FOR WHOM THE BELL TOLLS: Blu-ray (Paramount, 1944) Universal Home Video
In 1940, Ernest
Hemingway published his sprawling saga, For
Whom the Bell Tolls, charting the perilous exploits of dynamiter, Robert
Jordan, an American in the International Brigades, attached to a Republican
guerrilla unit during the Spanish Civil War. Along with The Sun Also Rises and A
Farewell to Arms, For Whom the Bell
Tolls would quickly become another world-wide best seller for its renown author and go on to be
considered among Hemingway’s most prolific and enduring masterworks. Hemingway
had, in fact, based Jordan’s journey on his own life experiences as a war
correspondent, seamlessly combining fictional characters with those loosely
based on real people and actual figures in the war. Hemingway’s
wholesale excise of the title of his book from the metaphysical poet, John
Donne's Devotions upon Emergent Occasions,
in hindsight, typifies the systemic impact of war, broader reaching than the
welfare of Spain. Flash forward to 1943,
the political timeliness of another European hemisphere already in flames, making director Sam Wood’s cinematic adaptation of For Whom the Bell Tolls even more
prescient ‘must see’ entertainment…or
so it would seem.
Alas, the
picture, lavishly plotted as an overwrought 170 min. roadshow, complete with
intermission, is a shamble of talky exchanges and platitude-stricken monologues,
some more engaging than others; most, tedious, long and overly
melodramatic. Buried somewhere in all these half-bungled efforts we find fleeting and cryptically
vague references to the political theorems more straight-forwardly revealed at the crux of Hemingway’s novel; made a mess of mixed messages in the movie, and further bludgeoned by the Production Code of Ethics, seeking to temper war-riddled
truths with glossier odes to romantic love and loss.
Hemingway had actually written his novel with Gary Cooper in mind
as his protagonist. Thus, he exuberantly approved of the central casting of ‘Coop’ and was ecstatic about co-star, Ingrid Bergman for the pivotal role of Maria. Understandably then, Hemingway was equally appalled by the final outcome derived from their efforts: just another glossy/gushing affaire de coeur.
For Whom the Bell Tolls marked
Bergman’s debut in Technicolor and she proved, as though proof were needed,
that her peerless beauty translated exceptionally well from B&W into its
richly saturated hues. Director, Wood affords Bergman an unprecedented series of
close-ups throughout the film; one gorgeously lit profile after another; the gentle
light, perfectly planing across Bergman’s porcelain facial features.
The picture also proved a considerable bell-ringing at the box office, earning
$7.1 million and nine Oscar nominations besides. Despite its popularity then, in hindsight
Hemingway’s disapproval of the results achieved is well-founded. Settling in
for nearly two-and-a-half hours of densely packed contemplation in For Whom the Bell Tolls is about as
appealing today as watching ceiling wax cure; cameraman, Ray Rennahan’s overuse of
the close-up on two of the most celebrated faces in screen history (perhaps forgivable) attempts to mask the woeful disconnect of footage actually photographed on location with
some truly horrendous process plates, rear projection and unconvincing miniatures that, even on smaller screens, belie their origins as minnows
behaving like whales.
For Whom the Bell Tolls might have
secured a hallowed place in cinema history had its narrative rhythm not been so
incredibly faulty. Almost from the outset, Wood’s pacing is less than methodical
and very much out of sync with the elemental suspense necessary to incrementally
build and hold our interest for what will happen to Robert, Maria and their band of
renegades. Given Gary Cooper’s star-making cache and Bergman’s meteoric rise to
fame since her arrival in Hollywood it is ironic, and more than a little off-putting, to find the best
performance given by Greek stage actress, Katina Paxinou as the
feisty rebel, Pilar. Paxinou would go on to win the film’s only Oscar as Best
Supporting Actress. In hindsight, she is the
life-force and the real star of For Whom
the Bell Tolls. When Paxinou speaks, her words bear weight without malice and
strength with absolute conviction, a refreshingly unique and earthy perspective
on the ‘butch’ gal who recognizes the compromise a pretty woman makes, but
astutely is resolved no ugly one should ever entertain, if only to consider
herself a woman of genuine merit. Paxinou’s orations, span the breadth of the plot and derive from some inner sense of self, unscripted and affectingly to
distill the myth of valor into mere defiance, sticking it out, as it were, for
the ‘good fight.’
