Search - For Whom the Bell Tolls on DVD

MPAA Rating: NR Content Advisory: Questionable for Children Movie Release: 1943 DVD Release: 11/17/1998 Format: DVD - Pan and Scan Audio Tracks: English Subtitles: English, French, Spanish SwapaDVD Credits: 1 Number of Discs: 1 Run Time: 2 hrs 46 mins Studio: Universal Studios Members Wishing: 2 Genres: Drama, Romance, Romantic Drama, War Romance, Resistance Film

Based on the novel by Ernest Hemingway, For Whom the Bell Tolls is a romantic drama set against the turbulent tapestry of the Spanish Civil War. Gary Cooper plays Robert Jordan, an idealistic American fighting with a Spanish guerilla band. He is assigned to blow up a crucial bridge in order to halt the enemy's progress. He falls in love with Maria (Ingrid Bergman), a young peasant girl who's joined the fight after being ill-used by enemy troops. Pablo (Akim Tamiroff), the eternally drunken leader of the guerillas, resents Jordan's attentions toward Maria, and he refuses to help Jordan in his sabotage work. Pablo's wife Pilar (Oscar-winner Katina Paxinou) takes over command of the guerillas and helps Jordan by arranging horses for the band's departure after their job is done. The man supplying the horses (Joseph Calleia) is killed, and Jordan is left to finish his task minus a means to escape. For Whom the Bell Tolls was a long, faithful adaptation of the Hemingway novel, with excellent performances, torrid love scenes, and first-rate Technicolor photography. Available for many years only in the 130-minute reissue version, it was restored to nearly its full original length of 168 minutes. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Gary Cooper - Robert Jordan
Ingrid Bergman - Maria
Akim Tamiroff - Pablo
Katina Paxinou - Pilar
Arturo de Cordova - Agustin
Vladimir Sokoloff - Anselmo

This lavish adaptation of Ernest Hemmingway's classic novel gets a solid presentation for its release on DVD. For Whom the Bell Tolls has been transferred to disc in its original full-frame aspect ratio of 1.33:1, while the audio has been mastered in Dolby Digital Mono. The film is in English, with optional Spanish and French subtitles included. Bonus materials added to this edition include the film's original theatrical trailer, biographies of the key cast and crew members, notes on the film's production, and links to related internet websites. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide