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For Whom the Bell Tolls
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For Whom the Bell Tolls
First edition cover
Author
Ernest Hemingway
Country
United States
Language
English
Genre
War novel
Publisher
Charles Scribner's Sons
Publication date
21 October 1940
For Whom the Bell Tolls is a novel by Ernest Hemingway published in 1940. It tells the story of Robert Jordan, a young American in the International Brigades attached to a republican guerrilla unit during the Spanish Civil War. As a dynamiter, he is assigned to blow up a bridge during an attack on the city of Segovia.
The novel is regarded as one of Hemingway's best works, along with The Sun Also Rises, A Farewell to Arms, and The Old Man and the Sea.[1]
Contents
[hide]
1 Background
1.1 Title
2 Plot summary
3 Characters
4 Main themes
4.1 Imagery
5 Literary significance and critical reaction
5.1 Language
5.2 Narrative style
5.3 Pulitzer Prize controversy
6 Allusions/references to actual events
7 Adaptations and in popular culture
8 See also
9 Footnotes
10 References
11 External links
Background[edit]
Ernest Hemingway wrote For Whom the Bell Tolls in Havana, Cuba; Key West, Florida; and Sun Valley, Idaho in 1939.[2][3] In Cuba, he lived in the Hotel Ambos-Mundos where he worked on the manuscript.[4][5] The novel was finished in July 1940 at the InterContinental New York Barclay Hotel in New York City[6] and published in October.[7][8] It is based on Hemingway's experiences during the Spanish Civil War and features an American protagonist, named Robert Jordan, who fights with Spanish soldiers for the Republicans.[9] The characters in the novel include those who are purely fictional, those based on real people but fictionalized, and those who were actual figures in the war. Set in the Sierra de Guadarrama mountain range between Madrid and Segovia, the action takes place during four days and three nights. For Whom the Bell Tolls became a Book of the Month Club choice, sold half a million copies within months, was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize, and became a literary triumph for Hemingway.[9] Published on 21 October 1940, the first edition print run was 75,000 copies priced at $2.75.[10]
Title[edit]
The book's title is taken from the metaphysical poet John Donne's series of meditations and prayers on health, pain, and sickness (written while Donne was convalescing from a nearly fatal illness) published in 1624 as Devotions upon Emergent Occasions, specifically Meditation XVII. Hemingway quotes part of the meditation (using Donne's original spelling) in the book's epigraph, which in turn refers to the practice of funeral tolling:
No man is an Iland, intire of it selfe; every man is a peece of the Continent, a part of the maine; if a Clod bee washed away by the Sea, Europe is the lesse, as well as if a Promontorie were, as well as if a Mannor of thy friends or of thine owne were; any mans death diminishes me, because I am involved in Mankinde; And therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; It tolls for thee.
The point made by the choice of this title and epigraph is that the Spanish Civil War of 1936-1939, a major topic of debate in Western intellectual and political circles, is not of importance only to Spaniards; it matters to everyone. Furthermore, the title and epigraph can be interpreted as a reference to the themes of death within the novel, particularly between the characters of Robert Jordan and Anselmo.
Plot summary[edit]
The novel graphically describes the brutality of the civil war in Spain during this time. It is told primarily through the thoughts and experiences of the protagonist, Robert Jordan. It draws on Hemingway's own experiences in the Spanish Civil War as a reporter for the North American Newspaper Alliance.[citation needed]
Jordan is an American who has lived in Spain during the pre-war period, and fights in the International Brigades for the Republic against Francisco Franco's fascist forces. An experienced dynamiter, he is ordered by a Soviet general to travel behind enemy lines and destroy a bridge with the aid of a band of local anti-fascist guerrillas, in order to prevent enemy troops from responding to an upcoming offensive. On his mission, Jordan meets the rebel Anselmo who brings him to the hidden guerrilla camp and initially acts as an intermediary between Jordan and the other guerrilla fighters.
