Czech-lensed ‘All Quiet on the Western Front’ snags nine Oscar nominations

The anti-war film “All Quiet on the Western Front,” which was filmed in Czech locations, has garnered nine Oscar nominations including Best Picture.

The mostly German language film tied with the Irish film “The Banshees of Inisherin” for the second-most nominations. The American multi-lingual comedy “Everything Everywhere All at Once” leads with 11 nominations. The winners will be announced on March 12 in Hollywood.

Even though “All Quiet on the Western Front” was shot in Czechia, it was a German-U.S. co-production. Aside from Best Picture, it has also been nominated for Best International Feature Film, formerly known as Best Foreign Film, representing Germany.

The remaining seven nominations for “All Quiet on the Western Front” were for its score and adapted screenplay and technical aspects. The film can currently be streamed on Netflix, with subtitles in various languages, including English.

Edward Berger, the driving force behind getting the film made, wasn’t nominated for his work as director but was included among the writers for screenplay nomination.

“I’m a bit overwhelmed,” he told the German press agency DPA. He will be in Rome filming “Conclave” about the election of a pope until the middle of March but said he has already ordered a tuxedo to wear to the ceremony.

He added that he had broken the sound barrier since films not in English are seldom nominated for Best Picture. “I'm incredibly happy and proud of it,” he said.

In the film, people can see parts of Prague’s historical center disguised as German locations, as well as towns and rural settings in Central Bohemia and the Ústí nad Labem region, among other locales. Prague’s Barrandov Studios were also used.

Czechia’s submission, the costume drama “Il Boemo,” was not nominated for Best International Film. The last time a Czech feature film vied for an Oscar was for the wartime film “Želary” in 2003. The bittersweet drama “Kolja” won Best Foreign Film in 1996.

This is the third film adaptation of Erich Maria Remarque's novel about German soldiers in World War I, and the first to be shot in German. A 1930 Hollywood adaptation won two Oscars: Outstanding Production and Best Director.

Awards season is underway, and so far this new adaption of “All Quiet on the Western Front” has won Best Adapted Screenplay and Top Five Foreign Language Films from the National Board of Review in the U.S. It also earned Best Makeup and Hairstyling and Best Visual Effects at the European Film Awards. The Golden Globes did not look so kindly on it, and it lost in the Best Foreign Language Film to “Argentina, 1985.”

Other nominations are still pending, with the UK-based BAFTA Film Awards giving it 14 nods, which ties it with the record held by “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” for a foreign-language film. Winners will be announced on Feb. 19.