A MOVIE REVIEW

HEMINGWAY FESTIVAL 2024

After Ernest Hemingway won the Nobel Prize in 1954, Hollywood studios rushed out movie versions of his novels and stories. Among them was “The Sun Also Rises,” produced with much fanfare by Twentieth Century Fox and using their wide screen presentation known as Cinemascope.

The verdict? Well, the color cinematography is first-rate, ideal for displaying the visual splendor of Spain. However–

— the acting could be better. Way better. Ava Gardner (a first-rate Lady Brett) and Errol Flynn as her dissolute fiance Mike Campbell are both good. Flynn is particularly worth watching when he becomes angry about something in the middle of the film and begins knocking beer bottles around. (A frustrated swashbuckler?) Mel Ferrer as Robert Cohn is adequate. Tyrone Power– the star of the movie– and Robert Evans, miscast as the bullfighter, are truly abysmal. (Evans would go on to running a movie studio and marrying actress Ali MacGraw.) Power is either simply going through the motions of playing the lead– frowning a lot– or revealed as never-been-able-to-act in the first place.

The two fight scenes in the movie are among the worst ever, reminiscent of something out of the Three Stooges. Shoddily choreographed– as if director Henry King were as tired as his stars and just wanted to get the production over with. Newsflash: movies aren’t literature. If you have an opportunity to inject a few minutes of excitement into an undramatic drama, you’d better jump at it. King and the producers missed the opportunity.

A QUESTION: Will movie producers be rushing to make film versions of recent Nobel winner Jon Fosse’s books? I kinda wouldn’t bet on it.

-KW