Adolphe Menjou, Blanche Friderici, Gary Cooper, Gilbert Emery, Helen Hayes ...( see more  see more... ) , Jack La Rue , Mary Forbes , Mary Philips

The 1932 version of A Farewell to Arms owes as much to the shimmering house style of Paramount Pictures as it does the novel by Ernest Hemingway. If Hemingway purists can get past the romanticizing of...( read more  read more... ) the book, however, this film offers its own glossy appeal. On the Italian front in World War I, an American ambulance driver (Gary Cooper) falls in love with a nurse (Helen Hayes, before she became the official First Lady of the American The-a-tah). Cooper was a Hemingway friend in real life, and later played the hero of Hemingway's For Whom the Bell Tolls; his boyish simplicity is just right for director Frank Borzage's heartfelt approach. Image Entertainment's DVD release is a stunningly gorgeous improvement on the muddy prints of this film that had been circulating for years, a fitting tribute to the Oscar-winning cinematography of ace cameraman Charles Lang (this is the kind of lush black and white that can capture the glow from a cigarette as it plays across Cooper's darkened face--a breathtaking touch). The jaded battle scenes show the influence of the hit film version of All Quiet on the Western Front, especially in a gripping montage depicting Cooper's progress alone through the war zone. Hemingway would have none of it, of course; he once disdainfully wrote that "in the first picture version Lt. Henry deserted because he didn't get any mail and then the whole Italian Army went along, it seems, to keep him company." This is first and foremost a love story, however, and as such it succeeds beautifully, right through to the remarkably intense ending. --Robert Horton

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43% liked it

4,857 ratings

Unrated, 78 min.

Directed by: Frank Borzage

Release Date: December 8, 1932

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DVD Release Date: June 12, 1998

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Flixster Reviews (108)


  • April 11, 2009
    it's a '30's HOLLYWOOD movie, not the hemingway book, so first get over your lit pretensions. if you can manage that small grace, then this is a quiet and precious film, surprising because it's not cooper that stars, no, but helen hayes who makes every scene she's in resonant, a...( read more)s if she came equipped with her own personal echo chamber. adolphe menjou makes for an smiling and irritating deus ex machina while the coop does his best, the keanu reeves of his day, to simply remain in the work and give life to hemingway's stoic hero.
  • November 25, 2008
    a solid portrayal of one of my favorite novels of all time. much of the most impactful war narrative from the source material was removed, but thats understandable since the love story is the most important part and the film was only 90 minutes. what was included was done well ...( read more)and gary cooper put in a solid performance. good film.
  • September 1, 2009
    Helen Hayes and Gary Cooper made every scene between them count in this film, and the ending was done beautifully. The only problem was I felt a little disconneted to the story - which I think was more to do with my frame of mind whilst watching than anything else. I think before...( read more) I can be sure of a rating I'll need to rewatch the film, but for now down to the acting alone (plus the fact Gary Cooper was easy on the eye in this film) and because the ending was beautifully bitter sweet I'll give this film 3 1/2.
  • May 20, 2009
    Good story and acting if not a bit dipressing
  • July 6, 2008
    nominated for best picture by NBR and oscar
  • March 12, 2008
    A note on old movies: What print you watch is absolutely crucial when watching an older film because the quality of the picture can range from amazing to downright unwatchable. Unfortunately it is difficult to get original prints in pristine condition and thus harder to restore, ...( read more)not to mention the older film making techniques are primitive compared to what we are accustomed to today. In regards to this film, there were scenes that were very dark where it was impossible to see anything. It is as if they didn't know anything about lighting back then.
    Anyways, in regards to this film, it's a good film that encompasses the classic Hollywood film. Unfortunately that leads to some plot holes and heavy handed romanticism. That is not to say that is not enjoyable though as I was pleasantly moved by the final scenes even if they are guilty of overacting. B-
  • January 3, 2008
    An entertaining old movie, dramatic and romantic.

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A Farewell to Arms Trivia


  • In Evil Dead II, what book does Bruce Campbell use to trap his hand inside a garbage bin?  Answer »
  • Gary Cooper played in two movies based on novels written by Earnest Hemingway. One dealt with the Spanish Civil War and the other World War One love affair between an ambulance driver and a nurse. Movies are__  Answer »
  • I starred in such films as Casablanca, The Maltese Falcon, Key Largo, and A Farewell to Arms. Who am I?  Answer »
  • In 'Evil Dead II' what book is on top of the bucket that the main character puts on top of his severed hand?   Answer »

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