The Sun Also Rises

There are several films from the '40's to the '60's that I prefer to experience, rather than jump into Pauline Kael's skin. Let her successors dissect and occasionally say something of pith.

George Herbert said, "Time is the rider that breaks youth."

All the principal characters in this sad tale are broken. In their dissipation and aimless, joyless pursuits, they didn't stand for much of anything. It has been said that the cast was just too old for these roles. But they looked perfect for their roles, a group of people who were caught in a tepid tide pool, waiting to be washed out to sea. They were all tarnished goods.

I was especially impressed by Errol Flynn's performance. Of all of them, he was the most pitiful. Remember the song, "Tired of living and scared of dying?" That's him-a far cry from Captain Peter Blood.

Next is Robert Cohn (Mel Ferrer). He was a rich aimless child, eager to fasten himself to others, like a limpet. College had done nothing for him, except to make him an even greater useless snob. Then Lady Brett transformed him into a swine before casting him aside, because 'she couldn't stand his damned suffering.' After a crushing defeat at the hands of Brett and her bullfighter, he wisely headed home to Frances, if she would still have him.

Now we come to Jake and Lady Brett Ashley. These two truly loved one another, but in a very unhealthy way. She lost a husband to the Great War and never recovered. He gave "more then his life" to the war. His impotence was probably not the real reason Brett would not marry him, nor he, her. Damaged goods.

This film is excellent. Important, as is the book, emotional Tours De Force. Hemmingway is incredible.

Hemingway's great novel "The Sun Also Rises" has three layers to it. On the surface it is about the lives, adventures and falling out of a group of American and British expatriates in France and Spain after World War 1. At a second level there is a subtext running throughout the book about the search for meaning and authenticity in the aftermath of that horrendous war. And thirdly on a literary level there is the revolutionary style of Hemingway's spare prose where so often less is so much more. This film adaptation unfortunately only addresses the surface level – it is arguable whether any film adaptation could embrace all three. How does it rate on its limited scope? Only Errol Flynn as "Mike Campbell" captures the essence of the book character : bankrupt, dissolute, pathetic but still somehow endearing. His model in real life was dead within a decade. Tyrone Power as the protagonist "Jake Barnes" is stolid but unmemorable. Ava Gardner should be ideal as the reckless liberated 20's female "Brett Ashley" but the film fails to provide sufficient back story to explain her promiscuous dissolution and Gardner does not really convince in the role. Eddie Albert fails to project sufficiently the good-natured ebullience and intelligence of Jake's friend "Bill Gorton". Finally Mel Ferrer is merely adequate as "Robert Cohn" who triggers much of the falling out of the group in Spain. Overall this is a disappointing attempt to film what is probably an unfilmable novel. See it to watch Errol Flynn in one of his finest roles.

THE SUN ALSO RISES was 20th Century Fox's big-budget 'prestige' film for 1957, based on one of Hemingway's best-known novels, shot on location in Paris and Mexico (substituting for Spain), and starring the studio's long-reigning superstar, Tyrone Power, surrounded by some of the screen's most legendary actors (Ava Gardner, Errol Flynn, Mel Ferrer, and Eddie Albert). With all the talent assembled in front of and behind the camera, producer Darryl F. Zanuck felt confident that the film would be an enduring classic for both his own independent company, and his studio.

It wasn't, unfortunately...

The problem with the film was a fundamental one; the 'Lost Generation' Hemingway wrote of were disillusioned young Americans, who, shattered by the horror and brutality of a meaningless 'Great War', lost their innocence, and became a 'live fast, die young' crowd of expatriates, settling in Paris. These were men and women in their twenties and thirties...yet the actors chosen to portray them were all ten to twenty years older! The most glaring example of this can be seen in the film's star, Tyrone Power. As newspaperman Jake Barnes, a vet whose war injuries render him impotent, unable to satisfy the woman he loves (Ava Gardner), and, therefore, the 'perfect' observer of his love's romantic entanglements with other men, Power seems more a victim of a midlife crisis than a young man devastated about losing his manhood. In his next-to-last film, Power, at 44, was aging badly, his hair thinning and his slender, 'movie idol' good looks surrendering to a middle-aged paunch. Only when he smiles do the years seem to lift, a bit, and a ghost of the "too handsome to be true" younger man appears. Adding to his physical deterioration was an undiagnosed heart condition, which would kill him, in less than two years.