We give it to
Paxinou, heavily pancaked in bronzed skin tones, a shock of wire-brushed
jet-black hair deliberately placed to occasionally dangle across her brow. She
is a very fine actress, given ample opportunities to
transform Pilar into a formidable guide and gal/pal with feminist overtones;
perhaps, even a subtle hint of maternal lesbianism as she coddles Maria’s
angelic face between her gnarled finger tips. Pilar is the picture’s sage, both stubborn and sober. The glint in Paxiou’s eyes as Pilar rhapsodizes of ephemeral
youth, nobody’s idea of a raving beauty, reveals a wily streak of
self-satisfaction for not having been born the woman of any man’s dreams and
physically, the anathema to his sexual desires.
As beauty is very much in the eye of the beholder, Paxiou’s
‘attractiveness’ for the audience, stems from the strength of her unvarnished frankness to shield her from
the emotionally-crippling influences of the outside world.
On the flipside
is Akim Tamiroff, utterly superb as the thoroughly sullen Pablo, once an
enigmatic freedom fighter, since consumed by guilt, self-doubt and strong
drink; the antithesis of Gary Cooper’s clear-eyed crusader for the 'then' modern age.
The Armenian Tamiroff, a name regrettably mislaid today, was one of Hollywood’s most
extraordinarily gifted character actors, appearing in 136 films between 1932 and
1969. He could play comedy, drama and virtually any nationality convincingly.
Herein, he serves up a thoroughly conflicted, moody and oft unsettling
pseudo-villain, not above thievery, plotting against Robert’s plan to blow up
the bridge, or even, committing cold-blooded murder of the three mercenaries
hired to aid in the demolition, simply to free up a trio of horses for his
planned escape across the craggy terrain. Tamiroff would be Oscar-nominated for only the second time in his career for Pablo (his first nod in 1937’s The General Died At Dawn) and losing
out both times (to Charles Coburn in 1944 for The More the Merrier, and, Walter Brennen in Come and Get It respectively).
For Whom the Bell Tolls begins in
earnest with the derailment of a train; dynamiter, Robert Jordan narrowly
escaping capture from Franco’ fascists, forced to shoot his wounded accomplice,
Kashkin
(Feodor Chaliapin) to spare him the indignation of being taken prisoner.
Retreating to a nightclub, its patrons fleeing in panic from another air raid,
Jordan is reunited with Gen. Golz (Leo Bulgakov) who assigns him the arduous
task of sneaking behind enemy lines to detonate a critical outpost. The bridge
connects a perilous chasm and is one of the main arteries the fascists will
cross their troops, tanks and other artillery. Golz encourages Jordan to seek
out a small, but accomplished band of local anti-fascist guerrillas to
accomplish his mission. On his trek across this rugged and mountainous terrain,
Jordan meets Anselmo (Vladimir Sokoloff), an aged freedom
fighter who will serve as his liaise with the others. Anselmo introduces Jordan
to the Republican rebels led by Pablo, a seemingly untrustworthy ally at best. Although
Pablo appears to command this small army of renegades, the real lifeforce of
the troop is his wife, Pilar. Born of a fiery disposition, Pilar takes an
immediate liking to the handsome Jordan whom she rechristens as ‘Anglaise’.
