A Farewell to Arms

A Farewell to Arms is a 1957 American DeLuxe Color CinemaScope drama film directed by Charles Vidor. The screenplay by Ben Hecht, based in part on a 1930 play by Laurence Stallings, was the second feature film adaptation of Ernest Hemingway's 1929 semi-autobiographical novel of the same name. It was the last film produced by David O. Selznick. An earlier film version, A Farewell to Arms starred Gary Cooper and Helen Hayes.

 Rock Hudson plays an American serving in the Italian Army during the "War to End All Wars". Jennifer Jones is his lover, a Red cross nurse. They have a torrid affair, which results in Jones' pregnancy. As the months pass, Hudson and Jones lose contact with one another, and Jones believes that Hudson has forgotten her. But a battle-weary Hudson finally makes it to Switzerland, where Jones is hospitalized. The baby is stillborn, and Jones dies shortly afterward, murmuring that her death is "a dirty trick."

The main thing, I‘d like to mention is the play of the actors who managed to feel their characters, their souls, mood and the way of thinking even. I am amazed by the way they took the message of the writer. However, sometimes the development of the love affair did not seem natural, they overacted.

I would like to mention the screenplay because I think it conveyed the atmosphere worse than the book. The relationship between Henry and Catherine developed quickly enough in the book but the screen writer made them lovers even faster. It seems strange for that period of time. The episodes from the book were cut and I do not see the reasonable reason. All in all, I did not enjoy the film because of the subdued events.

To conclude, the film helped me to imagine the main heroes, the events described in the book. I really enjoyed watching the film because I watch such “old” films rarely but always admire the work and skillfulness of the actors.