For Whom the Bell Tolls (1973)

83% of critics liked it
(12 reviews)
66% of users liked it
(3,750 ratings)

Based on the novel by Ernest Hemingway, For Whom the Bell Tolls is a romantic drama set against the turbulent tapestry of the Spanish Civil War. Gary Cooper plays Robert Jordan, an idealistic American fighting with a Spanish guerilla band. He is assigned to blow up a crucial bridge in order to halt… More Based on the novel by Ernest Hemingway, For Whom the Bell Tolls is a romantic drama set against the turbulent tapestry of the Spanish Civil War. Gary Cooper plays Robert Jordan, an idealistic American fighting with a Spanish guerilla band. He is assigned to blow up a crucial bridge in order to halt the enemy's progress. He falls in love with Maria (Ingrid Bergman), a young peasant girl who's joined the fight after being ill-used by enemy troops. Pablo (Akim Tamiroff), the eternally drunken leader of the guerillas, resents Jordan's attentions toward Maria, and he refuses to help Jordan in his sabotage work. Pablo's wife Pilar (Oscar-winner Katina Paxinou) takes over command of the guerillas and helps Jordan by arranging horses for the band's departure after their job is done. The man supplying the horses (Joseph Calleia) is killed, and Jordan is left to finish his task minus a means to escape. For Whom the Bell Tolls was a long, faithful adaptation of the Hemingway novel, with excellent performances, torrid love scenes, and first-rate Technicolor photography. Available for many years only in the 130-minute reissue version, it was restored to nearly its full original length of 168 minutes. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

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Rating, Runtime: Unrated, 2 hr. 10 min.
Directed By: Sam Wood
Written By: Ernest Hemingway & Dudley Nichols, Dudley Nichols
Genres: Drama, Action & Adventure, Romance, Classics

In Theaters: Jan 1, 1943 Wide
On DVD: Nov 17, 1998
Studio: MCA Universal Home Video

Critic Reviews

Scott Nash, Three Movie Buffs
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.
Emanuel Levy, EmanuelLevy.Com
Though diffuse and overlong, and its politics vague, the film's star performances of Ingrid Bergman and Gary Cooper are appealing; Hemingway wrote the novel with Coop in mind.
Moira Sullivan, FilmFestivals.com
Ingrid Bergman in an unusual role as an enabler to stoic Cooper during the Spanish Civil War.
Ken Hanke, Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC)
Overlong and not wholly convincing
Michael W. Phillips, Jr., Goatdog's Movies
Cooper is great as the knowing and weary Robert.

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Featured Audience Ratings

Jim H

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… More
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 <i>Pride of the Yankees</i> 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.
jay n

Some solid performances can't compensate for the extreme overlength of this. An hour's editing could have made this a fine film but it just goes on and on, plus Cooper and Ingrid while individually fine have little chemistry.
Bruce B

My Good Friend from flixster ViVi told me to see this movie, she has become my sweetheart. So many of the movies she has told me about I should have seen years ago, and I have found each one to be exciting. Growing up I never saw many Gary Cooper Films, oh they were on TV just… More
My Good Friend from flixster ViVi told me to see this movie, she has become my sweetheart. So many of the movies she has told me about I should have seen years ago, and I have found each one to be exciting. Growing up I never saw many Gary Cooper Films, oh they were on TV just didn't have a interest, that was my lost, these are good films, and his teaming up with Ingrid Bergman is a positive match. For a movie filmed in 1943, these actors were all head of the class during that time. Its an exciting film with a big flair for WWII. They just don't make them like this anymore and there isn't an actor today that can stand up to these actors (Oh you say what about Tom Cruise , PLEASE!). This gets 5 Stars.

Cast

            Gary Cooper as Robert Jordan

            Ingrid Bergman as Maria

            Akim Tamiroff as Pablo

            Katina Paxinou as Pilar

            Arturo de Córdova as Agustin

            Vladimir Sokoloff as Anselmo

            Mikhail Rasumny as Rafael

            Fortunio Bonanova as Fernando

            Victor Varconi as Primitivo

            Eric Feldary as Andres

            Joseph Calleia as El Sordo

            Lilo Yarson as Joaquin

            Alexander Granach as Paco

            Adia Kuznetzoff as Gustavo

            Leonid Snegoff as Ignacio

            Leo Bulgakov as Gen. Golz

            Duncan Renaldo as Lt. Berrendo

            George Coulouris as Andre Massart

            Frank Puglia as Capt. Gomez

            Pedro de Cordoba as Frederico Gonzales

            Michael Visaroff as Staff Officer

            Konstantin Shayne as Kharkov

            Jean Del Val as Sniper

            Jack Mylong as Col. Duval

            Feodor Chaliapin Jr. as Kashkin

            Mayo Newhall as Don Richardo

            Michael Dalmatoff as Don Benito Garcia

            Robert Tafur as Don Faustino Rivero

            Trina Varela as Spanish Singer

            Dick Botiller as Sergeant

            Franco Corsaro as Elias' Man

            Frank Lackteen as Elias Man

            George Sorel as Bored Sentry

            John Bleifer as Peasant Who Flails Gonzalez

            Harry Cording as Man Who Flails the Mayor

            William Edmunds as First Soldier

            Alberto Morin as Second Soldier

            Pedro Regas as Soldier

            Soledad Jiminez as Don Guillermo's Wife

            Manuel Paris as Officer of Civil Guards

            Ernesto Morelli as Civil Guard

            Manuel López as Civil Guard

            Jose Luis Tortosa as One of the Civil Guards

            Yakima Canutt as Young Calvery Man

            Tito Renaldo as 1st Sentry

            Maxine Ardell as Cafe Girl

            Marjorie Deanne as Cafe Girl

            Yvonne De Carlo as Girl in Cafe

            Alice Kirby as Cafe Girl

            Marcella Phillips as Girl in Cafe

            Lynda Grey as Cafe Girl

            Christopher King as Boy in Cafe

            Louise LaPlanche as Cafe Girl

            Charles Bickford
            
            Eduardo Ciannelli
            
            Martin Garralaga as Captain

            Victor Laplace as Girls in Cafe
See full cast