FINAL: All Quiet (1979) vs. Paths of Glory

So it comes down to the two top seeds. This is the first of my tournaments that this has happened. Seems appropriate, however. I'm going to wait a couple of days so people can weigh in on which movie they feel is the better WWI combat film.

VS.

As per tradition, the finals are based on the previous categories partly because I can't think of four more categories that work.

PLOT                                              Paths = A+ (10)     All Quiet = A+ (10)
ACTING                                         Paths = A+ (10)     All Quiet = C (6)
COMBAT                                        Paths = A (9)          All Quiet = B (8)
ANTI-WAR                                    Paths = A+ (10)     All Quiet = A+ (10)
REALISM                                       Paths = A (9)          All Quiet = A (9)
DIALOGUE                                    Paths = A+ (10)     All Quiet = B (8)
SOLDIER BEHAVIOR                   Paths = B (8)          All Quiet = A (9)
ENTERTAINMENT                        Paths = A+ (10)     All Quiet = A (9)
EFFECTS, ETC.                              Paths = A (9)          All Quiet = B- (7)
INTERIORS/EXTERIORS            Paths = A+ (10)     All Quiet = B- (7)
CINEMATOGRAPHY                    Paths = A+ (10)     All Quiet = A (9)
CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT     Paths = A+ (10)     All Quiet = C (6)

PATHS OF GLORY = 115
ALL QUIET = 98

MATCH ANALYSIS: While the match-up was not a surprise, the results were. Most would agree that "Paths" and "All Quiet" are the two greatest WWI movies. You would think the final would have been closer, but if you look at the categories, "Paths" has few weaknesses and "All Quiet" has some of the weaknesses common to the classics of the early talkie days. This explains the low mark for acting and relatively low marks for technical aspects. Both movies are black and white, but the gap of decades makes "Paths" a modern war film. If you perfectly colorized it and released it today for the first time, I feel it would do well (and possibly be more successful than it was). The same could not be said for "All Quiet" (1930). For those who get upset with my view, remember the tournament was to determine the best WWI combat film, not the greatest.

Thanks to everyone who followed the tournament. Sorry it took so long, but it takes time to watch 22 movies. It was a labor of love, however.