Park University’s Movie Talk Series kicked off Sept.10 in the McCoy Meetin’ House with the 1930 version of “All Quiet on the Western Front,” the first of seven selected films honoring the centennial anniversary of World War I.

The film, based on the novel by Erich Maria Remarque, follows a unit of German soldiers through the disturbing account of life in the war. Paul Baumer, the film’s protagonist, witnesses the horrors of war on the frontlines juxtaposed with the shocking patriotic ignorance of the people back home.

At the end of the film, a discussion was led by Lindsey Grundyson, junior English major; and Anna Flemming, senior applied history and new media major.

Grundyson compared the film to the famous poem by Wilfred Owen, “Dulce Et Decorum Est,” which are the first words of a Latin phrase that translates, “it is sweet and right to die for your country.”

“This poem sums up one of the themes of the movie,” Grundyson said.

“It talks about the reality of war. It was not great and glamorous to be a hero, and we see a definite transition in the explosion of anti-war literature.”

The conversation then shifted to discussing modern warfare contrasted with warfare depicted in the WWI film.

“We can make war so distant by drones,” said Tim Westcott, Ph.D., associate professor of history. “There is no eye-to-eye contact. Does this make warfare easier to do?”

Flemming then led the discussion into the significance in the way Paul, the protagonist, dies by being shot by an enemy sniper as he reaches for a butterfly just beyond his trench.

“This signifies a contrast to the horror he has suffered and shows compassion toward another life,” Flemming said.

“The soldiers know, intellectually, not to pull their head out of the trenches,” Grundyson said, “but Paul is being pulled out of the war mentality by innocence and beauty.”

The second film in the Movie Talk Series, “Westfront 1918”, will be viewed at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 22, in the McCoy Meetin’ House.