The story is told from Martha Gellhorn’s point of view–perhaps Kaufman took to heart her statement that she didn’t want to be “seen as a footnote in someone else’s life.” Whatever the reason, the director’s decision was a wise one, since Hemingway’s backstory is by far the more widely known of the two. The film begins in 1936, when the two meet at a Key West bar. At the time, Gellhorn resisted the married Hemingway’s (Clive Owen) advances (though she would eventually become the third of his four wives). By 1936, Ernest Hemingway was already world famous, given the success of A Farewell to Arms and its 1932 film adaptation.
Given his fame, many women would have been happy just to be in Hemingway’s orbit; if they were lucky enough, be his latest muse. However, Martha Gellhorn wanted no part of that; she was a fiercely indecent woman with her own dreams. Determined to be a war correspondent, Martha wanted to be in the center of the action. In the beginning of the relationship, while they were both covering the Spanish Civil War, Hemingway was supportive, encouraging her, and offering his own brand of writing advice.
While Gellhorn had spurned Hemingway’s advances in Key West, during a bombing in Spain, they engage in steamy sex. We were good in war,” an elderly Gellhorn says. “When there was no war, we made our own. The battlefield neither of us could survive was domestic life.” Both seem to thrive on chaos and excitement. Both writers are constantly trying to assert themselves in the most extreme ways possible. Occasionally, the couple is on the same page, as when they pay a visit to Madame Chiang (Joan Chen) and Chiang Kaishek (Larry Tse). More often than not, they’re at odds. Kidman’s thoughtful narration helps ground their arguments, giving them an emotional logic. It’s clear that these two were very much alike, and that might have been their undoing.
Shot entirely on location in the San Francisco region,it fills in for Spain, China, Cuba, Finland, Germany, London, New York and Key West, Kaufman and the legendary editor Walter Murch shift from color to grainy sepia and black-and-white to put Kidman, Owen and other cast members in various historical situations, ala Forrest Gump. While the color shift is occasionally effectively, it becomes a bit distracting after awhile.
While some may argue that Clive Owen doesn’t look or sound like Ernest Hemingway, but because his performance truly captures the essence of the literary legend, any disbelief quickly fades. Nicole Kidman’s work as Martha Gellhorn is her best performance in several years. Looking absolutely radiant, she seems positively energized. Both stars attacked their roles with the kind of over the top bravura a movie like this requires.
The supporting cast a roster of all-stars, all of whom add to the richness of the film: David Strathairn as John Dos Passos; Molly Parker as Pauline, Hemingway’s second wife; Mark Pellegrino as Max Eastman; Peter Coyote as Maxwell Perkins; Joan Chen as Madame Chaing Kai-Shek; Parker Posey as Hemingway’s last wife, Mary; Tony Shalhoub as a Russian journalist; and Robert Duvall as a Russian general.
Well known for films such as The Right Stuff, The Unbearable Lightness of Being, and Henry & June, Philip Kaufman hasn’t directed too many films in the last twenty years, so it’s great to see him helming a project as strong as Hemingway & Gellhorn.
Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.78:1, HBO’s 1080p transfer is very solid. Close-ups are strong, just short of razor sharp. Colors are bright and vibrant when called upon, but adjust well when the sepia or other tones kick in. There are several different color palettes to deal with here, and this transfer handles them flawlessly.
The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track just might be the disc’s best feature. The film was nominated for 15 Emmys, and won two: one for Javier Navarrete’s score and another for sound editing. Both are on full display here. Navarette’s score emanates powerfully from all speakers. Meanwhile, the full-bodied track brings the war(s) into your living room. The subs do an excellent job of exploiting the chaos in Spain. Dialogue comes through clean and clear. This is a well-mixed, forceful track.
English, French and Spanish subtitles are available.
The following special features are included:
- Audio Commentary with Director Philip Kaufman and Editor Walter Murch: In this commentary largely dominated by Kaufman, the director pretty much follows the action as it unfolds on the screen. However, along the way, he does manage to provide some insight into the locations, working with the actors, and the extensive use of digital artists.
- Behind the Visual Effects (SD, 5:29) Visual effects supervisor Chris Morley discusses the effects that were used to create the look of several different locations and time periods.
- Making Hemingway & Gellhorn (SD, 6:27) Nicole Kidman discusses what attracted her to the role, while Kaufman discusses his fondness for using archival footage.
- DVD Copy of the film.