In the camp, Jordan encounters María, a young Spanish woman whose life had been shattered by her parents' execution and her rape at the hands of the Falangists (part of the fascist coalition) at the outbreak of the war. His strong sense of duty clashes with both the unwillingness of the guerrilla leader Pablo to commit to an operation that would endanger himself and his band, and Jordan's own new-found lust for life which arises from his love for María. Pablo's wife, Pilar, usurps Pablo's leadership and pledges the allegiance of the guerrillas to Jordan's mission. However, when another band of anti-fascist guerrillas, led by El Sordo, is surrounded and killed, Pablo steals the dynamite detonators and exploder, hoping to prevent the demolition and thereby avoid fascist reprisals. Although he disposes of the detonators and exploder by throwing them down a gorge into the river, Pablo regrets abandoning his comrades and returns to assist in the operation.
However, the enemy, apprised of the coming offensive, has prepared to ambush it in force and it seems unlikely that the blown bridge will do much to prevent a rout. Regardless of this, Jordan understands that he must still demolish the bridge in an attempt to prevent Fascist reinforcements from overwhelming his allies. Lacking the detonation equipment stolen by Pablo, Jordan plans an alternative method to explode the dynamite by using hand grenades with wires attached so that their pins can be pulled from a distance. This improvised plan is considerably more dangerous because the men must be nearer to the explosion. While Pablo, Pilar, and other guerrilla members attack the posts at the two ends of the bridge, Jordan and Anselmo plant and detonate the dynamite, costing Anselmo his life when he is hit by a piece of shrapnel. While escaping, Jordan is maimed when a tank shoots his horse out from under him. Knowing he would only slow his comrades down, he bids goodbye to María and ensures that she escapes to safety with the surviving guerrillas. He refuses an offer from Agustín to shoot him and lies in agony, hoping to kill an enemy officer and delay their pursuit of his comrades before dying. The narrative ends right before Jordan launches his ambush.
Characters[edit]
Robert Jordan – American university instructor of Spanish language and a specialist in demolitions and explosives.
Anselmo – Elderly guide to Robert Jordan.
Golz – Soviet officer who ordered the bridge's demolition.
Pablo – Leader of a group of anti-fascist guerrillas.
Rafael – Well-intentioned yet incompetent and lazy guerrilla, and a gypsy.
María – Robert Jordan's young lover.
Pilar – Pablo's wife. An aged but strong woman, she is the de facto leader of the guerrilla band.
Karkov – Soviet agent and journalist in Madrid, and a friend of Jordan's.
Agustín – Foul-mouthed, middle-aged guerrilla.
El Sordo – Leader of a fellow band of guerrillas.
Fernando – Middle-aged guerrilla.
Andrés and Eladio – Brothers and members of Pablo's band.
Primitivo – Young guerrilla in Pablo's band.
Joaquin – Enthusiastic teenaged communist, a member of Sordo's band.
Main themes[edit]
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Death is a primary preoccupation of the novel. When Robert Jordan is assigned to blow up the bridge, he knows that he will not survive it. Pablo and El Sordo, leaders of the Republican guerrilla bands, see that inevitability also. Almost all of the main characters in the book contemplate their own deaths. Before the operation, Pilar reads Robert Jordan's palm, and after seeing it, refuses to comment on what she saw, foreshadowing his untimely demise.
Hotel Ambos-Mundos (Hotel of Both-Worlds), Havana, Ernest Hemingway's first residence in Cuba (1932–1939) where the first chapter of For Whom the Bell Tolls was written. Much of the rest was written later in his home near Havana, Finca Vigía (Lookout Farm)
Camaraderie and sacrifice in the face of death abound throughout the novel. Robert Jordan, Anselmo and others are ready to do "as all good men should" – that is, to make the ultimate sacrifice. The oft-repeated embracing gesture reinforces this sense of close companionship in the face of death. An incident involving the death of the character Joaquín's family serves as an example of this theme; having learned of this tragedy, Joaquín's comrades embrace and comfort him, saying they now are his family. Surrounding this love for one's comrades is the love for the Spanish soil. A love of place, of the senses, and of life itself is represented by the pine needle forest floor—both at the beginning and, poignantly, at the end of the novel—when Robert Jordan awaits his death feeling "his heart beating against the pine needle floor of the forest."
