User Reviews

Love in War

This is a movie about war and some challenges that people face there. The events unfold in Intaly during World War I. Ernerst Hemingway, the main character, is a young man who serves as a reporter. War is always connected with risk, so one day Ernie appeared in the hospital. Here he mets his love, Agnes von Kurowsky. She is a beautiful and talented nurse who can't stay indifferent for this handsome and charming youth. I can not say that this movie became my favorite one, but I like it. This is a romantic story. However, «In Love and War» touches many issues that are actual even now days.

There are a number of positive moments for me. As it was already mentioned, the problems appeared in the movie can be interested for many people. Such topics as friendship, love, bravery, betrayal and pride are reflected in the movie. And now a few words about the way the film was shot. I like the director's work. The movie contains many interesting foreshortening. There are a lot of scenes with nature and we can enjoy different landscapes. The choice of actors is good. The main character, Agnes von Kurowsky, is created by a brilliant actress, Sandra Bullock. She is so aristocratic and realistic in the film that I believe her for 100%. Besides, the ending of the movie is unexpected.

Nevertheless, there are some negative moments either. The beginning of the movie is overextended and some scenes seem unnecessary. My strongest disappointment is in the fact that this movie does not cause any strong emotions. Of course, it makes you sympathize with the main characters but you are not immersed in the atmosphere entirely. As a result, the movie won't stay in memory for a long time.

Despite of the boring beginning, the film is worth watching. It is a thought-provoking and touching love-story. Moreover, it is based on the real events. So we can get some details about Hemingway's life. If you want to create your own clear impression of this story, I would recommend you to read a book ''A Farewell to Arms'' at first.

I found this movie tolerable for what it is - and it is a movie VERY LOOSELY referencing a true story. I think 'based on' is just too defining. This is a portrayal based on a few letters - and even the words in those real letters written by the gal herself were just one small side of the story.

I read a few reviews where people felt this portrayal of E. H was in no way accurate.

I guess for everyone who felt that way, they must be still be the exact same person they were at 20 as they are at 60?

Still, for some reason, I do feel O'Donnell was miscast as E. H. But the lack of intense chemistry between the actors &/or the characters was useful - because this relationship was never meant to be. Honestly, and I don't mean to negate the need or importance of it - but the number of short-lived romances that occur in war out of need & fear & many other emotions - is endless. They're meaningful in the moment - realistically most participants understand that. I think E. H. didn't want that fact to be true. To me, that whole concept what the movie portrays.

I can certainly imagine him as a competitive, brash 20 year old with idealistic expecations of war - and I did like that the movie portrayed he 'grew up' at least a little bit during his time in Italy. But nothing but decades matures us physically, mentally, & emotionally, and then, many are terribly stunted in one or both of the latter two.

As for his later writing about war - it's largely from observation rather than participation. That's the gifted writer. They don't necessarily have to and many never personally experience the stuff they write. So why expect or demand that of them?

As far as a war-romance-drama goes this was entertaining on that level only.

Don't go in expecting a completely true story. Don't leave it thinking you saw history.

Just accept the genre for what it is.

There's something screwy in the Imdb ratings for this movie. Almost 25% of the votes are "10", yet its rating is "5.8"!! No way. This is a genuine 7 or 8 or 9 or 10 film, depending on your personal likes and dislikes. I give it "8".

"In Love and War" is based on the real experience of 18-yr-old Ernest Hemmingway who could not get into the regular Army because of a problem in one eye. However, he made it to Italy as a journalist, and actually was wounded near the front lines. He fell in love with his nurse and they vowed to marry after the war.

Hemmingway is played by Chris O'Donnel, which is my only 'beef' with the casting. Although he does a fine job, we all know that Hemmingway was a more gruff person and it never seemed realistic. Sandra Bullock plays the nurse and I liked her very much in this role.

