Saturday, May 30, 2009

For Whom The Bell Tolls

I just purchased a DVD copy of For Whom The Bell Tolls. It was on sale--which of course-- is AMAZING! lol.

Ingrid loved making this film and felt like it would end up more of a hit than it did. She cut her hair and went on location for a lot of the shoot, which were both out of Ingrid's norm in Hollywood. She was happy, but felt badly for the women who copied the hair cut. She said that she had professional stylists doing her hair while these women tried to recreate the look and ended up with crazy, short hair!

4 comments:

Kinga said...

oh, I don't like this movie :( I guess it's one of the 2 Bergman movies I don't like.
I think she wrote it in her autobiography that she was very happy to do it and the movie turned out not to be a hit because her happiness was shown on screen, too and it seemed false as Maria was a refugee. Hemingway didn't like the movie either, but he adored Ingrid :-) It's said - I don't know if it's true - that he wrote Maria thinking of Ingrid.

Alexis said...

I don't know if the happiness shining through is the reason it didn't succeed. I feel it was the lack of content. It's a long film that is disjointed due to the dull nature of what, in the book, is a whole lot of political conflict. Hemingway and Bergman were good friends and he did want her in the part.
I like parts of this film, but I agree, not one of the best. It was her first color film and there are elements that make it worth while.

I'd say you should check out her biographies as well. The autobiography wasn't that reliable. Ingrid wasn't happy with the results--I suggest Donald Spoto's "Notorious: The Life of Ingrid Bergman"

Thanks for your comment! :)

Kinga said...

I didn't know she wasn't happy with the content of the autobiography. Actually I've always thought that if there's a reliable book about her it would be that one. Anyway, I'm now reading Joe Steele's book and I like it very much. I also have the Spoto one and I will read it eventually ;)
Back to the film: while I was watchin it I was thinking that the only thing she was doing in that movie is looking admiringly at Gary Cooper and smiling girlishly :-)

have a great day!
xxx

Ruby said...

Hello! I just bought my original copy 2 weeks ago.

About Me

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An avid Ingrid Bergman fan, I am a student of her life and work as well as film, filmmaking and Classic Film in general. I have my M.F.A. in TV/Film Production from USC School of Cinematic Arts and have been making a living in the business they call show. Feel free to follow me on Twitter @alexis_morrell