Suicide always looms as an alternative to suffering. Many of the characters, including Robert Jordan, would prefer death over capture and are prepared to kill themselves, be killed, or kill to avoid it. As the book ends, Robert Jordan, wounded and unable to travel with his companions, awaits a final ambush that will end his life. He prepares himself against the cruel outcomes of suicide to avoid capture, or inevitable torture for the extraction of information and death at the hands of the enemy. Still, he hopes to avoid suicide partly because his father, whom he views as a coward, committed suicide. Robert Jordan understands suicide but doesn't approve of it, and thinks that "you have to be awfully occupied with yourself to do a thing like that."[11]
The novel explores political ideology and the nature of bigotry. After noticing how he so easily employed the convenient catch-phrase "enemy of the people," Jordan moves swiftly into the subjects and opines, "To be bigoted you have to be absolutely sure that you are right and nothing makes that surety and righteousness like continence. Continence is the foe of heresy."[12] Later in the book, Robert Jordan explains the threat of fascism in his own country. "Robert Jordan, wiping out the stew bowl with bread, explained how the income tax and inheritance tax worked. 'But the big estates remain. Also, there are taxes on the land,' he said. 'But surely the big proprietors and the rich will make a revolution against such taxes. Such taxes appear to me to be revolutionary. They will revolt against the government when they see that they are threatened, exactly as the fascists have done here,' Primitivo said. 'It is possible.' 'Then you will have to fight in your country as we fight here.' 'Yes, we will have to fight.' 'But are there not many fascists in your country?' 'There are many who do not know they are fascists but will find it out when the time comes.'"[13] In the same conversation Robert Jordan is having with the others, he also realizes how there are populist policies right in America, namely homesteading which was widely used by American settlers to settle the West from 1863 onward:[14] "Robert Jordan explained the process of homesteading. He had never thought of it before as an agrarian reform. 'That is magnificent,' Primitivo said. 'Then you have a Communism in your country?' 'No. That is done under the Republic.'"[15]
Divination emerges as an alternative means of perception. Pilar, "Pablo's woman," is a reader of palms and more. When Robert Jordan questions her true abilities, she replies, "Because thou art a miracle of deafness.... It is not that thou art stupid. Thou art simply deaf. One who is deaf cannot hear music. Neither can he hear the radio. So he might say, never having heard them, that such things do not exist."[16]
Imagery[edit]
Hemingway frequently used images to produce the dense atmosphere of violence and death his books are renowned for; the main image of For Whom the Bell Tolls is the automatic weapon. As he had done in "A Farewell to Arms", Hemingway employs the fear of modern armament to destroy romantic conceptions of the ancient art of war: combat, sportsmanlike competition and the aspect of hunting. Heroism becomes butchery: the most powerful picture employed here is the shooting of María's parents against the wall of a slaughterhouse. Glory exists in the official dispatches only; here, the "disillusionment" theme of A Farewell to Arms is adapted.
The fascist planes are especially dreaded, and when they approach, all hope is lost. The efforts of the partisans seem to vanish and their commitment and their abilities become meaningless, especially the trench mortars that already wounded Lt. Henry ("he knew that they would die as soon as a mortar came up").[17] No longer would the best soldier win, but the one with the biggest gun. The soldiers using those weapons are simple brutes, they lack "all conception of dignity"[18] as Fernando remarked. Anselmo insisted, "We must teach them. We must take away their planes, their automatic weapons, their tanks, their artillery and teach them dignity."[18]
The novel also contains imagery of soil and earth.[19] This imagery appears rather famously at the start of chapter thirteen. Jordan and María have sex in a meadow in the forest. He feels "the earth move out and away from under them." Then afterwards he asks María, "Did thee feel the earth move?", to which she responds affirmatively. Variants of this phrase have become a cultural cliché,[20] often used humorously.[21]
Literary significance and critical reaction[edit]
Language[edit]
Since its publication, the prose style and dialogue in Hemingway's novel have been the source of controversy and some negative critical reaction. For example, Edmund Wilson, in a tepid review, noted the encumbrance of "a strange atmosphere of literary medievalism" in the relationship between Robert Jordan and Maria.[22] This stems in part from a distinctive feature of the novel, namely Hemingway's extensive use of archaisms, implied literal translations and false friends to convey the foreign (Spanish) tongue spoken by his characters. Thus, Hemingway uses the archaic "thou" (particularly in its oblique and possessive form) to highlight the differences in Spanish between the more formal and archaic, but popular "vos" (singular) and "vosotros" (plural) forms from the pronominal "tú" (familiar) and "Usted" (formal). Additionally, much of the dialogue in the novel is an implied direct translation from Spanish, producing an often strained English equivalent. For example, Hemingway uses the construction "what passes that",[23] which is an implied translation of the Spanish construction lo que pasa. This translation extends to the use of linguistic "false friends", such as "rare" (from raro) instead of "strange" and "syndicate" (from sindicato) instead of trade union.[24] In another odd stylistic variance, Hemingway referenced foul language (used with some frequency by different characters in the novel) with "unprintable" and "obscenity" and substitutes "muck" for fuck in the dialogue and thoughts of the characters, although foul language is used freely in Spanish even when its equivalent is censored in English (e.g. joder, me cago). The Spanish expression of exasperation me cago en la leche (which translates to "I shit in the milk") repeatedly recurs throughout the novel, translated by Hemingway as "I obscenity in the milk."
