Spain in the 1930s is the place to be for a man of action like Robert Jordan. There is a civil war going on and Jordan—who has joined up on the side that appeals most to idealists of that era—has been given a high-risk assignment up in the mountains. He awaits the right time to blow up a crucial bridge in order to halt the enemy's progress
Gary Cooper Ingrid Bergman Akim Tamiroff Arturo de Córdova Vladimir Sokoloff Mikhail Rasumny Fortunio Bonanova Eric Feldary Victor Varconi Katina Paxinou Joseph Calleia Lilo Yarson Alexander Granach Adia Kuznetzoff Leonid Snegoff Leo Bulgakov Duncan Renaldo Frank Puglia Pedro de Cordoba Michael Visaroff Martín Garralaga Jean Del Val John Mylong Feodor Chaliapin Jr. Yvonne De Carlo Maxine Ardell Samuel Azteca Eumenio Blanco John Bleifer Show All…
Voor Wie de Klok Luidt, Voor Wie de Doodsklok Luidt, 誰がために鐘は鳴る
War and historical adventure Epic history and literature Politics and human rights war, soldiers, combat, military or fought war, wwii, combat, military or duty nazi, war, wwii, hitler or jewish historical, epic, battle, historic or fought propaganda, historical, war, political or historic Show All…
ingrid bergman and gary cooper make out in technicolor and yet this movie somehow still manages to be oh so very very bad
this could have been 90 minutes, maria could have had a personality, and i could have spent this wasted time doing a jigsaw puzzle with my parents, dusting, or any other activity that could possibly match the tedium of this film
November 2022: Theme of the Month - Films about the Spanish Civil War
The Spanish Civil War (1936 to 1939) was in many ways a forerunner to WWII. A struggle between left-wing Republican and right-wing Nationalist forces, it was also an ideological war between communism and fascism. The Nationalists and their leader Franco won, but it inspired passion on both sides (amidst terrible atrocities). Subsequent accounts of the war, in novels and in films, are marked by a romanticism of the Republicans and the ideals and vision they fought for. Also the many partisans from countries all over the world that came to join them in their struggle. The films I will be viewing this month offer a windows in…
This adaptation of Ernest Hemingway's Spanish Civil War epic suffers from being heavily sanitized (removing much of the political message in a manner which I think, if watched now by someone wholly ignorant of 30s Spain, would leave people confused and in the dark) and unnecessarily overlong at 170 minutes (it feels like an eternity when watched on TV complete with ad breaks!) but remains likeable enough.
Gary Cooper's capable screen persona may mean that Hemingway's hero loses some of the intensity (and youth) on display in the book but he remains, as ever, an enjoyable enough lead nonetheless. Ingrid Bergman looks stunning with her curly sunkissed locks, her olive tan and wide teary pale blue eyes, but her María…
Yesterday was the first day in more than a month that I didn't watch a film. Instead, I chose to spend the holiday with my parents, whom I love very much and don't get as many opportunities to see as I would like. I ate a huge meal and was sent back with heaps of leftovers. Now, I can safely sequester myself away to watch a bunch of old movies practically nobody cares about ... but with a 2.5 gallon Ziploc bag full of ham.
Never read the book - it was a classic that I just never got around to - so I can't comment as to whether or not this is a particularly faithful adaptation of Hemingway's novel.…
An overlong slog, with a bunch of great supporting performances as a saving grace.
The three and a half star rating I had it sitting on was way too generous.
Gary Cooper and Ingrid Bergman had an affair on the set of this film but from watching them interact on screen you would think that they were brother and sister as they are so awkward together that it is hard to believe they are in love. At nearly three hours long it is hard to make your way through it and it must have been the high budget that the film had that helped it earn so many Academy Award nominations as the studio clearly had so much invested in it. I would not have nominated it for anything as it is hard to connect to any of the characters in the film and the running time is clearly bloated…
They stay in a cave dwelling for more than half of the film. Katina Paxinou
steals the show. The bell tolled for us the whole time.
Extravagant movie of a major novel from Ernest Hemingway, starring two of the giants of cinema, Gary Cooper & Ingrid Bergman, lasting nearly 3 hours in full Technicolor! Had the be good, and it was. Though not as amazing as it wanted to be, seemingly aiming for Gone with the Wind (1939) levels. The story just wasn't as intricate and the chemistry between Bergman and Cooper wasn't really there, making their long dialog driven scenes a major bore. The film shined more when there was action, taking advantage of the landscapes and curious mountain characters. The unreliable behavior of Akim Tamiroff's character was the highlight of the movie, while the commanding lady played by Katina Paxinou was the strongest character in this. For Whom the Bell Tolls (1943) certainly could have needed some cutting, but take with you the parts that is great and you'll be fine. Oh, and enjoy Bergman's worst haircut in a movie.
The next time i want to watch a movie where our heroes hang out in caves before blowing up a bridge i'll stick with Force Ten From Navarone because this over talky dirge bored the pants off me and by the time it came to blow up said bridge with twenty minutes to go out of two hours forty i was nearly asleep.
When you think Metallica wrote their best song using the exact same title.
I blame Hemingway!
