Nazi Propaganda and the 1930 Berlin Film Premiere of “All Quiet on the Western Front”
Historical narration is an act that necessarily develops
and deforms history. This “translation” is examined within the
historical and political context of the 1930 Berlin film premiere of
“All Quiet on the Western Front,” a film based on Erich Maria
Remarque’s 1928 best-selling novel. Both the film and the novel
appeared during an era in which life was conceived of as innately
artistic. The emergence of this “aestheticization” of memory and
history enabled conservative propaganda of the period to denounce
all art that did not adhere conceptually to its political tenets, with “All
Quiet” becoming yet another of its “victims.”
[1] M. Ekstein, Rites of Spring: The Great War and the Birth of the Modern
Age. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1989, back cover.
[2] Eckstein, Rites, p. 308.
[3] Eckstein, Rites, p. 309.
[4] Eckstein, Rites, p. 320.
[5] Eckstein, Rites, p. 276.
[6] B. Schräder, Der Fall Remarque – Im Westen Nichts Neues – Eine
Dokumentation. Leipzig: Reclam Verlag, 1992, p. 23.
[7] J. Simmons, “Film and International Politics: The Banning of All Quiet
on the Western Front in Germany and Austria, 1930-31,” in Historian,
vol. 52, pp. 40-60. Hoboken: Blackwell Publishing, p. 46.
[8] Beller, Hans, “Gegen den Krieg: Im Westen Nichts Neues (1929),” in
Der Film als gesellschaftliche Kraft 1925-1944. Ed Werner Faulstich
and Helmut Korte1, 1991, 110-129, p. 120.
[9] J. Goebbels, Tagebücher: Sämtliche Fragmente. Ed. Elke Fröhlich,
Institut für Zeitgeschichte, vol. 1. München/New York/London/Paris:
Bundesarchiv, 1987.
[10] Beller, p. 120.
[11] Eckstein, Rites, p. 314.
[12] Eckstein, Rites, p. 318.
[13] E. M. Remarque, Das Auge ist ein starker Verführer. Osnabrück,
Germany, 1998, p. 12-13.
[14] Remarque, Das Auge, p. 15.
[15] M. Ekstein, “All Quiet on the Western Front,” in Film in Context.
London: Routledge, November 1995 pp. 29-34.
[16] Remarque, Das Auge, p. 11
[1] M. Ekstein, Rites of Spring: The Great War and the Birth of the Modern
Age. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1989, back cover.
[2] Eckstein, Rites, p. 308.
[3] Eckstein, Rites, p. 309.
[4] Eckstein, Rites, p. 320.
[5] Eckstein, Rites, p. 276.
[6] B. Schräder, Der Fall Remarque – Im Westen Nichts Neues – Eine
Dokumentation. Leipzig: Reclam Verlag, 1992, p. 23.
[7] J. Simmons, “Film and International Politics: The Banning of All Quiet
on the Western Front in Germany and Austria, 1930-31,” in Historian,
vol. 52, pp. 40-60. Hoboken: Blackwell Publishing, p. 46.
[8] Beller, Hans, “Gegen den Krieg: Im Westen Nichts Neues (1929),” in
Der Film als gesellschaftliche Kraft 1925-1944. Ed Werner Faulstich
and Helmut Korte1, 1991, 110-129, p. 120.
[9] J. Goebbels, Tagebücher: Sämtliche Fragmente. Ed. Elke Fröhlich,
Institut für Zeitgeschichte, vol. 1. München/New York/London/Paris:
Bundesarchiv, 1987.
[10] Beller, p. 120.
[11] Eckstein, Rites, p. 314.
[12] Eckstein, Rites, p. 318.
[13] E. M. Remarque, Das Auge ist ein starker Verführer. Osnabrück,
Germany, 1998, p. 12-13.
[14] Remarque, Das Auge, p. 15.
[15] M. Ekstein, “All Quiet on the Western Front,” in Film in Context.
London: Routledge, November 1995 pp. 29-34.
[16] Remarque, Das Auge, p. 11
@article{"International Journal of Business, Human and Social Sciences:69994", author = "Edward C. Smith III", title = "Nazi Propaganda and the 1930 Berlin Film Premiere of “All Quiet on the Western Front”", abstract = "Historical narration is an act that necessarily develops
and deforms history. This “translation” is examined within the
historical and political context of the 1930 Berlin film premiere of
“All Quiet on the Western Front,” a film based on Erich Maria
Remarque’s 1928 best-selling novel. Both the film and the novel
appeared during an era in which life was conceived of as innately
artistic. The emergence of this “aestheticization” of memory and
history enabled conservative propaganda of the period to denounce
all art that did not adhere conceptually to its political tenets, with “All
Quiet” becoming yet another of its “victims.”", keywords = "Propaganda, Film, International Literature, Popular
Culture.", volume = "9", number = "5", pages = "1658-4", }