All Quiet on the Western Front

The opening scene of the film All Quiet on the Western Front is set in a mid-European environment. A densely forested landscape is shown covered in snow. Very little light is present and the time seems to be dusk.

The camera cuts to a ground shot of the forest with the sounds of rustling leaves. There is a sense of doom overshadowing the audience.

A family of foxes is shown sleeping peacefully, their fur stained with blood. The larger fox wakes up to the sounds of distant explosions and gunfire and starts feeding the younger ones.

Another scene of the forest is shown, this time the camera points towards the sky. The crackling of a fire can be heard in the background. There is slight fog in the environment, as the fog clears out, the camera points down towards a horrific scene of multiple dead bodies. Some gunshots are fired, hitting the already dead soldiers. The camera starts to pan upward showing a much larger area covered by the dead. Distant flashing of light shows an automatic rifle being fired. Multiple loud explosions are seen as bombs are dropped from the planes flying overhead.

The camera then shows a scene inside a trench where soldiers are fighting back. Loud guns are being fired and explosions can be seen. There is a state of panic between on the screen as the camera then shows one soldier hiding and shuddering to every explosion, he is then forcefully pulled away into the battle.