The Pride and the Passion | | Cast : | Cary Grant, Frank Sinatra, Sophia Loren | | Director : | Stanley Kramer | | Studio : | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer | | Format : | Color, Closed-captioned, Widescreen | | Released Date : | July 10, 1957 | | DVD Released Date : | May 07, 2002 | | Language : | English (Dubbed), French (Subtitled), English (Subtitled), Spanish (Subtitled), Spanish (Dubbed), English (Original Language), Spanish (Original Language) | | Audience Rating : | NR (Not Rated) | | | BUY THIS DVD FROM AMAZON |
Customer Reviews
| Rating |  | | Date | August 02, 2005 | | Summary | Reminds me of El Cid | Content
 | Maybe this reminds me of El Cid because they are similar stories with Sophia Loren in both.
Based on a novel by C.S. Foster, a shoemaker (Frank Sinatra) and a misaligned woman who has a tendency to sleep with anyone (Sophia Loren) get their hands on a big gun. They are loaned a Captain from the English military (Cary Grant) to help point and shoot the gun at the bad guys. In this case the bad buys are French that occupy Spain. Through the movie the woman bounces back and forth between these two gentlemen each with his strengths and weakness.
C.S. Foster must have never been in the military as both sides in the conflict make the most stupid blunders. Come to think about it C.S. Foster must never have been in love and this ménage a trios make the most stupid blunders. Actually foster did writena few good ones as "The African Queen," Not as good as the movie.
Mean time back at the ranch the bad guys (French occupiers) run around like a chicken with its head rung off. The good guys (Spanish) with the help of peasants intend to blow up a fort held by the French.
Will they succeed or be cut off at the pass?
Can anyone help Frank Sinatra get over that horrible accent?
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| Rating | | | Date | July 25, 2005 | | Summary | A True Epic | Content
| The Pride and the Passion is the way movie epics used to be made: on location with thousands of extras. Director Stanley Kramer spent two years in Spain and used 9,400 extras to put his story of Spanish resistance to Napoleon on the screen. The story and setting is unlikely. Waterloo and Russia come to mind but the English campaign against the French is rarely portrayed. Probably to best is the television series on Richard Sharpe, the Sergeant promoted to Lieutenant by Wellington that starred Sean Bean.
The Pride and Passion was based on a story by C. S. Forster and has the kind of action that makes a good epic, centering on an enormous cannon, abandoned by Spanish troops, that both the French and English want. As other reviewers have pointed out the cannon assumed a major role in the film and perhaps the most exciting scene is when it is fired toward the end. I though that Cary Grant was well cast in the role of Captain Anthony Trumbrull. The part needed someone dashing and handsome. Cary Grant may have been a little old for the role but he gave a good performance. Another good choice for the part would have been Stewart Grainger. Sophia Loren was an excellent choice for Juana and she does quite well with the role. However, as has often been said about her performances in English, she does not completely connect with her character as much as her Italian films. Loren and Grant were romantically involved during the production but their love scenes don't quite have the spark of say, Burton and Taylor a few years later. Frank Sinatra was a good choice for Miguel based on his looks alone but he gives a very wooden performance. It is almost that he feels a bit miffed because he is not going to get the girl. The movie has its share of bad lines, like "Your face is dirty" that Cary Grant and Frank Sinatra exchange.
I first saw this film on television and it was a movie that I remembered. The real reason for seeing The Pride and the Passion is the spectacle of moving the large cannon to be used to take the city of Avila from the French. The trials that have to be met hold your interest. The score by George Antheil is superb. Mr. Antheil has an affinity for Spanish music (as his ballet Capitol of the World proves) and the music for The Pride and the Passion helps make the film. In the end, I liked this movie for the story and less for the performances. So I am recommending this movie as an old Hollywood epic that is stunning to see and with a story entertaining if a times the actors do not fill your complete expectations.
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| Rating | | | Date | February 14, 2005 | | Summary | Terrible "pastiche" (one of Hollywood's worst ever...) ! | Content
| Having read the book on wich this sorry mistake is based ("The Gun" by C.S.Forester wich is quite good on his own mind... and quite a different plot too!...) I blundered on and got the DVD... What a failed film! even back then in 1957 it must have been a shock for real connoisseurs of the period...
I am a diehard fan of the XIXth century, ans specially I love the early part of it... (That counts against me of course, I am too much of a purist... or let's say too well informed to swallow ANYTHING...).
The sorry script and an awful casting: really Sinatra looks as much a spanish guerrillero as Woody Allen in "Bananas"... (but "Bananas" is suposed to make you laugh on purpose...) , Cary Grant (dressed in an awful cabaret "uniform") does his best to save his part... and Loren look beautifully inept throught it... (Why they made her "dance" flamenco eludes me completely... one of the most embarrasing scenes I have ever seen in film... at least we have been spared her dancing feetwork...), combined ruin what could have been a little known period of warfare...