Anyway, when he gets sent back to the USA, she stays in Italy. She thinks she is in love with an Italian doctor and breaks off her pledge to Hemmingway. He doesn't take it well, he smashes up things, goes into a drinking depression and is never the same. Even after the nurse returns to say she is sorry and still loves him. His pride kept him from forgiveness, and presumably was responsible for his suicide in his early 60s.

Overall a fine film about young men and women and their roles in the war, and its aftermath. The photography is beautiful and the dialog unifirmly well-structured.

In Love and War is one of the greatest romance films ever. O'Donnell and Bullock shine in this sentimental melodrama about war and what it can do to love. O'Donnell is great as Hemingway and Bullock rocks as the nurse that falls for him. This movie is perfect for women and if you can get your hubbie to watch with you, well, that's good, too.

The film by Richard Attenborough tells us the story of young reporter Ernerst Hemingway. As you could probably guess the film is based on a true story. Ernest Hemingway is an ambulance driver in Italy during World War I. Risking his life while saving one of the soldiers he is injured and ends up in the hospital, where he falls in love with his nurse, Agnes von Kurowsky. The film doesn't give rise to emotions. It is just a love story, one among many.

However, there are some positive things. The most positive aspect of the film is acting. Chris O'Donnel and Sandra Bullock performed perfect. It is really exciting to watch how their relations develop from the point of view of their acting. They succeeded to materialize passion, emotions, feelings and love in particular. Mackenzie Astin who plays Henry Villard did his job very well. His character has a great charisma and it is always a pleasure to see him in shot. The only character who disappoints is the surgeon. He could be a nice antagonist but he happen to be just a plane supporting character. Music and sound are not memorable but still good.

Now, we're smoothly moving to the negative things. The first problem of the film is story-line. The story-line in general is nice. But it could be more creative. There are little untypical for such a film things. The main character is rather irritating in his behavior. The problem is not in the actor but in the script. I liked the setting but scenery ruined it. They looked unnatural.

I would mark three main characters Ernest Hemingway, Agnes von Kurowsky, Henry Villard. The characters are not memorable. There is nothing special about them. What about Hemingway's character, he is rather irritating. He is an arrogant, impudent, insolent kid who thinks that he is special or even chosen one. Agnes von Kurowsky, a nurse who can't make head or tail of her feelings. Henry Villard a person who behaves like brave soldier and young boy at the same time (especially beside Agnes).

Just to sum up already mentioned I would say that it is not the worst film ever, but also it is not the best one as well. Just something average. If you are interested in love stories or in Hemingway you may give it a try. If not, don't waste your time and read the original book.

The events took place during the First World War period. By the way, this story is biographical and tells us a bit of a life of the famous literary figure of the 20th century - Ernest Hemingway. In 1918, 18-year-old Hemingway had volunteered to fight in the war and during an attack in Italy, his leg was wounded a lot and he was taken to the hospital where he was lucky or not to meet 26-year-old nurse, Agnes and to fall in love with her. But did she feel the same? Good and even more bad things can be said about this film. And the plot with the costumes are one of the strongest points of the picture. Although there are many similar works, this looks different. Probably the fact that this very story is based on real events makes me worrying about the main characters, and all depicted atrocities of the war also make their contribution into perception. Some episodes will settle in my mind, for example, when a little girl called a nurse "Angel" or the man committed suicide, or those first signs of the love. I think any person will definitely find something to think about after watching the film.

Though, the plot is fine, the majority of the film you would feel bored. The cause of it is a long beginning along with the actors' play. Sandra Bullock played Agnes von Kurowsky and I really like her and have seen so many movies with her: "The Proposal", "The Lake House", "Miss Congeniality" and the others. And in every film she was brilliant and bright and the one who made a great impression on me every time I saw her in the movies. But here she was plain and uninteresting. It seems that she tried to reserve her emotions and maybe she does not fit to this role. She looked sleepy and factitious. What about Chris O'Donnell as Ernest 'Ernie' Hemingway, he was not bad there, but not impressive and charismatic as I anticipated his character should have been. He was not energetic and sassy enough as he was trying to be and his playing just spoiled my impression on this film.

