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For Whom the Bell Tolls

For Whom the Bell Tolls

War · Romance · History · 1943

Spain in the 1930s is the place to be for a man of action like Robert Jordan. There is a civil war going on and Jordan—who has joined up on the side that appeals most to idealists of that era—has been given a high-risk assignment up in the mountains. He awaits the right time to blow up a crucial bridge in order to halt the enemy's progress.

Movie details

For Whom the Bell Tolls

“Thunderous! Tender! Touching!”

1943 War · Romance · History 2h 50m

Critical arithmetic

One number, for now.

TMDB

6.5 / 10

Community rating

Spain in the 1930s is the place to be for a man of action like Robert Jordan. There is a civil war going on and Jordan—who has joined up on the side that appeals most to idealists of that era—has been given a high-risk assignment up in the mountains. He awaits the right time to blow up a crucial bridge in order to halt the enemy's progress.

CriticWise case file

What this film says about your taste.

Not a recommendation score. A measure of how closely the film’s taste signals resemble yours.

The archetype split

Who fights over For Whom the Bell Tolls?

The split comes from the same five-axis model used by the test, not audience ratings or review sentiment.

Taste neighbourhood

Nearby on the taste map.

TMDB supplies the candidates. CriticWise reorders them by craft, strangeness, prestige, emotion, and pace.

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Names above the title

The people responsible.

Directed by

Sam Wood

Written by

Dudley Nichols

Gary Cooper

Gary Cooper

Robert Jordan

Ingrid Bergman

Ingrid Bergman

Maria

Akim Tamiroff

Akim Tamiroff

Pablo

Arturo de Córdova

Arturo de Córdova

Agustín

Vladimir Sokoloff

Vladimir Sokoloff

Anselmo

Mikhail Rasumny

Mikhail Rasumny

Rafael

Fortunio Bonanova

Fortunio Bonanova

Fernando

Court is in session

Put For Whom the Bell Tolls on trial.

Two incompatible taste archetypes. One film. Read the arguments, then issue a completely binding cultural ruling.

The defence The Prestige Tourist

“Sincerity is not manipulation.”

The film risks embarrassment to make emotion communal, and that openness is harder than fashionable detachment.

The prosecution The Popcorn Loyalist

“The strings are showing.”

Every cue tells you exactly what to feel and when, leaving sentiment to do the work character should have done.