A much better movie could be made

sjordan47

There is a great film to be made out of this great novel, but this isn't it. I was entranced by it when I was very young and it first appeared on TV, but it has not worn well over time. Just saw it again on TCM and was very disappointed by its shortcomings.

Clearly, the stars never set foot outside of the sound stage or the back lot, and the beauty and scope of African and European scenes exists only in second-unit photography with stand-ins. Bad rear-projection work does nothing to help the film. Peck at his most actorish, and Ava Gardner still out of her element before she learned how to act. The sole savior is Leo G. Carroll, who commands the screen when he's on. Hard to believe that the overly slick, studio-style cinematography was by Leon Shamroy, who was known for evoking time, place and mood.

Dull, plodding, unconvincing and lacking the reality of a broader world that Hemingway described so well. Somebody needs to do a re-make. For much better Hemingway, go to "The Sun Also Rises," despite the hammy performances.

score 5/10

sjordan47 7 February 2011

Reprint: https://www.imdb.com/review/rw2381966/