• Pop Culture
    • Movies
    • Television
    • Comic Books
    • Video Games
    • Toys & Collectibles
  • Features
    • News
    • Reviews
    • Articles and Opinions
    • Interviews
    • Exclusives
    • Flickering Myth Films
    • FMTV
  • About
    • About Flickering Myth
    • Write for Flickering Myth
    • Advertise on Flickering Myth
  • Socials
    • Facebook
    • YouTube
    • Bluesky
    • Instagram
    • Flipboard
    • Linktree
    • X
  • Terms
    • Terms of Use
    • Privacy Policy

Flickering Myth

Geek Culture | Movies, TV, Comic Books & Video Games

  • News
  • Reviews
  • Articles & Opinions
  • Write for Us
  • The Baby in the Basket

Movie Review – A Farewell to Arms (1932)

May 30, 2014 by Simon Columb

A Farewell to Arms, 1932

Directed by Frank Borzage.
Starring Gary Cooper, Helen Hayes, Adolphe Menjou and Mary Philips.

SYNOPSIS:

A tale of the love between an ambulance driver and a nurse during World War I.

Based on the Ernest Hemingway semi-autobiographical A Farewell to Arms,Frank Borzage’s1932 filmis considered one of the best adaptations of his novels. An important film that tackles the war pessimistically, it celebrates the unique and romantic love forged between a Lieutenant and nurse and the tragic outcome. A Farewell to Arms boldly stated how commonplace pre-marital sex was during the Great War, while also tackling the fracturing relationship and conflict soldiers had towards the cause itself. Something frowned upon by the Hays Code who deemed that “lustful kissing” and the scenes of childbirth needed to be excised from the film. Thank God David O. Selznick had an original nitrate copy after garnering the rights for his remake in 1955, for Lobster Films to restore.

Bombs explode during the opening credits. A Farewell to Arms charts Lt. Frederic Henry’s (Gary Cooper) career as an American, working for the ambulances on the Italian Front. Arriving at a local hospital, Major Rinaldi (Adolph Menjou) recommends the nurses – and specifically Ms. Catherine Barclay (Helen Hayes). Frederic and Catherine meet, by chance, when bombs hit the town and he drunkenly plays with her foot, mistaking her for someone else. Their romance blossoms, something the nurses are displeased with. Officers, including Rinaldi, become worried Frederic will “lose his head over some woman”. Fate brings them together in Milan, whereby Frederic is injured and Catherine by his bedside. Their love distracts them from the war, but it isn’t long before Lt. Henry is called back to the front. Reluctantly they part ways, though Frederic is unaware of her pregnancy…

One would expect the Lieutenant to fight, return to his girlfriend with child, to live their life together. Slight alterations from the book are expected, but a positive end is not Hemingway. The Lieutenant doesn’t see what he is fighting for and, against regulation, runs away from the front. Arrested, he flees to Switzerland, only to hold his lover as she dies in his arms.

The opening alone hints at such a dark commentary on military action, as we pan over a hill to reveal a dead soldier with a missing leg. A throwaway attitude to women is also callous and flippant. “What sort of town is it? Any girls?”/”…a house full of them”. The Hays Production Code in 1934 cut these “sordid” moments, and even inserted a shot of a wedding ring being placed on Catherine’s hand (despite talk of a wedding later in the film!) to try and create a more “decent” picture.

But this is what makes A Farewell to Arms so powerful. The re-release of Rome, Open City revealed the pressures and losses during World War II and All Quiet on the Western Front told us about the horrors. we can look back on war with a certain nostalgia, or sense of pride. A Farewell to Arms tells us how awful it can be – while in the foreground is a loving relationship that we should all be so lucky to have.

Flickering Myth Rating – Film ★ ★ ★ ★  / Movie ★ ★ ★

Simon Columb

A Farewell to Arms is on as an Extended Run at BFI Southbank from May 30th 2014. To book tickets, click here.

Filed Under: Uncategorized

FMTV – Watch Our Latest Video Here

WATCH OUR MOVIE NOW FOR FREE ON PRIME VIDEO!

YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE:

Sin City at 20: The Story Behind the Stylish, Blood-Soaked Neo-Noir Comic Book Adaptation

The Best 90s and 00s Horror Movies That Rotten Tomatoes Hate!

Essential Gothic Horror Movies To Scare You Senseless

Nowhere Left to Hide: The Rise of Tech-Savvy Killers in Horror

10 Great Movies from the Once-Dominant Carolco Pictures

The Essential Man vs. AI Movies

Speed: The Story Behind the Pulse-Pounding Action-Thriller

Brilliantly Simple But Insanely Thrilling Movies

The Essential One Man Army Action Movies

The Legacy of Avatar: The Last Airbender 20 Years On

Top Stories:

3 Spectacular Performances in James Gunn’s Superman That Stole The Movie

Movie Review – Eddington (2025)

Movie Review – I Know What You Did Last Summer (2025)

Movie Review – Saint Clare (2025)

Comic Book Review – Zombie Tales: Complete Collection

First look at Samuel L. Jackson and Sylvester Stallone in Tulsa King season 3 as NOLA King gets series order

Meet the kombatants with Mortal Kombat II red band trailer and character posters

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 3 Episodes 1 & 2 Review

STREAM FREE ON PRIME VIDEO!

FEATURED POSTS:

David Lynch: American Cinema’s Great Enigma

The Must-See Horror Movies From Every Decade

Gladiator at 25: The Story Behind Ridley Scott’s Sword-and-Sandal Epic

5 Underrated Jean-Claude Van Damme Movies

Our Partners

  • Pop Culture
    • Movies
    • Television
    • Comic Books
    • Video Games
    • Toys & Collectibles
  • Features
    • News
    • Reviews
    • Articles and Opinions
    • Interviews
    • Exclusives
    • Flickering Myth Films
    • FMTV
  • About
    • About Flickering Myth
    • Write for Flickering Myth
    • Advertise on Flickering Myth
  • Socials
    • Facebook
    • YouTube
    • Bluesky
    • Instagram
    • Flipboard
    • Linktree
    • X
  • Terms
    • Terms of Use
    • Privacy Policy

© Flickering Myth Limited. All rights reserved. The reproduction, modification, distribution, or republication of the content without permission is strictly prohibited. Movie titles, images, etc. are registered trademarks / copyright their respective rights holders. Read our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. If you can read this, you don't need glasses.


 

Flickering MythLogo Header Menu
  • News
  • Reviews
  • Articles & Opinions
  • Write for Us
  • The Baby in the Basket