All Quiet on the Western Front (1930)

November 8, 2022 7:11 AM

A young soldier faces profound disillusionment in the soul-destroying horror of World War I. Together with several other young German soldiers, he experiences the horrors of war, such evil of which he had not conceived of when signing up to fight. They eventually become sad, tormented, and confused of their purpose.

Starring Louis Wolheim, Lew Ayres, John Wray, Arnold Lucy, Ben Alexander, Scott Kolk, Owen Davis Jr., Walter Rogers.

Directed by Lewis Milestone. Written by Maxwell Anderson (adaptation & dialogue), George Abbott (screenplay), Del Andrews (adaptation), C. Gardner Sullivan (supervising story chief). Based on All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque.

98% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes.

Currently available for digital rental in the US on multiple outlets. JustWatch listings.

Today, I'm going to be adding another half dozen Best Picture Winners that do not yet have FF posts.

posted by DirtyOldTown (2 comments total)

Great, great movie. Been awhile since I saw it, though. I’ve been watching the new 2022 version, and it’s pretty harrowing. I’ve been wondering how a back-to-back viewing of the two would go.
posted by Thorzdad at 6:30 PM on November 9, 2022

Just noticed this post about the movie. I was utterly enthralled by this film, and it had a profound effect on me. Saying it's one of my "favourites" feels odd... it's one of the most personally important movies in my movie watching history. It is both a time capsule and timeless, and for me remains the most potent (anti-)war movie.
posted by Alex404 at 12:21 AM on November 30, 2022