The Sun Also Rises (1957)
As much as I didn’t enjoy reading Ernest Hemingway’s novel, I’m so glad I read it before watching the film adaptation of The Sun Also Rises. It’s as tailor made to Ava Gardner as The Great Gatsby was to Robert Redford. I can’t help but believe Ernest Hemingway and F. Scott Fitzgerald borrowed Jules Verne’s time machine, met Ava and Bob, then travelled back to the 1920s and wrote their respective novels.
Had I skipped the novel, I would have dismissed the movie as incredibly boring with unlikable characters and a leading lady with no class, low morals, and a sea of unexplained admirers. But that was the core of the book! Peter Viertel’s adaptation of the novel was fantastic, keeping the characters and integral dialogues intact but writing scenes that actually flowed and made the audience care about the story—something that was sorely lacking in the novel. Also, a key plot point in the story—the lead character’s impotence—was only mentioned once in the novel, and the vague reference went over my head. It wasn’t until I was able to follow Viertel’s screenplay that I understood the main character’s motivations better.
Speaking of impotence, that was not a word easily spoken in 1957 Hollywood. While Some Like It Hot was universally credited for the demise of the restrictive Hays Code in 1959, that film was really only the straw the broke the camel’s back. 1957 was an extremely groundbreaking year for film censorship. Impotence was openly discussed in The Sun Also Rises, incest and rape were present in Peyton Place, and attitudes towards interracial marriage were exposed in Sayonara. If you’re interested in that period of film history, all three of those films are must-sees.
In the film, Tyrone Power and Ava Gardner are still in love with each other, even though years have passed and they’ve decided not to be together. Ava is engaged to Errol Flynn, and Tyrone’s friend Mel Ferrer falls in love with Ava at first sight. So, with three men in love with her, there’s only one thing to do: take a vacation to Spain with all three of them! The movie famously films bullfights and the Pamplona run, so if you like films that were made on location, you’ll want to put this on your list—and it’s extremely entertaining to read some backstage stories about the making of this film!
Now for the acting, because the technical aspects, music, and screenplay are all very good. Had I not read the novel, I would have dismissed everyone’s performances as boring and one-dimensional. Errol is irritable, drunk, and quick-tempered; Tyrone is drunk and cranky; Ava is drunk and crass; Mel is weak and simpering; and Eddie Albert is just drunk. However, that’s exactly how the characters were written by Ernest Hemingway! Ava does an extremely good job because all she’s doing is playing herself. Tyrone is supposed to be cranky, and Errol is supposed to act like a caricature of himself. Mel is supposed to follow Ava around like a puppy dog and gain the audience’s sympathy.
If I can come up with this much praise for an Ava Gardner movie, it must be good. Do yourself a favor and read the novel first, though. You’ll get so much more out of the movie if you do.
Want to watch it? Click here to watch it on ok.ru. And thanks "Juhi Thaker" for posting!
Be sure to check out Hot Toasty Rag's review of the original novel here!
More Errol Flynn movies here!
More Ava Gardner movies here!
More Tyrone Power movies here!
Had I skipped the novel, I would have dismissed the movie as incredibly boring with unlikable characters and a leading lady with no class, low morals, and a sea of unexplained admirers. But that was the core of the book! Peter Viertel’s adaptation of the novel was fantastic, keeping the characters and integral dialogues intact but writing scenes that actually flowed and made the audience care about the story—something that was sorely lacking in the novel. Also, a key plot point in the story—the lead character’s impotence—was only mentioned once in the novel, and the vague reference went over my head. It wasn’t until I was able to follow Viertel’s screenplay that I understood the main character’s motivations better.
Speaking of impotence, that was not a word easily spoken in 1957 Hollywood. While Some Like It Hot was universally credited for the demise of the restrictive Hays Code in 1959, that film was really only the straw the broke the camel’s back. 1957 was an extremely groundbreaking year for film censorship. Impotence was openly discussed in The Sun Also Rises, incest and rape were present in Peyton Place, and attitudes towards interracial marriage were exposed in Sayonara. If you’re interested in that period of film history, all three of those films are must-sees.
In the film, Tyrone Power and Ava Gardner are still in love with each other, even though years have passed and they’ve decided not to be together. Ava is engaged to Errol Flynn, and Tyrone’s friend Mel Ferrer falls in love with Ava at first sight. So, with three men in love with her, there’s only one thing to do: take a vacation to Spain with all three of them! The movie famously films bullfights and the Pamplona run, so if you like films that were made on location, you’ll want to put this on your list—and it’s extremely entertaining to read some backstage stories about the making of this film!
Now for the acting, because the technical aspects, music, and screenplay are all very good. Had I not read the novel, I would have dismissed everyone’s performances as boring and one-dimensional. Errol is irritable, drunk, and quick-tempered; Tyrone is drunk and cranky; Ava is drunk and crass; Mel is weak and simpering; and Eddie Albert is just drunk. However, that’s exactly how the characters were written by Ernest Hemingway! Ava does an extremely good job because all she’s doing is playing herself. Tyrone is supposed to be cranky, and Errol is supposed to act like a caricature of himself. Mel is supposed to follow Ava around like a puppy dog and gain the audience’s sympathy.
If I can come up with this much praise for an Ava Gardner movie, it must be good. Do yourself a favor and read the novel first, though. You’ll get so much more out of the movie if you do.
Want to watch it? Click here to watch it on ok.ru. And thanks "Juhi Thaker" for posting!
Be sure to check out Hot Toasty Rag's review of the original novel here!
More Errol Flynn movies here!
More Ava Gardner movies here!
More Tyrone Power movies here!