During the Spanish Civil War, an American mercenary works with a local group of fighters to blow up a bridge.I've written before that if there's a heaven, it must involve being loved by Natalie Wood. There's no reason not to add Ingrid Bergman to that list. Can you imagine both of them? It's hard enough to get
one.Bergman and Gary Cooper maximize the small amount of time the story dedicates to their love affair, and they make what seems convenient believable.In typical Hemingway fashion, the story is about manhood and war but also love. And the group of people Cooper's character encounters are all round, interesting characters with complex backstories and intentions. Nobody is villainized, but it's nonetheless clear whom Hemingway respects.Cooper, whose reserved performance in Pride of the Yankees can't be underestimated, was, I thought, too reserved in this film, especially at the end. I think the film needed an emotional explosion, a last gasp for hope and love in spite of the degradation that surrounded him.Overall, this is a Hemingway story, so you know it's good, and the three hours goes by quickly.
November 15, 2011
