Screening

About All Quiet on the Western Front

Year Released:

1930

Genres:

Drama

Metadata:

Directed by Lewis Milestone

Based on the novel by Erich Maria Remarque, a group of idealistic German teens volunteer for action on the Western Front of WWI in 1914, persuaded by one of their professors. They are trained by a postmaster from their village who has been hardened into a brutal commander. On the front, their patriotism is soon further destroyed after being introduced to the true horrors of war. Paul, the film’s once-sensitive protagonist, realizes he, nor homes, will ever be the same. Universal Pictures’ first Best Picture Academy Award® winner has been restored by the Library of Congress. (35mm presentation)

As we mark the 100th anniversary of the start of the First World War, this multi-semester film series explores the conditions leading up to war, the harsh realities of wartime, and its effects on people and nations around the world. These cinematic reflections offer a chance to revisit the way war and violence were imagined in an earlier age and also remind us how men and women throughout the globe remain burdened by this problem today. Each film will be introduced by a faculty expert. This series is presented by the School of Global and International Studies and IU Cinema.