His co-star, Ava Gardner, at 35, was going through a decline, as well, but, as with her character, Lady Brett Ashley, her vices were the cause of her self-destruction. Both Brett and Ava were hedonistic women too fond of booze, bullfighters, and nightlife, and in Ava's case, once-classic features were beginning to develop bags and wrinkles that makeup and lighting couldn't hide. Seeing Power, Mel Ferrer, Flynn, and young future film mogul Robert Evans (as a bullfighter), all lusting after her can lead a viewer to wonder if the War had impaired everyone's eyesight, as well as their judgment!

Coming off best are Errol Flynn and Eddie Albert. Flynn, at 48, long past his 'glamorous' prime (he and Power had been Hollywood's best-looking 'swashbucklers' of the early 40s), had become a very credible character actor, usually portraying variations of himself. His 'Mike Campbell', an alcoholic who is impoverished but still clinging to his pride, was, sadly, a dead-on assessment of Errol Flynn, as well. Like Power, he would be dead in two years, a victim of his own excesses. On the other hand, Eddie Albert, at 49, had long been health-conscious, and his performance as a drunk was simply good acting; paired with Flynn, they 'steal' the film, particularly during the famous Pamplona bull run, when the duo flee for their lives (while guzzling wine), and Flynn attempts to use a bad check as a cape to 'fight' a bull!

The drama seems overdrawn, the romance lacks 'fire', and the resolution is a hollow one. Even with the pretty scenery, Hugo Friedhofer's soaring film score, and Henry King's skill as a director, THE SUN ALSO RISES fails to generate more than a curiosity value, at the sight of so many actors, past their prime, trying to seem youthful and dynamic.

The studio just released the film on DVD; seeing photos of Power, Flynn, and Gardner between takes, and hearing director Henry King's audio reminiscences of the production are possibly more entertaining than the feature, itself!

It was great to see 2 of Hollywood's film idols on a film together. Tyrone did look tired in this movie. Errol and Eddie Albert as two drunks were very funny. Tyrone, as always, was great as a jaded WWI veteran. Ava Gardner was also very interesting to watch and I thought she played her character very well. The bullfighting was very graphic for its time, however, the actor who played the bullfighter couldn't act.

"The Sun Also Rises" is a cinematic adaptation of Ernest Hemingway's iconic novel of the same name, capturing the essence of the Lost Generation amidst the post-World War I disillusionment. Released in the 1950s, the film remains a poignant exploration of love, friendship, and the search for meaning in a world scarred by war.

Directed by Henry King, the film transports viewers to the picturesque landscapes of Europe, particularly Spain, immersing them in the bohemian lifestyle of its characters. The narrative revolves around a group of expatriates, including the disillusioned journalist Jake Barnes, the enigmatic Lady Brett Ashley, and the tormented war veteran Robert Cohn. Their journey unfolds against the backdrop of the Pamplona bull-running festival, serving as a metaphor for the recklessness and vitality of youth.

Tyrone Power delivers a compelling performance as Jake Barnes, effectively portraying his internal struggles and unrequited love for Lady Brett Ashley, played with captivating allure by Ava Gardner. Their tumultuous relationship forms the emotional core of the film, highlighting the complexities of desire and the inability to find fulfillment in a fractured world.

The supporting cast, including Mel Ferrer as Robert Cohn and Errol Flynn as the charismatic Mike Campbell, adds depth to the ensemble, each character grappling with their own existential crises and yearning for a sense of purpose.

Visually stunning and atmospherically rich, "The Sun Also Rises" captures the essence of Hemingway's prose, evoking the hedonistic spirit of the Roaring Twenties while also delving into the profound sense of loss and disillusionment that pervades the lives of its characters. The cinematography beautifully captures the sun-drenched landscapes of Spain, juxtaposing the beauty of the surroundings with the characters' inner turmoil.

While some critics have noted deviations from the novel and a certain lack of depth in character development, the film remains a poignant meditation on the human condition, offering insight into the complexities of love, friendship, and the search for meaning in a world overshadowed by the specter of war.

Overall, "The Sun Also Rises" stands as a timeless cinematic exploration of Hemingway's themes, offering a compelling portrayal of a generation grappling with the aftermath of war and struggling to find meaning in a world devoid of certainties.