Netflix’s true story movie 1917.
All Quiet on the Western Front was largely filmed in the Czech Republic, with some shooting done in Belgium and as well. All of these countries were deeply impacted by the conflict that ran from 1914-1918, experiencing a massive loss of life and destruction. For these countries, the story of All Quiet on the Western Front is not just a film, but a very personal, important piece of history, especially for the Czech Republic, which was formed after the Austro-Hungarian Empire lost the war. As such, let’s take a look at a few known specific locations used for the filming of the movie.
Prague, Czech Republic
Large amounts of All Quiet on the Western Front was filmed in the city of Prague, the capital of the Czech Republic. While the city has hosted filming The Gray Man and The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Edward Berger, the director of the film, said that they chose to film in the historic city because “Prague [is] very welcoming, and great crews, but also it is slightly more economical to shoot there. Also, because you will find buildings that aren't all renovated [there]” (via Newsweek). These buildings, many of which may very well be from the early 1900s, were likely featured in many of the scenes before Paul leaves home to go to the western front, including when he rides his bike through town to enlist, and the salon in which he officially s the army.
Prague is home to Barradov Studio, the largest film studio in the Czech Republic, which Berger also has ample use of. The facility has helped crews film well-known projects such as the Casino Royale and Jojo Rabbit, making the studio an invaluable filming location for All Quiet on the Western Front as well. While the film has not explicitly stated which scenes were specifically filmed in the studio, the facility may have been used for some of the more restrictive shots, such as the train where Matthias Erzberger (Daniel Brühl) works to secure the armistice with the French.
Milovice, Czech Republic
However, the filming for the sweeping battle scenes in All Quiet on the Western Front did not take place in Prague. Instead, the film ventured beyond the capital and into the surrounding countryside, utilizing smaller villages such as Milovice, Králův Dvůr, Točník Castle, Libušín, Vinařice, Benátky nad Jizerou, Lišany, Chotýšany, and Luštěnice, in the surrounding Bohemia region for the many villages, encampments, and forests and fields where the German army waits for battle. Meanwhile, to get the 1917, All Quiet on the Western Front utilized a former Soviet-era airport in the town of Milovice for the trench warfare itself, where the production dug hundreds of feet of trenches for shooting. Their dedication to veracity is especially fitting given that Milovice was the home of a prisoner camp during World War I itself, making it a fitting location for the horrendous battlefield.
Točník Castle, Sychrov Castle, Chotěšov Abbey, Czech Republic
All Quiet on the Western Front did not just make use of the Czech Republic’s capital, towns, and landscape, they also used many of the historical castles present in the country. The interiors of these storied establishments likely served as the various private command centers for the German soldiers, with Sychrov Castle looking particularly serving as the initial German command center at the beginning of the film, although this has not been confirmed. Such buildings are also likely the set where General Friedrichs (Devid Striesow) digs in to urge the German soldiers to continue fighting, despite their heavy casualties.
