For Whom the Bell Tolls (1943)

 Ingrid Bergman, Gary Cooper

I swear to god, this movie has the strangest casting ever. It seems to work, though.

For Whom the Bell Tolls stars Ingrid Bergman and Gary Cooper in the lead roles. They are then surrounded by a cast of "hispanic" characters, who play the Spanish rebels, fighting against Franco's fascist forces. Gary Cooper is an American who just happened to be in the area and decided to help out. Ingrid Bergman is a Spanish native and a noncombatant.

Having seen Casablanca multiple times, it was a little disconcerting to see Ingrid Bergman dressed so sloppily. I mean, that's all relative, she's definitely well groomed, and even looks out of place among the other freedom fighters who probably had to apply elbow grease to their faces as part of their makeup regimen.

Meet Pilar, Freedom Fighter.  She's the one in the middle.

Mostly, however, this movie works because it's based on substantial plot and themes. Everything flows well, there are some interesting ideas thrown out there, and it never becomes too sappy. Believe it or not, the standout performance in this movie was Gary Cooper's. I mean, the guy goes around completely stone-faced most of the time, but every now and then, his face twitches, and it's fantastic. It's easy to miss, but Gary Cooper is in fact a very good actor.

Some kind of recognition should be given to Katina Paxinou (Pilar) who plays a very unusual female role, at least for anything coming out of Hollywood around that time. Where did they find this lady, and why didn't she get more parts?

In conclusion, this movie has a kind of a Western, John Wayne-type vibe. It even has a Western, John Wayne-type plot pattern, which is to say, it's predictable as fuck. But I thought it was pretty funny. I even blubbered a little at the end.