The Old Man and the Sea

Ernest Hemingway's "The Old Man and the Sea" is a fine story, but it gives every indication of being quite a challenge to any film-maker hoping to adapt it to the screen. This is a good effort, with a well-conceived approach to getting across the story and the main ideas. Yet it required above all the right leading actor, and Spencer Tracy comes through with a poignant performance that pulls everything else together.

Tracy is perfectly cast as the old fisherman. His voice is ideal, not only for the character but also for reading the lengthy voice-over narrations from Hemingway's text. The narration is used to communicate some of the story's key themes, and without just the right reader it probably would not have worked at all. Tracy also seems to identify with the character closely, since his mannerisms and body language almost always seem just right.

The action parts of the story rely heavily on stock footage, and sometimes on rather obvious models, but the action is not nearly as important as are the old man's character and his thoughts. Although there are some exciting moments in his battle with nature, it is what these bring out in him, not the events themselves, that are important.

What works especially well here are the old man's dreams and thoughts of the past. They are all-important in defining the character, and this adaptation manages them better than you could hope for, with the simplest of means. Once again, Tracy's narration matches the content perfectly.

The heart of the story is an honest but compassionate look at a man almost thoroughly ignored by the world, seemingly with little purpose to his life. His importance comes not from any outstanding achievement or valuable talent, but simply because he is a human being, with his own hopes, memories, and worries that are unique to him. This movie version succeeds well in rendering a touching picture of its main character.

John Sturges directed this reportedly-troubled production, a handsome adaptation of Ernest Hemingway's story about an old salt who wants one last chance to catch a prized fish before he dies. This scenario puts extraordinary demands on lead actor Spencer Tracy, who is forced to hold the screen nearly alone for ninety minutes. Although he manages to ingratiate himself early on to the viewer, one still doesn't know how to take this character--is he likably stubborn or stubbornly foolish? Either way, Hemingway's tale doesn't quite make its mark as rousing cinematic material, however the finish is very satisfying. It gets a helping hand from Dimitri Tiomkin and his score, which won an Oscar. Remade as a TV-movie in 1990 starring Anthony Quinn. ** from ****

Ernest Hemingway's "The Old Man and the Sea" is a classic literary work but it isn't well suited to screen adaptation. This film has some of the necessary ingredients for success but comes up short in several respects.

Spencer Tracy turns in a fine performance as the titular 'old man', one which was rewarded with an Oscar nomination. Felipe Pazos (as the boy), on the other hand, is a dreadful actor and almost drags Tracy's performance down in the scenes that they share. Tracy does double duty as the omniscient narrator as well, though I don't think that it made much sense to delegate that task to the actor playing the main character of the film.

John Sturges seems to have had to cobble together footage from various shoots and locations, resulting in a somewhat haphazard look. Budgetary concerns were likely a part of the problem along with limitations in technology.

Dimitri Tiomkin's score won an Oscar but I didn't think it was that exceptional. Certainly not nearly as memorable as the scores that Elmer Bernstein provided for Sturges's "The Magnificent Seven" and "The Great Escape".

While some will undoubtedly find the story boring I think that it is easily the best part of this picture. Behind the simple story of a man and his marlin there are layers upon layers of deeper meaning. I could have done without some of the narration, though, particularly when the same thing could have been conveyed with visuals.

In the end, I give the content of the film high points though the film's technical aspects are riddled with inadequacies. It's worth watching but you should be prepared for some decidedly rough edges.

Excellent adaptation of Ernest Hemmingway's award winning work makes the following point: That catching the ordinary one is a function of individual luck. Catching the extraordinary one, however, is a delicate balance of an individual's strength, experience, and skill. Storyline: An old, master fisherman, second-guessed by his younger peers for a failure to make a catch in 84 days, nevertheless perseveres day-after-day -- steadfastly driven by a tremendous belief in self, ability, and the anticipation that puts him only one day's luck away from landing the "big one." When the big one is finally hooked, it turns out that hauling it in is more important for reaffirming belief in self and disproving detractors than it is for the prize itself.

From the brilliant literally mind of Earnest Hemmingway, comes the touching story of " The Old Man and The Sea ". Spencer Tracy, plays The Old Man and his fine acting in this movie, garnered him an Oscar nomination in 1958. Tracy stars in the film and narrates the story. One follows attentively as he tells his tale of the Old Cuban and the native boy. Felipe Pazos plays the Boy and the two become life long friends. The simple quest of the Old Fishman to go out into the vast ocean in his little skiff to bring back enough fish to eat is a daily chore. What transpires is that many days go by without the Old Man catching anything at all. When the boy reminds him, he can bring the old man some luck, the old man prays earnestly to catch something worthy of his life at sea. When his prayer is answered, the old man is unsure of his amazing luck. The 'Catch of a Lifetime ' sends the old man into a retrospect of his life and it's recollection become the heart of the story. This is one of those stories where, the right actor was chosen to bring life to the novel and succeeded. A great film which has become a Classic to any who enjoy a great movie. ****