(Films released from August 1, 1929 through July 31, 1930 were eligible.)
The nominees were ...
... when they should have been ...
And the Oscar went to ...
This time, they got it right. All Quiet on the Western Front is the first best picture Oscar winner to look like an enduring classic and not a struggle to accommodate to the demands of sound filming. Director Lewis Milestone hasn't fully crossed the bridge from silents to talkies; he still allows actors to telegraph their emotions before they speak their lines. Only veteran actor Louis Wolheim gives a fully assured performance, though you can see the glimmerings of what a good screen actor Lew Ayres would become. In the end, however, the stunning action sequences and genuine emotion conveyed by the film more than compensate for any rough spots.
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