E Agora Brilha o Sol

I've always loved this book. I saw this movie the last time when I was in a college Literature class. My memory was that it was a Cinemascope film on a conventional screen. When Tyrone Power got into bed, the bed was about three feet long, as was his body. Anyway, I now remember that this is pretty much a dull film. It is talky and not very well edited. While the bullfight scenes were interesting, they were narrated by Power so we would know what was going on. The one thing that was personal is Ava Gardner. I couldn't take my eyes off her. Especially when she was in her party girl mode, she is utterly striking. I also enjoyed Errol Flynn, the Hemingway of the story. His character has some life. Power as Jake Barnes is a limp fish in this one. He is so laid back that he wet-blankets every scene. Of course, a war injury has left him impotent and he will never have Lady Brett. This sad fact is there in the beginning and everyone knows, so he has pretty much given up. There are a couple times when he thaws out, but it is hard to feel a lot of sympathy for him. In the book, he is portrayed in such sad terms. I'd forgotten that Robert Evans played the bullfighter, Romero. I am haunted by his cockeyed look as he peers into the crowd. It is the strangest look. One thing that does come out of this is that I have decided not to become a bullfighter anytime soon. This film hasn't been available for a long time, so when it was released, I got it right away. It was just out of curiosity and I have to admit I was disappointed.

This is a depressing movie on several levels, the first being the actual story, about the "Lost Generation" after World War I hanging out in Europe and being drunk and/or unhappy and disillusioned.

For me it's one of those movies to watch when you really want to dwell on life's misery and wax philosophical and feel like there's something romantic about disenchantment.

The second depressing thing is the casting, which is a major problem. Tyrone Power had been the most important star at 20th Century Fox for many years - in fact, when he became a star in the late 1930s, each film he made was a bigger hit than the one before. He literally kept the studio solvent.

He was cast in this film at the age of 42 which was near the end of his life. He and the rest of the actors are all too old. I suppose to have made it with younger actors would have made it less of a big movie, but in fact, people like Jeffrey Hunter, Robert Wagner (both Fox actors) and Natalie Wood were closer to the right age. But you can see how that would have made it seem a lighter film.

In Power's case, I have read several comments here about how bad he looked. Were he alive, I'm sure he would thank you, as his fondest desire in life was to lose his looks. As far as he was concerned, his impossibly beautiful appearance wrecked his acting ambitions.

The funny part of it is, in candids taken during the filming, one of which is included in Mai Zetterling's All Those Tomorrows (she was his then girlfriend and on the set with him) he looks absolutely fantastic, healthy and tanned, not at all what is being described here.

He also had all his hair for those who seemed to think he was balding. His hair was downright luxuriant in Solomon and Sheba, the film he was making when he died. In fact, in photos taken one hour before he died, he looked better than he did in "The Sun Also Rises." Go figure.

Zetterling states that he reported to the set daily on 3 hours sleep and took pills to stay awake to attend social functions that he felt were necessary. He told Zetterling that he was pretty impressed with how bad Errol Flynn looked. Apparently he was envious.

Zetterling felt once filming started that he looked exhausted and haggard, but he didn't seem to care. Frankly, I thought he looked fine, particularly in the beginning of the movie. I think you can tell the scenes where he was running on no sleep.

And as far as looking bad, what about Ava Gardner? At 35, she was a mess. Someone in the comments said that with all these men chasing after Brett, people would think the war had made everyone's eyesight dim.

That's really not so - Gardner until the day she died had men falling for her right and left, including the husband of one interviewer who brought her flowers every day his wife spoke with Gardner. She was a very magnetic and sexy woman, and we can assume Brett Ashley had the same gifts.

That all being said, the ages are wrong but the acting is right, even if it comes not from disillusioned youth but disillusioned middle age. This is particularly true of Power as the impotent Jake Barnes and Gardner as Lady Ashley.

I would think as far as the emotions, the roles were very close to their own lives at that point. Power felt he had achieved nothing; he was supporting wives he no longer loved who lived in houses he paid for and would never enter, and he was only proud of a few films.

