Across the River and Into the Trees

There are several stars of this film. While Hemmingway's source novel was pretty universally panned, the screenplay, cinematography, and fine acting and casting in this film set it apart as a long overdue adaptation of one of Hemingway's lesser known works. First the acting by Mr. Schreiber - it is outstanding, showing emotional trauma damage, an appreciation of the natural and artistic world, and the vulnerability of an old warrior dealing with his illness and mortality. The cinematography is a delight - flirting with color as well as black and white and a variety of aspect ratios, it adds a thoughtful overlay to the story. Love interest Renata is played with aplomb by a beautiful, young Italian actress named Matilda de Angelis. To capture the emptiness of postwar Venice, the COVID restrictions played a major part - providing empty waterways and a deserted St Marco Square for the action of the story to take place in. It was a beautifully produced film and well worth seeing for any fan of Hemingway's work or of Mr. Schreiber's fine acting abilities, which have never been showcased better.

As death approaches, how should we handle it? Is it something to be feared? Something to which we're stoically and unemotionally resigned? Willingly embraced as the logical outcome of our corporeal existence? Or is something to be met with grace and measured acceptance, as expressed in the dying words of Confederate General Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson: "Let us cross over the river and rest under the shade of the trees," a sentiment reflected in the title of this film, an adaptation of the 1950 Ernest Hemingway novel of the same name. Director Paula Ortiz's screen version of this work tells the story of Col. Richard Cantwell (Liev Schreiber), a US Army officer serving in Italy during the waning days of World War II. The Colonel is dying from heart disease but faces his circumstances like the committed, consummate soldier that he is. He resists all efforts at treatment and instead chooses to visit Venice before embarking on a day of duck hunting. But, before carrying out this plan, his attention is diverted by an array of developments, including introspective reflections of his troubled wartime past (having served in both of the Great Wars), the beauty of the city of canals and the company of a young contessa (Matilda De Angelis) who's trapped in a loveless arranged engagement governed more by family financial considerations than genuine romance. These events give the Colonel pause to think about his life, his regrets, his loves, his missed opportunities and his future (or what there may be left of it). The result is a quiet, poetic and often profoundly sad tale characterized by a series of deep conversations that give him (and all of us) much to ponder. Unfortunately, though, the presentation of this material is at times in need of greater finesse and clarity, remedies to counter its tendencies toward becoming overly talky and somewhat unfocused. That's regrettable given the nature of the circumstances at hand in this narrative, with their treatment frequently resulting in more diluted muddle than insightful, forthright articulation. Sadly, this shortcoming also detracts from the positively superb performances of the two leads, who portray their characters with a heartfelt earnestness, depth and sincerity, along with a carefully calculated vulnerability. To its credit, the film's gorgeous production design and absolutely stunning cinematography (especially of lesser-known Venice locales) provide a genuine feast for the eyes, truly remarkable in virtually every passing frame. It's a shame, however, that the remainder of the film doesn't measure up to these other fine qualities. Perhaps that's attributable in part to the source material, which, despite commercial success at the time of its publication, was not as critically acclaimed as the author's other works. It seems that there's a meaningful message lurking somewhere in this material (and in this film) that just never quite surfaces to the degree that it needs to, given the thoughtful subject matter that it was trying to express.

In post-war Italy, war hero Colonel Richard Cantwell (Liev Schreiber) cannot accept his terminal diagnosis. He is assigned driver Jackson (Josh Hutcherson) to take him to Venice for his duck hunt. He encounters Renata Contarini (Matilda De Angelis) and tries to buy guns from her mother Contessa Isabella Contarini (Laura Morante). Renata is arranged to marry for money to save her family's legacy.

I've never heard of this Ernest Hemingway novel, but it does have his sensibilities. Venice looks empty. Maybe director Paula Ortiz is trying something like Ken Russell's movie (1991). Quite frankly, I would prefer total minimalism. At least, they saved money on costumes and extras. I like Hutcherson, but he could do more with the character. I love the middle section with the overnight date which reminds me of Before Sunrise. I would like to know more about Cantwell's regret to properly judge it. The movie needs to explain what happened. His son's story comes out of nowhere. A little heads up there would also help. I generally like this movie, but in many places, I want it to do more.

Extremely hard to discuss this without spoilers, but here we go.

I never read or even heard of this book, though I did enjoy a few other from Hemingway. So, I did not know the ending but I did guess it. It is a mess.

I've never been to Venice and I can think of a bunch of places in teh world I'd rather visit for the first and even the second time that have a more natural beauty. Still, Venice is a great location for a film, both day and night, especially the night shots lit beautifully by professionals.

On the other hand, this story is a mess, Some of the comments i read about the themes and the relationship make me think people were watching a different movie. The plot is a CHIMERA, truly disjointed,

This film is actually quite great. A beautiful Hemingway novel nicely translated here. It's a rich and beautiful film, but unlike most Hollywood films that attempt to aim for similar results. Thanks mostly to the original writer, this one is also very true to life, it's very down to earth. You can really feel the humanity and the characters in this film. The acting and direction are also mostly very strong. This is a story that has been in the works to be a film many times. Finally it's here, and it really is a rewarding result. This was entirely worth seeing on the big screen, as the Venice setting and the cinematography are stunning throughout much of the film.

8/10.