Not long
thereafter, Jordan becomes acquainted with the others who will valiantly take
up his cause; AgustÃn (Arturo de Córdova), the comedic simpleton, Rafael (Mikhail
Rasumny), noncommittal Fernando (Fortunio Bonanova), hot-tempered courier, Andrés
(Eric Feldary), El Sordo (Joseph Calleia), lookout, Primitivo (Victor Varconi)
and MarÃa, whose past would suggest some terrible crime kept locked away in her
heart. In spite of his personal mantra to remain apart and above it all, Jordan
cannot help but fall in love with MarÃa. Gradually, she confides in him the
tattered remnants of her past; bearing witness to the public execution of her
parents, and much later, in a more tearful confession, revealing the
particulars of a gang-rape by the Falangists (fascist coalition) – a revelation
she is certain will put an end to Jordan’s passion for her. He is not dissuaded.
In fact, Jordan grows more in love with Maria for telling him the truth.
Jordan’s newly
unearthed lust for life and his strong moral compass repeatedly clash with
Pablo’s reluctance to partake of their bridge-blowing exercise on the grounds.
As far as Pablo is concerned, it is a fool’s errand, certain to end in death
and destruction for them all. Pilar displaces her husband’s waning authority as
their group’s leader and pledges the guerrillas to the good fight. She is
deeply disappointed in Pablo, viewing him as a terrible weakling and coward. Sometime
later, Pilar’s heart is softened. She quietly shares with Jordan the tale of her
husband’s folly. Having taken one of the fascist’s strongholds by force, his
short-lived victory unravels into abject mob chaos, the villagers murdering the
vanquished by tossing them, one by one, over the side of a steep precipice. The
incident resulted in Pablo losing his nerve and his thirst for freedom.
Instead, he steadily retreated into strong drink to drown his bitterness and
anxieties.
Daily, Jordan
and the guerrillas are threatened by fascist army troops crossing the snowy
tundra on horseback, unknowingly passing within only feet from the cave where
Pablo and his men have set up their command post. Arguably, the middle act of For Whom the Bell Tolls is where the
greatest narrative transgressions occur, weighed down with a clumsier reconstitution of Hemingway’s
philosophical exposition. In the novel, these debates were formed and founded in Jordan’s first-person perspective, anchoring the multi-layered story with
background and a rare glimpse into each character’s motivations.
Regrettably, the core of the picture is similarly stifled, the
plot brought to a complete halt by this contemplative jargon. To be sure, there
are moments now and then where Dudley Nichols’ screenplay crackles with a sincere spark and nod to Hemingway’s brilliance and vitality; chiefly the odes and monologues enigmatically
discharged by Paxious’ Pilar – ranging from smiling-eyed remembrances about the
strength of a woman’s beauty, Pilar's momentary envy of Maria’s youth, and finally, her flirtatious ‘come hither’ inferences that, if only the times were suited to l'amour she would waste not a moment pursuing ‘Anglaise' on her own terms. These densely
packed monologues counterbalance the darkness of
rivaling ambitions situated elsewhere and prove a most pleasant distraction in lieu of the plot, already come to a full stop. Too much is
slavishly devoted on the espousal of careworn platitudes. Did an audience from
1943 really need lessons on the ‘futility of war’?
Pablo is torn
between loyalties to Spain and his powerlessness to make a difference,
wallowing in self-doubt and pity. His intermittent investment in Jordan’s plan
is further crippled when another band of anti-fascist guerrillas led by close
ally, El Sordo are surrounded by on a nearby mountaintop and ruthlessly
butchered. Returning to the cave in haste, Pablo destroys Jordan's dynamite
detonator, hoping to prevent further reprisals. Alas, he will come to regret
this decision and return, contrite and willing, to partake of the assignment. Regrettably,
the enemy is apprised of the guerrilla’s pending offensive and are preparing an
ambush. Nevertheless, Jordan is blindly
committed to the demolition, as it will delay fascist reinforcements from
overwhelming the allies. While Pablo, Pilar and the others launch into a rifle
attack on the outpost, Jordan and Anselmo make their way to the bridge,
improvising an alternative method to detonate the charges using hand grenades
and wires, attached to pins that can be pulled from a distance.
