When All Quiet on the Western Front opened in 1930, Variety called it a “harrowing, gruesome, morbid tale of war, so compelling in its realism, bigness and repulsiveness.” Adolf Hitler banned it in Germany, believing that it drummed up anti-war sentiment, and even before its banning, the Nazis sent brownshirts into theatres to disrupt and shut down screenings; knowing he would need to call more young men to war, the last thing Hitler wanted was for Germans to remember war’s true cost. Already famous as a book, All Quiet showed the horror of World War I with unblinking directness. It follows new soldiers from their romantic enlistment, through their brutal combat, to their shattering return home — for those who can return. It is difficult to imagine the impact it might have had on audiences in 1930, less inured to violence and mayhem on screen than we are; even seeing it now, it’s a gut punch.