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A Farewell to Arms (1932)
In director Frank Borzage's romantic war melodrama:
- the doomed romance of World War I officer and ambulance
driver Lt. Frederic Henry (Gary Cooper) and British nurse Catherine
Barkley (Helen Hayes), who fell in love and produced a love child
(while he was wounded and under her care in Milan) - with an impressive
subjective camera close-up shot of her kissing him when he first
arrived in the hospital
- later, correspondence to the front (the news of the
child) was circumvented by Henry's jealous friend Major Rinaldi (Adolphe
Menjou) - leading to the film's dramatic conclusion in which Catherine
died in her hospital bed in a maternity ward in Switzerland after
her baby died -- with Frederic by her side
- her tearjerking death occurred in his arms as he
professed his undying love and she told him she wasn't afraid - the
moment of her passing coincided with the declaration of the Armistice
Tearjerking Death of Catherine - With Frederic
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- after her death, he carried her in his arms to the
window and affirmed: "Peace, peace"
- as white doves flew into the air and the screen faded to black
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Beginning of Doomed Romance
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