For Whom the Bell Tolls was penned by Ernest Hemingway and brought to the silver screen by producer/director Sam Wood with a script adapted by screenwriter Dudley Nichols. Nominated for nine Academy Awards in 1943, this romantic/adventure film stars Gary Cooper and Ingrid Bergman in Technicolor. Cooper plays an American, former Spanish teacher, who heads off to fight fascism and meets his fate while making his fight in the hills in the early days of the Spanish Civil War. Thanks to Kino Lorber’s fine restoration, this film will march on looking wonderful for generations to come.
Buy For Whom the Bell Tolls Blu-raySpain, 1937, Robert “Roberto” Jordan (Cooper) is a volunteer in the International Brigade who is sent to blow up a bridge to help protect the Spanish Republican forces. He meets up with some guerilla fighters who will help him with his mission but there is some tension with the group’s headman, Pablo, who causes trouble. Thankfully Pablo’s wife, Pilar, is solid as a rock and vows the group’s full assistance. Pilar will lead Robert to another anti-fascist squad led by a man called El Sordo that will also aid in the destruction. Meanwhile, Robert quickly bonds with the beautiful young Maria (Bergman), whose life had been changed forever at the hands of fascist goons.
As they wait for the designated time to set the bridge a blaze, a couple of setbacks arise: a snowfall brings a constant chill that threatens the demolition plans and it’s also rumored that the fascists have been alerted to their location. Now all must make choices and sacrifices for the good of the cause, marching on to complete their task. Will a massive roar from enemy war planes fill the crumbling sky and thwart the guerillas? Or will Robert take one last look at the sky just before he dies and blast that bridge to Hell?
For Whom the Bell Tolls is a good, romantic, men’s adventure story (classic Hemingway) that highlights loyalty, sacrifice, and the futility of war. Though love and human connection are strong themes, the story is dominated by the fact that in the end, none of us escape the tolling bells of death. Filmed during WWII and the height of the Hayes Code, many plot elements had to be implied, especially when it comes to Maria’s capture by fascists and the result of her night with Robert. That’s not a completely bad thing as it leaves certain aspects to our imagination and forces the viewer to pay attention and fill in some blanks on their own. The dialogue sounds a little odd at times because it’s said (and written in the novel) in English to emulate Spanish phrases that would have been spoken, in Spanish, among the guerrillas and Roberto. Although it makes a bit more sense once one realizes what’s happening, it doesn’t make that dialogue any less clunky though.
Cooper, in his original Indiana Jones apparel, plays well opposite Bergman and of course, they look great together on screen though a bit mismatched age wise but that’s all part of the male fantasy and the tropes of the “men’s” adventure. The rest of the ensemble cast includes a gaggle of top-notch Hollywood character actors who turn in solid performances. Featured prominently are Akim Tamiroff, Fortuno Bonanova, Joseph Calleia, and Vladimir Sokolov. There’s also the scene-stealing Katina Paxinou as Pilar, the matron and real leader of the mountain fighters. Duncan Renaldo, TV’s Cisco Kid even appears in a small part.
The Kino Lorber Blu-ray release features an audio commentary by film historian David Del Valle and film historian/producer Dan Marino (no, not the quarterback). Del Valle is always witty and very knowledgeable. The duo take a magnifying glass to the movie and speak about all its ins and outs including potential directors and background info on the numerous actors involved. They discuss how the movie differs from the book and give some details on Hemingway’s involvement with the movie production.
Del Valle and Marino also pull no punches when it comes to weak points in the movie that include the (bad) makeup on the supporting cast and some scenes that are too “theatrical” or stage-like to be real. The pair always highlight the work of legendary production designer William Cameron Menzies, pointing out his use of beautiful matte paintings and set pieces as well as the outstanding location shots in the Sierra Nevada Mountains, CA. They even give a shout-out to the Metallica song that’s based on El Sordo’s last stand (if you know the song and have read closely, you’ll notice I’ve sprinkled the lyrics throughout this writing). A very fun and informative second watch, even at the 166 minute runtime.
For Whom the Bell Tolls stands the test of time not only as a solid movie but as a study on the pointlessness of war and how in the end, all our struggles, no matter if they result in death or glory, become just another story. To quote Papa Hemingway himself, “every man’s life ends the same way. It’s only the details of how he lived and how he died that distinguish one man from another.” The bell tolls for thee and time marches on.
