Perhaps this story (by Hemingway) just doesn't work on the big screen. I tried the Gary Cooper - Helen Hayes version, but didn't find that done well enough to make it all the way through the film. I slogged all the way through this version for only one reason -- I admire the work of David O. Selznick. Beginning with 1935's "A Tale Of Two Cities", there wasn't much that Selznick did that wasn't impressive. But, with 1949's "The Third Man", things began going downhill, and certainly was at a nadir with this film.
Selznick made some accomplishments here. Better than most films, I felt this movie showed the horrors of war. Many of the on-location settings are stunning. And, there is at least one top notch performance here -- that of Vittorio De Sica. And, Rock Hudson does well.
But there are problems. Perhaps the biggest problem is Jennifer Jones. Until this film, I never saw the attraction. And after this film...I still don't see the attraction. With some other actress, perhaps I could have done more than simply tolerate this film.
The other problem with the television broadcast of this film is that the movie is badly in need of restoration. The picture is downright fuzzy.
Books and films are two very different mediums. A film producer or director has to tell a story in a very different way than does an author. One has several hundred pages to tell a story. The other has usually about 2 hours to tell the same story. But just maybe this story doesn't work on film. At least in my 2 experiences it hasn't.
Selznick made some accomplishments here. Better than most films, I felt this movie showed the horrors of war. Many of the on-location settings are stunning. And, there is at least one top notch performance here -- that of Vittorio De Sica. And, Rock Hudson does well.
But there are problems. Perhaps the biggest problem is Jennifer Jones. Until this film, I never saw the attraction. And after this film...I still don't see the attraction. With some other actress, perhaps I could have done more than simply tolerate this film.
The other problem with the television broadcast of this film is that the movie is badly in need of restoration. The picture is downright fuzzy.
Books and films are two very different mediums. A film producer or director has to tell a story in a very different way than does an author. One has several hundred pages to tell a story. The other has usually about 2 hours to tell the same story. But just maybe this story doesn't work on film. At least in my 2 experiences it hasn't.