All Quiet on the Western Front DVD

All Quiet on the Western Front
One of the most powerful anti-war statements ever put on film, this gut-wrenching story concerns a group of friends who join the Army during World War I and are assigned to the Western Front, where their fiery patriotism is quickly turned to horror and misery by the harsh realities of combat. Director Lewis Milestone pioneered the use of the sweeping crane shot to capture a ghastly battlefield panorama of death and mud, and the cast, led by Lew Ayres, is terrific. It's hard to pick a favorite scene, but the finale, as Ayres stretches from his trench to catch a butterfly, is one of the most devastating sequences of the decade. The film won Oscars for Best Picture and for Milestone's direction -- and trivia buffs should note that the actors were coached by future luminary George Cukor, while Ayres became a conscientious objector in World War II. The Road Back (1937) followed, and the film was remade for television in 1979. ~ Robert Firsching, All Movie Guide

Cast Lew Ayres as Paul Baumer Louis Wolheim as Katczinsky John Wray as Himmelstoss Raymond Griffith as Gerard Duval George "Slim" Summerville as Tjaden William Bakewell as Albert Russell Gleason as Muller Scott Kolk as Leer Walter Browne Rogers as Behm Ben Alexander as Kemmerick Owen Davis, Jr. as Peter Harold Goodwin as Detering G. Pat Collins as Lieutenant Bertinck Richard Alexander as Westhus Arnold Lucy as Professor Kantorek Edmund Breese as Herr Mayer Bill Irving as Ginger Marion Clayton as Miss Baumer Beryl Mercer as Mrs. Baumer Edwin Maxwell as Mr. Baumer Yola D'Avril as Suzanne Bertha Mann as Sister Libertine Joan Marsh as Poster Girl

Crew Charles Hall - Art Director William R. Schmidt - Art Director Nate Watt - First Assistant Director Lewis Milestone - Director Miton Carruth - Editor Edgar Adams - Editor David Broekman - Composer (Music Score) Arthur Edeson - Cinematographer Karl W. Freund - Cinematographer Carl Laemmle, Jr. - Producer Frank H. Booth - Special Effects C. Roy Hunter - Sound/Sound Designer Lewis Milestone - Screenwriter George Abbott - Screenwriter Del Andrews - Screenwriter Maxwell Anderson - Screenwriter Erich Maria Remarque - Book Author

All Quiet on the Western Front
All Quiet on the Western Front is an anti-war message film, unusual because it is told from the viewpoint of German soldiers fighting in World War I. The film has a stark, unrelenting look to its battleground sequences, and as such it represented an increased level of realism in Hollywood films. The film tends to look dated now, and the performances are sometimes very showy and theatrical. And, as can occur with message films, there is occasional descent into maudlin peachiness. However, at its best, All Quiet on the Western Front contains numerous striking and memorable moments -- none more so than the final scene of a doomed soldier's reaching for a butterfly. ~ Richard Gilliam, All Movie Guide
 

Arthur Edeson: Academy, Best Cinematography (nominated) Lewis Milestone: Academy, Best Director (winner)

Academy, Best Picture (winner) American Film Institute, 100 Greatest American Movies (winner) Film Daily, 10 Best Films (winner) Library of Congress, U.S. National Film Registry (winner) National Board of Review, Best Picture (winner) New York Times, 10 Best Films (winner) Photoplay, Award (winner)

General Specifications: Language Options: English Subtitle Options: English, French Sound Processing: DDM2.0: Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono (Recorded in mono, but split to give the illusion of a stereo mix on home theater systems). DD5.1: Dolby Digital w/ sub-woofer channel Additional Features: Exclusive introduction by Turner Classic Movies host and film historian Robert Osborne Theatrical trailer Bonus features not rated, not all subtitled DVD Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1: Pre-1954 Standard MPAA Rating: NR DVD Discs Included: 1 DVD Sides: 1 DVD DVD Region Code: 1 Content Length: 132 min