In the last years of his film-making, Tyrone Power turned in some wonderful performances in this movie, Abandon Ship, and Witness for the Prosecution. A shame he wasn't able to continue and do the sorts of roles he wanted.

Gardner's activities are well documented. She drank all night and slept all day and bullfighters were her thing, though "my man Frank" as she called him was always in the background.

Flynn and Eddie Albert are terrific - the dissipation was starting to pay off well for Errol Flynn, but unfortunately he wouldn't live long enough to make much money from it.

These two had the showiest roles - in fact, in a somewhat lifeless film, they lifted it up. Mel Ferrer's character wasn't sufficiently fleshed out to tell if he was doing a good job or not.

If you can put the ages aside, this is a good, not very good, and not great film - but great as far as production values and acting. Hemingway is very difficult to put on screen, as we all know from sitting through films based on his books and stories.

A final note: For those who didn't like Power's performance, consider Jake's wild enthusiasm over the bullfights. While Power was making Blood & Sand, he actually had to attend a bullfight.

Of course, a great deal was made of him and he was sitting with his wife, Annabella, down front and center. Unfortunately he became violently ill over the whole thing.

In order to leave with some dignity, Annabella said she was sick so they could get out of there. So give the man some credit - Jake sure did look like he was enjoying himself.

In Hemingway's novel the characters are in their mid to late 20's with one in their mid 30's. The movie clearly has actors in their mid 30's to their 50s. They look like middle aged adolescents with too much money and time on their hands not a young post WWI generation.

"The Sun Also Rises" is a cinematic adaptation of Ernest Hemingway's iconic novel of the same name, capturing the essence of the Lost Generation amidst the post-World War I disillusionment. Released in the 1950s, the film remains a poignant exploration of love, friendship, and the search for meaning in a world scarred by war.

Directed by Henry King, the film transports viewers to the picturesque landscapes of Europe, particularly Spain, immersing them in the bohemian lifestyle of its characters. The narrative revolves around a group of expatriates, including the disillusioned journalist Jake Barnes, the enigmatic Lady Brett Ashley, and the tormented war veteran Robert Cohn. Their journey unfolds against the backdrop of the Pamplona bull-running festival, serving as a metaphor for the recklessness and vitality of youth.

Tyrone Power delivers a compelling performance as Jake Barnes, effectively portraying his internal struggles and unrequited love for Lady Brett Ashley, played with captivating allure by Ava Gardner. Their tumultuous relationship forms the emotional core of the film, highlighting the complexities of desire and the inability to find fulfillment in a fractured world.

The supporting cast, including Mel Ferrer as Robert Cohn and Errol Flynn as the charismatic Mike Campbell, adds depth to the ensemble, each character grappling with their own existential crises and yearning for a sense of purpose.

Visually stunning and atmospherically rich, "The Sun Also Rises" captures the essence of Hemingway's prose, evoking the hedonistic spirit of the Roaring Twenties while also delving into the profound sense of loss and disillusionment that pervades the lives of its characters. The cinematography beautifully captures the sun-drenched landscapes of Spain, juxtaposing the beauty of the surroundings with the characters' inner turmoil.

While some critics have noted deviations from the novel and a certain lack of depth in character development, the film remains a poignant meditation on the human condition, offering insight into the complexities of love, friendship, and the search for meaning in a world overshadowed by the specter of war.

Overall, "The Sun Also Rises" stands as a timeless cinematic exploration of Hemingway's themes, offering a compelling portrayal of a generation grappling with the aftermath of war and struggling to find meaning in a world devoid of certainties.

It was great to see 2 of Hollywood's film idols on a film together. Tyrone did look tired in this movie. Errol and Eddie Albert as two drunks were very funny. Tyrone, as always, was great as a jaded WWI veteran. Ava Gardner was also very interesting to watch and I thought she played her character very well. The bullfighting was very graphic for its time, however, the actor who played the bullfighter couldn't act.