For Whom the Bell Tolls

Customer Reviews:

Very fine acting...but a flawed movie.......2007-07-03

Review of DVD: This is a nicely restored version of the film, with reasonalbly good color (a bit contrasty sometimes), with good sound. DVD extras are adequate, but sparce by modern movie standards.

All the principles did give fine performances. While Katina Paxinou gives a fine, Oscar winning performance, I believe Akim Tamiroff as the undependable and annoying Pablo is the finest in the cast. But Pilar is a much more likable character.

Discussion of the movie: Cooper and Bergman are fine, independent of each other. But the romantic attraction did not seem believable to me, especially how quickly Bergman's character was smitten by Cooper's. Cooper looked, well, middle aged, when younger men were available (a rivalry might have added something here). Fortunately, while young, she doesn't look 19 (oooh!). Remember, her character is falling for Robert Jordan, not Gary Cooper. There was absolutely no suspense in what was going to happen between these two. For me, the romance story simply got in the way of action, and the Pablo/Pilar conflict. What was Pablo going to do? Can he be trusted?

For Whom the Bell Tolls.......2007-06-22

A splendid adaptation of Ernest Hemingway's novel, this rousing, romantic adventure tells the tale of a love between a Spanish-born guerilla and an outsider who's joined the cause out of political solidarity. Featuring solid performances by Cooper and the ravishing Bergman--who gets off one of cinema's most famous kissing lines ("I always wondered where the noses went")--Wood's film is an absorbing treat. Katina Paxinou even picked up an Oscar for her fiery performance as de facto rebel leader Pilar. This "Bell' tolls for thee.

"Any Man's death diminishes me ".......2007-04-01

"Because I am involved in mankind;
and therefore send to know
for who the bell tolls.
It tolls for thee."

Spain 1937. Robert Jordan (Gary Cooper) came to Spain o fight for "The Republic" (a nice way to say for the commies) and against nationalists. He also had a dislike for Germans and Italians. His assignment was to go behind the nationalist lines and blow up a bridge at a strategic moment. There this stoic hero meets a peasant girl (a much too young for Gary, Ingrid Bergman) with a bad haircut and that barely escaped a train ride. They naturally fall in love which complicates things. Will this jeopardize the mission? Do we care?

Along with this we have the classic mixture of characters that you can not tell if they are the good guys or the bad guys. The two that stand out besides the hero and his girl are Katina Paxinou (sort of a female Antony Quinn) as the doyenne, and Akim Tamiroff as the once good guerilla who may be bad or just self-centered. Who they were and how the acted was quite a predicable formula.

The story is an adoption from the Ernest Hemingway novel. Of course they could not put everything in the story and too a few liberties. We also miss the dialog that people read Hemmingway for.

The initial credits are in some annoying script (Parchment) make it hard to read at a glance.

Excellent Hemingway historical fiction.......2007-01-13

This movie was very well done in all respects. The two main actors, Gary Cooper and Ingrid Bergman, were chosen by Ernest Hemingway, whose novel was the basis of the movie, which followed closely to the book. It received several Academy Award nominations in 1943 and the Oscar was presented for Best Supporting Actress. The acting, direction, screenplay and setting contributed to excellent character development. The intrigue of the story kept your attention throughout the film.

for whom the bell tolls.......2006-11-10

A hollywood classic at it's best. Ingrid Bergman displays innocents, warmth and the sincerity of a woman coming to terms with the cruelity of war. Gary Cooper is the hero, brave true and uncompromising in the face of danger...Their love story is beautiful to the eye and raises the spirit of human courage to new heights...

Average customer rating:

Anastasia

ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Import from South Korea
Language: English (Dolby Digital 4.0)
Subtitle: English, Korean, Chinese
NTSC All Regions
2.35:1 Wide Screen

ASIN: B000V67RCM

Product Description

From the sensational Broadway stage success that had audiences crying its acclaim! An expatriate White Russian general sets in motion a grand hoax after he meets a destitute woman on the banks of the Seine River in Paris. He is amazed at her resemblance to Anastasia, the youngest daughter of Czar Nicholas of Russia, rumored to have somehow survived the Bolsheviks' execution of the Romanoff family in 1918. He trains her to impersonate the missing princess but soon begins to feel she may be the real Anastasia. Ultimately, the truth can only be decided by one person Anastasia's grandmother, the Dowager Empress.

THE FOUR HORSEMEN OF THE APOCALYPSE with Glenn Ford and Charles Boyer (Import Edition) (NTSC format, Region 1, Playable in North America)

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THE FOUR HORSEMEN OF THE APOCALYPSE with Glenn Ford and Charles Boyer (Import Edition) (NTSC format, Region 1, Playable in North America)
Director: Vincent Minnelli
Manufacturer: Castaways
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

ASIN: B000MX6HP2

Product Description

Brand new, factory sealed, 2 DVD edition manufactured in Hong Kong. Full screen color image. Original English dialog with optional subtitles in Chinese and English which do not appear unless you go to the subtitles menu and turn them on. On screen menus are in English and are easy to use. Cast includes Glenn Ford, Charles Boyer, Ingrid Thulin and Yvette Mimieux. Directed by Vincent Minelli. The following review appears in the Internet Movie Database: "I just caught this on TCM and it's the first time I've seen it since my teens. Either my maturity has given me a better appreciation for it or it has gotten better over the years, now that we're bombarded with so much garbage. I've carefully read all the comments here, and there's a common thread. Most take exception to the casting of Glenn Ford and classify the film as one of Minnelli's lesser efforts. It's not that I'm Glenn Ford's greatest fan, but I think he gives one of his finest performances here and is one of the movie's strengths. One doesn't have to be 21 to be a playboy; what he portrays, quite convincingly, is a mature dilletante. Minnelli's direction is typical of his late melodrama period that started with The Bad and the Beautiful. His style is jittery, baroque, and light years away from his airy musicals. The Four Horseman ranks right up there with some of his best later work, like Home From the Hill, Some Came Running, and The Cobweb. He has a particular flair for car scenes which started with his first Gothic, Undercurrent, in 1946. He gets one of the finest performances I've ever seen out of that limited actor, Charles Boyer. His scene with the gifted Paul Lukas where they mourn the deaths of their children is powerful and touching beyond words. My recommendation: SEE THIS GOOD, OLD FASHIONED, REALLY BIG MOVIE. P.S. Check out the magnificent, huge Andre Previn score."

Average customer rating:

Very fine acting...but a flawed movie
For Whom the Bell Tolls
"Any Man's death diminishes me "
Excellent Hemingway historical fiction
for whom the bell tolls

For Whom the Bell Tolls [Region 2]
Starring: Gary Cooper , Ingrid Bergman , Akim Tamiroff , Arturo de Córdova , and Vladimir Sokoloff
Director: Sam Wood
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B0000DC15R

Customer Reviews:

Very fine acting...but a flawed movie.......2007-07-03

For Whom the Bell Tolls.......2007-06-22

"Any Man's death diminishes me ".......2007-04-01

Excellent Hemingway historical fiction.......2007-01-13

for whom the bell tolls.......2006-11-10

For Whom The Bell Tolls (DVD) Gary Cooper, Ingrid Bergman (REGION FREE, Collector's Edition)

Average customer rating:

"Any Man's death diminishes me "

For Whom The Bell Tolls (DVD) Gary Cooper, Ingrid Bergman (REGION FREE, Collector's Edition)
Starring: Akim Tamiroff
Director: Sam Wood
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

Product Description

Playable On Any DVD Player Worldwide.

Customer Reviews:

"Any Man's death diminishes me ".......2007-04-08

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