To conclude all mentioned above I want to say that this was OK: good because it was about the war and love and everything, but it was not impressive at all.

If it hadn't been about Ernest Hemingway the move would have been a mediocre, quickly digested and forgotten romance. If you know anything about Hemingway the movie is basically unwatchable. Chris O'Donnel's "Hemingway" is nothing but your stereotypical, one dimensional "kid goes off to war" type and seems to bear no relation to Hemingway himself. Sandra Bullock manages to bring a little depth to her character which I am guessing was dead on the page. She earned a little respect from me in that regard.

If you want to watch this movie because you are interested in the subject matter, for the love of God skip it. If you just want to watch a mindless romance and you've chosen this one because it's the most available to you at the moment, go ahead I guess, just don't feel like you've learned something from it.

I am a Hemmingway fan. I like Sandra Bullock, was very impressed with the cinematography. Production values are very high. Attenborough is a load of Emperor's clothes. I was interested to watch this film but it was --so--very--slow. Like many films and television programmes it seems to be made on the economic film principle, where, having got the cast and crew to a location/set the l-o-n-g-e-r the screen time that can be dragged out there, the cheaper the 'per minute' cost of the whole film. Whereas a single shot used to average about 3 seconds we now get 3 seconds establishing the characters in a place, a slow two shot sequence of slow moody conversation with pregnant pauses (nine months!?) and eventually one character leaves while the other pulls faces to the music, sometimes for as long as another 11 seconds.Having established the hospital we do not need to keep seeing it or people walking about it without advancing the plot.

The ironic thing with this film is that Hemmingway wrote like John Ford directed. Ford started the camera and the actor on the mark and put his fist over the lens as he shouted 'cut'. One take and no way for the studio to drag out the editing. Casablanca takes place 90% in a café'e, slow? No. Curtiz did not need 600 horses to get pace.

(1996) In Love And War ROMANTIC DRAMA

Viewers who are curious about Ernest Hemingway's love life should get a kick out of this movie but for others such as myself, it's a waste of two hours I can never get back. This movie is a real struggle I'm telling you for I've been watching a little bit of this movie throughout the month or two months because each scene is much more unbearable to watch. This is somewhat an altered love story about how a young writer who was injured during WWI falls in love with a nurse who's older than him. The fact that it's about a well known writer people had heard about if by taking the Hemingway completely out of the equation would've been a movie not even worth writing about. Based on two different books by two different authors by the names of Henry S. Villard and James Nagel starring Sandra Bullock as nurse Agnes von Kurowsky Hemingway(Chris O'Donnell) falls in love with. She also happens to be the narrator of the story recounting the days she had with him. Viewers are never given any signs of Ernest's writing talent or how she motivated him on any level. All that I got here is a love story that can best be described as a Harlequin Romance with adults acting like underage teens who's just starting to hit puberty while still in high school arguing about the age difference. I mean, how much fun is watching that. Directed by Oscar winning director Richard Attenborough which by watching this wasn't able to direct it on the manner that he intended- it's either that or he was on one of bad days. Footnote: We also never get to see how the real Agnes von Kurowsky looked like, at the closing credits for I guess she wouldn't even allow it for the lousy job done about her. Bomb.

For those of you who have read Hemingway, you will be surprised and captivated by the boyishness of the pre-war Hemingway that O'Donnell gives us so beautifully. The episodes in the life of the author that are covered by In Love and War are for the most part, not pretty. However, they give an insight into the writing of America's greatest author that no other movie of his work has ever done. Those who expected a movie version of A Farewell to Arms did not receive it, because the autobiographical In Love and War does not tell the same story that the semi-autobiographical book, A Farewell to Arms did. In Love and War is far closer to the truth, as other Hemingway scholars will attest. In that way, this movie is a valuable historical and biographical resource for people interested in Hemingway and his experiences in WWII Italy.

