Hemingway

"Hemingway" (2021 release; 3 episodes of about 115 min. Each) is a new documentary about Ernest Hemingway. As Episode 1 "The Writer (1899-1928)" opens, we get some introductory remarks of various experts and talking heads. As writer Michael Katakis puts it: "Despite all of his flaws, he seems to understand humans." Someone else puts it more succinct: "I hate Hemingway the myth, as it obscures Hemingway the man." We then go back in time, to the early years of Hemingway's upbringing in Oak Park, a comfortable Chicago suburb, with his 5 siblings and his parents. At this point we are 10 min. Into the documentary.

Couple of comments: this is the latest project from Ken Burns, co-directed by Burns and his longtime collaborator Lynn Novick. Here they tackle the man, the myth that is Ernest Hemingway. Despite his notoriety and reputation, I must admit I knew virtually nothing of his life, let alone much of his work. To say that Hemingway had an interesting life would be the understatement of the year. There are 3 episodes in this series. Besides the afore-mentioned Episode 1, there is also EP 2 "The Avatar (1928-1944)" and EP 3 "The Blank Page (1944-1961)". If Episode 1 is an indication of what is yet to come (and why wouldn't it), the film makers have meticulously researched Hemingway in order to present to us who he really was, going beyond the myth, the legend. The fascinating part of Episode 1 is that Hemingway struggled, and struggled long, to become a respected and eventually successful writer. Basically an "overnight success that was years in the making". The amount of (B&W) pictures and even some archive footage that Burns and Novick were able to dig up is impressive. Bottom line, this is a thoroughly insightful, educational and yes, entertaining reassessment of the life and times of Ernest Hemingway, and I can't wait to check out the remaining two episodes.

"Hemingway" premiered this week on PBS and is now available on PBS On Demand, Amazon Instant Video, and other streaming services. If you have any interest in Ernest Hemingway (even if you don't really know much about him--as was for case for me), or are simply a fan of Ken Burns, I'd readily suggest you check this out, and draw your own conclusion.

UPDATE 4/10/21 I've now seen the other 2 episodes, and they only confirm all of the good that appeared in the first episodes. All around a terrific documentary series.

I enjoyed this documentary; as I do most all documentaries done by Mr. Burns and unlike so many other reviewers, I am a fan of Hemingway's writing; a millenial fan at that. And in the spirit of Hemingway, I'll keep this review short and to the point.

The main focus of this six hour affair was Hemingway's relationships; especially with regards to the women in his life. I found this choice interesting, and insightful. The only downside to said choice, is that other parts of his life were glossed over; parts I find exceedingly engrossing; i.e. His literary beefs (Faulkner immediately comes to mind) and the friendships he formed in Paris with his fellow artists. Despite me knowing quite a bit about most of his contemporaries in Paris, a little backstory about each would've been an welcomed addition. These are my only real complaints about the documentary. Here's to hoping an equally good Faulkner or Wolfe documentary is in the works.

This was broadcast this week in 2-hour time slots on three consecutive nights on PBS. It is very well done and I can't imagine anyone watching it and NOT learning a lot new about the man. His life certainly was not one of a role model and perhaps his many, many faults, both personal and interpersonal, were a necessary part of developing the writing style that made him indelibly famous.

Perhaps even less well known are Hemingway's four rules for writing well:

USE SHORT SENTENCES.

USE SHORT FIRST PARAGRAPHS.

USE VIGOROUS ENGLISH.

BE POSITIVE, NOT NEGATIVE.

Back in my working days I took a course on effective writing, the essence was the same. I would add "use active voice, not passive voice" when you can.

Despite the 6-hour running time, this documentary skips along the surface of Hemingway's life like a piece of flint.

Great writer? Yes. Great man? No. Hemingway was a narcissist, a liar, a brute, a womanizer, and a blowhard.

Hemingway basically lived off his wives and lost the friendship of everyone he ever knew. And while this documentary skips along with fleeting mentions of Gertrude Stein, Ezra Pound, James Joyce, John Dos Passos, Sherwood Anderson, F. Scott Fitzgerald, etc., it totally neglects an important Paris connection: Robert McAlmon.

It was McAlmon who published Hemingway's first book: "Three Stories and Ten Poems" thru his Contact Publishing. It was McAlmon who accompanied and paid for Hemingway's first trip to Spain to watch the bull fights. And it was McAlmon who was among the first people Hemingway turned on after his success with "The Sun Also Rises."

The novel's character Robert Loeb is based on Harold Loeb and also McAlmon. Hemingway turned on McAlmon and called him a gossip after he learned that McAlmon was "telling tales" about his his sexual proclivities and punched him out in a bar screaming. "Now tell that to your goddamned friends!"

McAlmon later got revenge in his memoir "Being Geniuses Together," and their relationship was further examined in "Letters from Oblivion," a novel by Edward Lorusso.

Great writer, yes. But Hemingway was one nasty piece of work!

This is the life of passionate and complex man. Here the documentary is very much one of an outsider looking in, like walking through an old museum and seeing lots of memorabilia in glass cases.

The format seems cookie cutter - a Burns documentary and flat narration where the subject of the day could be anything.

It shows what, but never really understands why.

Obviously there has been much effort in to collecting material. But, we are presented with a dry collage of events.