The result is utterly unbelievable from start to finish...
And last but not least the TERRIBLE uniformology used... I still have nightmares about the silly tricolor pennants of the lancers of a strange french cavalry unit commanded by what looks as an officer of dragoons and consists of a strange mixture of cuirassiers and lancers... and ALL of the infantry are supposed to be Old Guard Grenadiers... AWFUL (Take a look at "The Duellists" (THE BEST ONE EVER!) or even "Waterloo" or "War and Peace" to see the diference in aproach to authenticity...).
I rated the thing two stars because there are even worse films... and then it's in color, and "the gun" looks the part (one star!)... (how I laughed when they load the gun and fire it... really funny how a single guy manages to lift the BIG BALL of "stone" into the mouth of the gun...) and then Loren is young and awesome... and er... young and beautiful... and er... young and lovely... etc. (just to justify the second star! not to be sexist!)
ONLY FIT OR RECOMMENDED FOR AGES FOUR TO SIX ON A RAINY AFTERNOON (IF THEY DO NOT HAVE A RAINCOAT...)
Get instead "The Duellists" and enjoy a good film! for the same period of history... hats off for Ridley-Scot !!!
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| Rating | | | Date | September 07, 2004 | | Summary | I'll have the passion, please... | Content
| The Pride And The Passion is one of those good old-fashioned 1950's Hollywood movies that had everything - a starry cast, a colorful location, a heroic story with generous helpings of romance, rousing music, widescreen spectacle, and a cast of thousands (well, hundreds anyway). This was made when movies were fighting to steal back their audiences from the novelty of television. And their plan was to provide what television could not - big stars on big screens in glorious color. It almost worked. But that era of bigger is best has left us with some remarkable films that, despite other faults, always succeeded in their primary objective of being entertaining. (Note to previous reviewer - If you want historical accuracy, read a book.)
The Pride And The Passion takes a simple storyline - Spanish peasants capture and move a huge cannon across half the country to use against Napoleonic invaders - and elevates it to epic proportions. One of the first Hollywood movies to take full advantage of location shooting - on the ancient earth of pre-tourist Spain - the film is always visually striking. The huge gun itself becomes both symbol and star - but the human stars never quite let it upstage them.
Cary Grant at first seems a laughable choice to play the stiff British naval officer with the critical knowledge of artillery. But he quickly becomes almost convincing in this non-typecast part. The same is not so true of Frank Sinatra as the illiterate peasant who is a natural leader of men with an unshakeable belief in his cause and the mission at hand. A better wig might have helped the illusion but at least in those days Sinatra was trying to be a character instead of simply playing himself. Sophia Loren, on the other hand, is perfect casting as Sinatra's fiery and passionate lover who, not surprisingly, sparks more than a little bit with Grant. These three stars together in one movie must have been a press agent's dream. And with such a volatile eternal triangle, the villain has to settle for little more than a bit part. He's played to the hilt by Theodore Bikel, a folk singer who also had a nice career as a character actor playing roles for which an accent was required.
Actually, it's surprising this film isn't better known. Maybe it got lost among the competition. But it's good Saturday afternoon stuff with something to appeal to just about everybody, complete with schmaltzy ending. I suppose it looks a bit tame compared to today's effects-laden blockbusters. But there is a naive charm about these old Hollywood epics that is frequently irresistible. |
| Rating | | | Date | October 09, 2002 | | Summary | Beautiful | Content
| This film is, in a word, beautiful. A grand epic in the traditional '50s Hollywood style. And what's wrong with that? Who cares how miscast certain actors may be? In spite of this they still do a great job (I don't know how long this film took to produce, but it must have been gruelling at times). Ol' Blue Eyes may not be everyone's conception of a fiery Spanish "guerrillero", but when you view the scene ("the sandals") in which he acknowledges to Juana (Loren) his awareness of her love for Trumbell (Grant), it will break your heart. The scope of this film is truly epic - staggering, monumental -, made so by the gigantic cannon hauled across Spain by the patriots and given glorious life by George Antheil's magnificent score. Personally I have never heard a more beautiful soundtrack. The highlight is the music for the Holy Week procession. It is transcendental, and is, in a way, the epitome of American culture and (deserved) greatness during the era in which this film was made. BTW, I am blessed to own two original copies of this soundtrack. Still, all the music is available on the VHS/DVD issues of this wonderful film, so nothing is really lost (the original recording is, unfortunately, somewhat abridged). If you like beauty, glory, patriotism and innocence, this film is a must. |
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