For Whom the Bell Tolls

The ideological position of the U.S. government toward the Spanish Civil War—and, subsequently, that of the Hollywood studios—changed in step with the unfolding political and military events in Europe and the world. The outbreak of the Second World War and, even more so, the entry of the United States in 1941 led film studios to revisit the Spanish conflict, since it became clear that the struggle against fascism and Nazism that had been waged in Spain was the very same one for which the Western democracies were now fighting.

Produced on a large scale, For Whom the Bell Tolls was based on Ernest Hemingway’s successful 1940 novel of the same name and was part of that trend. The writer incorporated into his story his own experiences as a correspondent in the Republican zone. Both the literary text and the film unfold over the course of three days in 1937 and are connected to the Republican offensive at La Granja de San Ildefonso. The protagonist, Robert Jordan (Gary Cooper), is an American brigadier who must blow up a bridge that is strategically important to the insurgents. To do so, he joins a group of guerrillas in the Sierra de Guadarrama, where he meets María (Ingrid Bergman), a young woman who has been raped by the rebels. A love story between Jordan and María develops in the face of barbarism.

Filming began in November 1941, but the movie did not premier in New York until 14 July 1943. Afterwards, Paramount made several cuts, which have fueled speculation about Francoist government interference in the film. In reality, two of the deleted episodes depicted Republican cruelty (one appeared in a flashback). It is true that the Spanish authorities sought to influence the movie, but this happened during pre-production and Paramount ignored their demands (above all, they insisted that María’s rape by the rebels be removed). Apparently, the cuts were requested by the U.S. State Department: the country was fighting against fascism, and it was not advisable to highlight the bloodshed committed by the Loyalists.

The film was, of course, banned in Spain and not shown until 1978, three years after the death of the dictator. Today it can be seen in a restored version that is roughly the same length as the original and includes the suppressed scenes.

CG