Even as they feverishly
work to plant the charges, the fascist forces are on the march. Jordan narrowly
completes rigging the bridge to blow, ordering Anselmo to pull the pins as the
first army tank appears. In the hellish explosion that follows, the reluctant
and fearful Anselmo is struck and killed by falling debris. Fernando and Rafael
are also lost; the rest, hurriedly making their escape. Pablo, Pilar, Maria and
Jordan must cross a perilous expanse on horseback, under constant fire from the
army’s rifles and tanks. One by one, they scatter across the open terrain,
unprotected and vulnerable. While Maria, Pilar and Pablo run the gauntlet
unscathed, Jordan is severely maimed after a mortar shell cripples his horse
out from under him. Having lost all feeling in his legs, and quite unable to
ride to safety, Jordan gallantly orders a tearful and frantic Maria to leave
him behind. Before their departure, Pablo leaves behind his Lewis machine gun
as Jordan’s last defense against impossible odds, knowing he will not survive
the deluge. The movie concludes with Jordan firing directly into the camera, a
cloud of dust filling its lens before the screen fades to black.
Shortly after
its roadshow engagement, For Whom the
Bell Tolls was pruned from 170 to 134 min. for its theatrical run – a common
practice back then. Until the mid-1990’s this shorter version was the only one
revived on TV and theatrically; the longer cut, thought to be lost long ago. But then,
archival elements surfaced, already in a somewhat perilous state. Universal
elected to reinstate the absent footage, the newly restored cut clocking in at
168 min. as no original ‘intermission’ was discovered.
Universal Studios, the custodians of Paramount’s pre-fifties back catalog,
also voted to salvage what they could; For
Whom the Bell Tolls becoming the recipient of a photo-chemical restoration
performed on its badly deteriorated original camera negatives. Given the
limitations of the technology at that time, the results achieved were still
considerable, though hardly perfect; the 3-strip Technicolor, frequently
suffering from grotesque mis-registration. This resulted in glaring halos of the
yellow and blue record.
Flash forward to
Universal Home Video’s newly minted Blu-ray release and we are still left to
grapple with the work done by the studio nearly 35 years earlier. No attempt
has been made to go back to these flawed elements to re-composite them using
better alignment software and correct the aforementioned registration errors.
Worse, the photo-chemical work done in the nineties already shows signs of extreme
color fading. As no color correction has been applied to this 1080p release,
color density varies greatly, not only from scene to scene, but shot to shot.
The image veers from some generally impressive sharpness to downright muddy and
blurry moments where fine detail all but vanishes, compounded by an artificial
amplification of the natural grain structure. This instead appears harshly
digitized at times and additionally, to suffer from slight edge enhancement. Short
of a complete re-evaluation in time and monies, there is no way of getting
around it.
This is a fairly
ugly video presentation of a movie that, given its reputation and popularity
over the years, ought to have been deserving of far more attention paid. But
no, Universal has once again gone the ‘quick and dirty’ route and the results
are abysmally subpar. The DTS mono audio is plagued by a slight hiss during
quiescent moments. Again, Universal has done absolutely NOTHING to advance the
preservation work performed in the mid-nineties.
Worse, they have authored a Blu-ray with only bare-bones
consideration. This disc immediately loads and plays with no chapter stops or
main menu and ejects from one’s player after the feature is finished.
There are no extras. A very ‘piss poor’ offering from Universal indeed. The
studio ought to be sincerely ashamed that, in an era where its competition is
at least applying some due diligence to ensure deeper catalog releases
are being represented adequately on home video, its studio mantra continues to lag far-far behind and has
adopted the philosophy of ‘who cares?’
and ‘let ‘er rip!’ Give it an 'F', then...and it doesn't stand for 'fantastic'! For shame! Is
there anyone over at Uni interested in ‘quality control’? Bottom line: pass…and
be extremely glad that you did!
FILM RATING (out of 5 – 5 being the best)
3
VIDEO/AUDIO
1
EXTRAS
0
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