If you are watching this movie just for fun, however, and not to gain insight into a book or an author's life, there is much here for you as well. Bullock and O'Donnell have a wonderful chemistry, and the lighthearted moments are weighed against a tale of great agony and suffering without being preachy or too painful. There are serious moments, when the reality of life and war come home to Ernest, and there are beautiful moments, when Catherine explores Italy. It's a wonderful mix of the dramatic and the light, without being overdone or showy. The realism is striking. I hope that everyone who watches this movie enjoys it as much as I did.

This film was based on the love affair between Ernest Hemingway and the nurse he met after being wounded in action during WW1. I doubt that it was very factual, but still remained entertaining. Their relationship was doomed from the start because of Hemingway's rotten attitude. If the man was like this in his real life, I would imagine all his relationships with women failed. He was a boozing, spoiled little rich boy.

Agnes Von Kurowsky denied up to her dying day that she and "Ernie" had a sexual relationship. Considering his reputation for exaggeration and out and out lying I'll take her word. In his earlier years he was a brilliant writer before alcohol abuse and depression did him in. He was also a liar, braggart, bully, racist, anti-Semite,misogynist and an easy rider who lived off the trust funds of his first two wives, Hadley and Pauline. If he was so Macho and eager for Combat then I guess he would have joined the American Army and volunteered for infantry duty in France instead of driving an ambulance in Italy and being wounded accidentally taking cigarettes and candy to real soldiers on the front lines.

This is a true account of one phase of American author Ernest Hemingway's life. It is set during World War 1 and Hemingway is a soldier on the Western Front. He falls in love with a nurse and a woman who is older than him. This would be a normal love story but when you know that it was a real life episode it is better. However, things don't work out well in the end. Life does not have happy endings always. Good movie if you want to feel sentimental

The film "In Love and War" is based on true story of Earnest Hemmingway, who wanted to fight in World War I, but didn't manage to get into regular army because of poor eyesight. However he became a journalist and was lucky enough to be near the front lines. But there once, saving a wounded Italian soldier, he was wounded too. In the hospital he met 26 year old nurse Agnes von Kurowsky. She helped him to save his leg from amputation, and he fell in love with her.

On the whole I liked the film. At first it seemed too slow and boring, but then I noticed that I watch it with interest. The final scene was very intense and moving, I could not help sympathizing with the main characters. Also seeing the work of nurses, doctors in the hospital, I could not but admire their courage, endurance, devotion to their job. It says a lot about a person.

Although the film is not bad, there are some things I didn't like. The description of the battle, when Ernest was hurt seemed to me quite unrealistic. I have seen worse in the movies. Also the behavior of the main characters was sometimes stupid. For example, Agnes was worried too much about the age difference between Earnest and herself. It is ridiculous. People fall in love despite this and live happily. Also in my opinion Earnie is too stubborn and cocky, it causes them both a lot of trouble.

I can say that acting of Sandra Bullok (Agnes) and Chris O'Donnell (Ernie) is absolutely amazing. They played their parts very convincingly, I believed them completely and it is one of the reasons why I liked the movie.

If you are a fan of love stories and historical movies, this film is for you. But if you are not it is still worth watching. However don't expect a very happy ending, the events took place at the war time after all. I rate it 7/10.

The film is based on the book Hemingway in Love and War by Henry S. Villard and James Nagel. In the movie Hemingway's real-life experience in WWI is reflected, what gives zest to the film. The story opens up with the appearance of a young energetic and craving for adventures war correspondent Ernest Hemingway. During one of the battles he gets wounded and then is sent to the hospital, where he falls in love with Agnes, an American Red Cross nurse, who saved his leg from amputation. So, their relationship is becoming to develop.

This romantic movie is rather of high quality. Good cast, very harmonious music, exceedingly picturesque setting (especially Venice), perfect cameraman's job. All this immerse you into another world and makes you believe that even hardships of war can't be an obstacle for true love.

