has released the first teaser for the remake of Nothing New on the West. The 1928 novel by Erich Maria Remarque is one of the most famous anti-war books. The production by director Edward Berger is already the third film adaptation of the book – but the first from Germany.
In the novel, Remarque uses the young soldier Paul Bäumer and his comrades to tell the tragedy of the “lost generation” of the First World War. The main role is played by Felix Kammerer, who has so far mainly appeared as a theater actor. Other roles include Daniel Brühl and Matthias Erzberger. The trailer quotes the novel’s famous introduction: “This is neither an accusation nor an admission. It is an account of a generation devastated by war, even if it escaped its shells.”
The film will compete at the 2023 Oscars for best foreign film. “Erich Maria Remarque wrote a book almost 100 years ago that is unfortunately more relevant today than we expected,” said director Berger about the announcement. “It is a great honor for us that we are now going into the race for the Oscars with our film. It’s a long way.”
The novel has been filmed twice so far. However, the Netflix production is the first adaptation to be made in Germany. Lewis Milestone’s 1930 film adaptation won two Oscars. The screenings in Germany were repeatedly stopped by organized disruptive actions by Nazis, who banned the film completely after they came to power. In 1979, Delbert Mann adapted the novel as a television film for a second time.