jesseman

Wonderful performances by Jones and Heflin and splendid directorial realization overcome the spurious moralizing fore and aft tags in which Metro saw fit to sandwich the story. There were complaints for years about the scripting of the novel, but tell me, "What's missing?" I've read the novel at least a dozen times and seen the film many more times than that and all that is missing is Flaubert's 'Proustian' tendency to meander all around his themes with just one more detail. And, after the recent tedious Elizabeth Hubert version this film is exemplary in its efficiency and that makes me wonder if any of the original reviewers ever did read the book. Of course, the ball sequence is without peer, an unyielding display of erotic romanticism and unabashed narcissism. Bravo Vincent, Brava Jennifer!

Dealing with Cuban revolutionaries a few years before Castro, the story line is tough, thoughtful, ironic. Jones(especially good as China Valdez) and Garfield are well teamed. Roland provides humor and bravado in a performance(one of his best)that balances the pace of the film's drama and action. The Mexican and American supporting players are all on the mark, a pleasure to watch. Huston directs with a consistent, steady hand; with knowledge and empathy in canvassing territory not easily accessed by the war weary now grown complacent audiences of 1949.