Review: In Love and War

The drama film “ In Love and War”, which is based on the novel , “Hemingway in Love and War” by Henry S. Villard and James Nagel. The film was directed by Richard Attenborough and  released in 1996. It stars Chris O'Donnell as Himingway , Sandra Bullock as his beloved Agnes von Kurowsky.

Let me pass on to the plot of the film. Ernest Hemingway is an 18 year old writer who wants to be in the thick of the war in Italy. He goes to Italy and finds himself in the trenches of the war. When he and the men are hit with an explosive he carries one of the Italian soldiers to medical help but gets shot in the leg in the process.
When in the hospital he meets Agnes von Kurosky, a Red Cross aide who nurses him back to health. He falls in love with Agnes, but she is concerned about their age difference. They admit their feelings, but Agnes decides to marry an Italian doctor. When she realizes her mistake it's too late. Ernest has already grown into a bitter and cynical man.

Besides, I would like to single out the theme. Examining the problem of the impact of war on human nature  in the film , the viewers draw a conclusion that war damages people not only physically but  also spiritually. The main character, Ernest Hemingway is depicted as a very enthusiastic, ambitious and optimistic young man at the very beginning of the film. This American ambulance driver, who serves in Italy,  is in search of adventures  and heroic deeds. His moral values are bravery, love and devotion. However, as soon as his faces his hardship of war his attitude to it starts to change as he himself. Death, pain and loss make it impossible for him to see the world as happily as he used to do. To crown it all, the betrayal of his beloved suppresses his romantic love and he starts to conceal his sufferings under the mask of hatred and fury. Therefore, we can say that war leaves a scar on the person’s soul and  causes  bitter disappointment in his values and ideals.

I would like to mention the title. The first thing that catches the viewer’s eye is the  title of the film. It introduces the themes of war and love, besides, it is significant for its idiomatic value. The title immediately evokes the reader’s association with the idiom “ All's fair in love and war”. Thus, it prepares the viewer for some indecent behavior from the main characters.

To sum up the film “ In Love and War” depicts Ernest as a young man and gives the viewers clear understanding how both love and war influenced the writer’s mind and feelings, which has found reflection in his creative work. Apart from that, the film teaches me to appreciate peacetime and love as it is a precious gift that gives the feeling of fullness of life and happiness.