NEW ULM – The New Ulm Film Society enters the First World War with a screening of “A Farewell to Arms.”

The screening begins 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 11 at the New Ulm Library. This is the fifth film in the film society’s America and War series.

“A Farewell to Arms” is based on the novel of the same name by Ernest Hemingway. The book has been adapted three times. The Film Society will be screening the 1957 version starring Rock Hudson and Jennifer Jones.

The novel and the film tell the story of Lt. Frederic Henry (Hudson), an American medic serving in the Italian Army as an ambulance driver during WWI and his relationship with a nurse Catherine Barkley (Jones). The two fall in love after Henry is wounded near the front and sent to a hospital. Unfortunately, the war gets in the way of their relationship resulting in a tragic end for the couple.

It is believed the story is loosely based on Hemingway’s experience as an ambulance driver in Italy. Like Frederic in the novel, Hemingway was wounded in the conflict and was sent to a hospital in Milan. He fell in love with a nurse who cared for him, but unlike the book, she did not share those feelings.

“A Farewell to Arms” became popular as a war story that did not romanticize the war experience. It is not a story about heroic actions on the battlefield but rather a story about the consequences of war and what is lost. Even those who survive the war are left with scars that might never heal.

“A Farewell to Arms” is also unique in terms of WWI stories because it provides an American perspective. Few WWI films are told from the U.S. perspective. Usually the war is told from the perspective of England, France or Germany. One of the first films to win the Best Picture Oscar was a WWI film “All Quiet on the Western Front,” which was told from the German perspective. 

Part of the reason there are few films that detail the conflict for the U.S. perspective as the county only entered the war in the final year. However, before the U.S. officially entered the war, there were Americans serving as volunteers. This is how Hemingway joined the service. He volunteered to fight in the war, but due to poor eyesight was forced to volunteer with the Red Cross. By the end of the war, Hemingway no longer saw service during wartime as something to be romanticized and his writing reflected this.

The first film adaptation of “A Farewell to Arms” was released in 1932, a few years after the novel was published. Though the book and film remained popular, it would be over 20 years before another adaptation was produced. 

The 1957 adaptation has the distinction of being the last film produced by legendary producer David O. Selznick. This version of “A Farewell to Arms” was a moderate successful upon its initial release, but did not receive as significant praise as the previous adaptation. At the time, much of the blame for the film’s poor showing was placed on Selznick and his tendency to micromanage. However, in hindsight 1957 was a difficult year to release a film set in WWI. When the original novel and 1932 film adaptation were released, there had only been one “Great War.” The 1957 version was the first attempt to tell the story in the aftermath of WWII and the Korean War. For comparison, the WWII film  “The Bridge on the River Kwai” was also released in 1957 and was the highest grossing film of that year.

Though the 1957 film adaptation of “A Farewell to Arms” is often overlooked, it is remembered as the last theatrical telling of the story.

The New Ulm Film Society’s screening of “A Farewell to Arms” is free to the public. Before and after the film, there will be a discussion about the film’s place in film history.