Film Review "A Farewell to Arms"

A Farewell to Arms is a 1932 American romance drama film directed by Frank Borzage and starring Helen Hayes, Gary Cooper, and Adolphe Menjou. The film bases on the 1929 semi-autobiographical novel A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway.

And now let’s pass on to the plot.  On the Italian front during World War I, Frederic Henry, an American ambulance driver in the Italian Army, delivered some wounded soldiers to a hospital. There he met his friend, Italian Major Rinaldi. He persuaded Frederic to go on a double romantic date with him and two nurses, Catherine and her friend Helen Ferguson. The romantic relationship between Henry and Catherine was discovered. Then she went to Milan, and they met only when Henry's knee was badly wounded during a bombardment, and he was sent to a hospital in Milan for an operation. Before Henry returned to the front, Catherine revealed that she was pregnant. Henry was happy but at the same time he was afraid not to see her again. Catherine ran away to Switzerland, but her many letters to her beloved man were intercepted by Rinaldi in order to rescue his friend. When Frederic couldn’t stand it any longer, and he deserted them to find Catherine. He rowed across a lake to her. Meanwhile, Catherine was delighted when she was told she had finally received some mail, but faints when she was given all of her romantic love letters, marked "Return to Sender". She was taken to the hospital, where her child was stillborn. She herself was in grave danger. Frederic arrived, and just as an armistice between Italy and Austria-Hungary was announced, Catherine tragically died, with him at her side.

Focusing on acting of this film, I’m deeply impressed by Gary Cooper. He was good at his job; a cool-headed, unselfish man who was at the war with dignity. Cooper showed the his character was dynamic and round. In the beginning, he had never experienced true loss and mutual love; he knew that war was dreadful but necessary, and that nothing could be more important than regard and respect. But having met Catherine, his attitude to life changed. That woman took an essential part in his life and war got a second role.

As for the directing, I can say that I like it. The predominance of grey, black, foggy and dirty coloures make me feel sorrowful, oppressed and depressed about the war. But at the same time, I should mention that if the film was bright and technicolor, there wouldn’t be the effect of the war, loses and tragedy.

In conclusion, I’d like to underline again that I’m really impressed by this film. During the film, the contrast between love and war is presented. And, as we know any war can’t bring happiness and pleasure. It’s the main reason for misfortunes, grief and tears. And the director of the film succeeded in showing such different phenomena as love and war.