PS: Face-Off: All Quiet on the Western Front

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11 July 2017 marks the sad 100th anniversary of the first use ever of chemical blister agents, more commonly known as mustard gas, in warfare. In a campaign called Operation Beachparty, the Germans fired heavy concentrations of the gas in Yellow Cross shells on selected Allied targets on the Western Front for control of the ridges south and east of the Belgian city of Ypres culminating in the Battle of Passchendaele. After this attack, mustard gas was used extensively by both German and Allied forces in later battles.

The devastating effects of poisonous gas in the trenches of WWI are well described in Erich Maria Remarque's world-famous novel All Quiet on the Western Front (1928).

His book was adapted in 1930 as an Academy-Award-winning film of the same name, directed by Lewis Milestone. It was adapted again in 1979 by Delbert Mann, this time starring Richard Thomas and Ernest Borgnine. Which version is your favorite?

Today mustard agents are regulated under the 1993 Chemical Weapons Convention.

List: http://www.imdb.com/list/ls068654442/
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leavey-2

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Posted 3 years ago

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LD

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Have not seen these.  Maybe I'll watch 1971 sometime soon.
(Edited)
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leavey-2

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I can very much recommend both.
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Pencho15

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I have only seen the original
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Kyle Perez

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@Pencho how is it? Been meaning to watch it for a while now.
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urbanemovies

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I would give the nod to the original for its impact in the time shown, plus it likely was influential in helping the passage of earlier bans/treaties.
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leavey-2

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Mustard Gas Scene in All Quiet on the Western Front (1979)

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rubyfruit76, Champion

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1930: a classic that gets my vote. Informative, relevant, and socially conscious poll. Bravo.
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leavey-2

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The following text has been added to the description:

The Battle of Passchendaele lasted from July to November 1917. An estimated 600,000 soldiers lost their lives. It was one of the bloodiest battles in history. Today mustard agents are regulated under the 1993 Chemical Weapons Convention.