A Farewell to Arms (1957)

Directed by Charles Vidor. Starring Rock Hudson, Jennifer Jones, Vittorio De Sica, Mercedes McCambridge, Elaine Stritch, Oskar Homolka, Victor Francen, Kurt Kasznar.

Second film version of Ernest Hemingway’s semi-autobiographical wartime romance is even worse than the first, a lot of tediously gassy (and pointlessly padded) Hollywood bilge. The passionate love affair between an American soldier (Hudson) stationed in Italy during the first World War and a young British nurse (Jones) is missing a lot of important ingredients, none more so than “passion”. We’re supposed to be swept up in their swooning desire, but it’s hard to buy what they’re selling, starting with the Ben Hecht-assisted (butchered) dialogue they deliver. Even by his wooden standards, Hudson is deathly dull in a formlessly intense manner; too-old-for-the-part Jones is plastic when the camera tries to idolize her, overacts hysterically in the delivery room/tent, and looks so uncomfortable in the love scenes she practically shivers. “Papa” Hemingway knew it was going to be crap—and warned producer David O. Selznick in advance—but the Hollywood legend ignored the author…maybe because Selznick was married to the leading lady at the time? After a troubled shoot and disastrous reception, this ended up being the final movie he produced during his storied career.

24/100