Westfront 1918 (1930)

A group of German infantrymen of the First World War live out their lives in the trenches of France. They find brief entertainment and relief in a village behind the lines, but primarily ... See full summary »

Director:

Georg Wilhelm Pabst

Writers:

Ernst Johannsen (novel), Ladislaus Vajda (screenplay),

Stars:

Fritz Kampers, Gustav Diessl, Hans-Joachim Moebis

1 win.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Fritz Kampers	...	Der Bayer - The Bavarian
Gustav Diessl	...	Karl
Hans-Joachim Moebis	...	Der Student (as H.J. Moebis)
Claus Clausen	...	Der Leutnant - The Lieutenant
Jackie Monnier	...	Yvette - Die Französin
Hanna Hoessrich	...	Karl's Frau - Karl's Wife
Else Heller	...	Karl's Mutter - Karl's Mother

Storyline

A group of German infantrymen of the First World War live out their lives in the trenches of France. They find brief entertainment and relief in a village behind the lines, but primarily terror fills their lives as the attacks on and from the French army ebb and flow. One of the men, Karl, goes home on leave only to discover the degradation forced on his family by wartime poverty. He returns to the lines in time to face an enormous attack by French tanks.

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Plot Keywords:

attack | village | poverty | french army | tank | 

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Genres:

Drama | Romance | War

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Certificate:

TV-PG

Details

Country:

Germany

Language:

German

Release Date:

23 May 1930 (Germany)

Also Known As:

Comrades of 1918

Filming Locations:

Bavaria Filmstudios, Geiselgasteig, Grünwald, Bavaria, Germany

Company Credits

Production Co:

Bavaria Film, Nero-Film AG

Technical Specs

Runtime:

97 min 93 min (Janus print)

Sound Mix:

Mono (Tobis-Klangfilm)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.20 : 1

Did You Know?

Connections

Featured in Journey's End (1937)

User Reviews

A few from the other side

Filmed the same year as the American "All Quiet on the Western Front" this is NOT another 'nice boys learn the horrors of war." It is 1918 and this men are long serving vets with few illusions left. The effects are stunning and (one must assume) realistic. The impact of a big screen and large speakers must have shocked contemporary audiences.

Many scenes do seem to run on a bit--but no more than other films of the period. As one who does not speak German, I would have wished for more subtitles. If the songs were worth including, they are worth translating.

If only for the fact that it was one of the first films banned by the Nazis, it's worth a viewing.