Despite of the fact that my general impression was positive after watching this movie, I wouldn't like to watch it one more time, as I usually do, when a film impressed me very much. This film reminds me of a good fairy-tale, which is far from reality. The heroes are so beautiful, the war is so "clean", the setting is so romantic, everything is so, so, so… exaggerated. During watching the movie you just enjoy a good romantic story, you sympathize with the heroes, but you don't believe them.

So, the movie is quite impressive and touching. I think, those, who like emotional romantic stories, would enjoy watching it but I don't advice it to those people, who expect to see a war movie. This film is more about love, not war. I would give this film 7 out of 10 points.

Based on the true story, a 19 year-old Ernest Hemmingway (Chris O'Donnell) falls for an older nurse (Sandra Bullock) after being wounded in Italy during WW1.

"In Love and War" (1996) is a solid historical drama/romance similar in spirit to "Legends of the Fall" (1994). As presented in the film, young Hemmingway has a likable, respectable side, but we also see evidence of his immense flaws, such as self-serving lying and exaggeration of his exploits.

At least one important scene is fictitious, and another one probably is as well, but I don't want to give them away. Look up the facts after watching. Nonetheless, it's clear that Hemingway's relationship with Agnes von Kurowsky deeply affected him as he included elements of it in several of his stories, including A Farewell to Arms.

The film runs 1 hour, 53 minutes and was shot in Veneto, Italy, and Québec, Canada.

GRADE: B

Bearing in mind that `In Love and War' is just not in the same league as that gigantic masterpiece `Gandhi' (1982) (qv), we can accept that his directing of this film is adequate. The film is not overly romantic and does not dwell too heavily on secondary matters.

Evidently here Chris O'Donnell enjoys a better coupling with Sandra Bullock than he does with Drew Barrymore in the recently seen `Mad Love' (1995) (qv). The chemistry between O'Donnell and Bullock seems to work here better, and thus makes this film just about acceptable viewing.

Based on Ernest Hemingway's experiences in Italy in World War I (see also `A Farewell to Arms') but here adapted with contributions by Henry Villard to whom the film is dedicated `in memoriam', one cannot help thinking that even an eighteen-year-old Hemingway was somewhat different in character to how he is portrayed here. Hemingway was an insufferable egoist, very macho, and largely unable to come to terms with himself, and so his honesty and sincerity simply vanished into a cloud of drink-laden macho expostulations. He never became a great writer. The only time we get close to anything authentic is in his short novel `The Snows of Kilimanjaro', where, using his experience of having had gangrene, he was able to tell a story which shed the veneer of bravura which Hemingway generally carried around with him as part of his well-travelled suitcase luggage. If you are into bullfighting, obviously his book `Death in the Afternoon' is obligatory reference, however dated it may be by now.

Oh, by the way, parts of this film were shot in Veneto, and thus in a few places where that great TV series of 1982 `Verdi' was also made.

In this surprisingly sweet romantic drama, audiences are treated to a young Ernest Hemingway as he falls in love with his nurse during World War One. Usually, the films about Hemingway are after his fame, turning him into a caricature of wordiness and blunt emotion, but this one shows him as a regular soldier who falls in love.

Chris O'Donnell and Sandra Bullock are the unlikely pairing, and even if you don't think they'll make a convincing couple, they have great chemistry together. They both know that wartime romances are fragile and might not work out, but they can't ignore the calling of their hearts. This is a Hollywood version of the story, but in real life, Hemingway did fall in love with his nurse in Italy and continued to write about her throughout his career. If you've ever seen or read A Farewell to Arms, watch this movie to see the inspiration! I'm not even a very big Hemingway fan and I enjoyed this movie. It's sweet and romantic without being vulgar, and it's dramatic, hopeful, tasteful, and shows why Hemingway would continue to write about this part of his life.

Not impressed one bit.

Boring movie to say the least. And Bullock in a period piece just doesn't work. She's not suited for them.

In fact, because I'm laid up recovering from surgery, I watched three Bullock movies back to back. Line delivery was much the same in all of them but one thing became pretty clear. She's best in comedies that have some teeth. Otherwise, yawn.