For Whom the Bell Tolls

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For Whom the Bell Tolls

1943

2h 50m

Drama

Romance

Adventure

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Popcornmeter

69%

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16 Reviews

59%

Popcornmeter

50+ Ratings

In this adaptation of Ernest Hemingway's popular novel, idealistic American Robert Jordan travels to Spain to join the guerrilla forces opposing dictator Francisco Franco. Jordan, who is given the dangerous task of blowing up a bridge that lies behind enemy lines, gets sidetracked when he falls for partisan Spanish girl María at base camp. As Jordan's love for María grows, he begins to question his assignment, his politics and his place in this foreign war.

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Jack Karr

Toronto Star

11/10/2022

A few carping critics have said that Mr. Hemingway's novel, while proving to be his finest work, should never have been more than a short story. The screen treatment seems to bear this out.

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Frank J. Avella

The Contending

Dec 23

B

Bergman and Cooper have great chemistry and Paxinou seizes the screen, stealing all her moments...

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Matt Brunson

Film Frenzy

Nov 29

2.5/4

As a generic war story between good guys and bad guys, it gets the job done, but don’t expect much Hemingway in there.

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Jesús Fernández Santos

El Pais (Spain)

07/31/2019

We never know for whom the bell tolls, or why, or how. Everything is reduced to a love story and to another story about how to blow up a bridge. [Full Review in Spanish]

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James Agee

The Nation

09/14/2012

The rhythm of this film, in fact, is the most defective I have ever seen in a superproduction.

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Scott Nash

Three Movie Buffs

03/24/2009

2.5/4

Not horrible, but if you really want to know this story, don't bother with the movie at all. Go out and read the book.

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bruce C

@bruce999 Aug 3

well done suspense war movie. love story, but for me- it wasn't real -it lacked something so ok movie, worth a look

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Nik T

@Nikita66 08/14/2025

This movie was wildly mis-cast, IMO. Maria is a Spanish girl maybe a teenager, not a mature looking Swedish actress. And Gary Cooper? ugh He's 42 at the time but he looks 60. And Cooper's got no personality anyway. I don't get it.

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babarizam

@RT59932316 02/18/2024

I think Gary Cooper was a wrong cast. I watched parts of movie just after reading the book and he doesn't fit the impression of the character I had in mind.

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02/14/2022

Really weak performances and clumsy directorship

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jizzy b

@RT30696576 08/22/2021

It was a funny show.

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steve d

@RT35616104 07/22/2020

Nothing memorable despite it's reputation.

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Sam Wood

Director

Gary Cooper

Robert Jordan

Ingrid Bergman

María

Katina Paxinou

Pilar

Akim Tamiroff

Pablo

Arturo de Cordova

Agustín

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Synopsis

In this adaptation of Ernest Hemingway's popular novel, idealistic American Robert Jordan travels to Spain to join the guerrilla forces opposing dictator Francisco Franco. Jordan, who is given the dangerous task of blowing up a bridge that lies behind enemy lines, gets sidetracked when he falls for partisan Spanish girl María at base camp. As Jordan's love for María grows, he begins to question his assignment, his politics and his place in this foreign war.

Director: Sam Wood
Producer: Sam Wood
Screenwriter: Dudley Nichols
Distributor: Paramount Pictures
Production Co: Paramount Pictures
Genre: Drama, Romance, Adventure
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jul 14, 1943, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Feb 12, 2014
Runtime: 2h 50m

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