Narrative style[edit]
The book is written in the third person limited omniscient narrative mode. The action and dialogue are punctuated by extensive thought sequences told from the viewpoint of Robert Jordan. The novel also contains thought sequences of other characters, including Pilar and Anselmo. The thought sequences are more extensive than in Hemingway's earlier fiction, notably A Farewell to Arms, and are an important narrative device to explore the principal themes of the novel.
Pulitzer Prize controversy[edit]
In 1941 the Pulitzer Prize committee for letters unanimously recommended For Whom the Bell Tolls be awarded the prize for that year. The Pulitzer Board agreed. However, Nicholas Murray Butler, president of Columbia University ex officio head of the Pulitzer board at that time, found the novel offensive and persuaded the board to reverse its determination; no award was given for letters that year.[25]
Allusions/references to actual events[edit]
The novel takes place in late May 1937 during the second year of the Spanish Civil War.[26] References made to Valladolid, Segovia, El Escorial and Madrid suggest the novel takes place within the build-up to the Republican attempt to relieve the siege of Madrid.
The earlier battle of Guadalajara and the general chaos and disorder (and, more generally, the doomed cause of Republican Spain) serve as a backdrop to the novel: Robert Jordan notes, for instance, that he follows the Communists because of their superior discipline, an allusion to the split and infighting between anarchist and communist factions on the Republican side.
The famous and pivotal scene described in Chapter 10, in which Pilar describes the execution of various fascist figures in her village is drawn from events that took place in Ronda in 1936. Although Hemingway later claimed (in a 1954 letter to Bernard Berenson) to have completely fabricated the scene, he in fact drew upon the events at Ronda, embellishing the event by imagining an execution line leading up to the cliff face.[27] In Ronda, some 500 people, allegedly fascist sympathisers, were thrown into the surrounding gorge by a mob from a house that faced onto the cliffside.[citation needed]
A number of actual figures that played a role in the Spanish Civil War are also referenced in the book, including:
Andreu Nin, one of the founders of the Workers' Party of Marxist Unification (POUM), the party mocked by Karkov in Chapter 18.
Mikhail Koltsov, soviet journalist was the Karkov character in the story
Indalecio Prieto, one of the leaders of the Republicans, is also mentioned in Chapter 18.
General José Miaja, in charge of the defense of Madrid in October 1936, and General Vicente Rojo, together with Prieto, are mentioned in Chapter 35
Dolores Ibárruri, better known as La Pasionaria, is extensively described in Chapter 32.
Robert Hale Merriman, leader of the American Volunteers in the International Brigades, and his wife Marion, were well known to Hemingway and served possibly as a model for Hemingway's own hero.[citation needed]
André Marty, a leading French Communist and political officer in the International Brigades, makes a brief but significant appearance in Chapter 42. Hemingway depicts Marty as a vicious intriguer whose paranoia interferes with Republican objectives in the war.
Adaptations and in popular culture[edit]
A Japanese poster for the 1943 American film version.
A film adaptation of Hemingway's novel, directed by Sam Wood, was released in 1943 starring Gary Cooper and Ingrid Bergman. It was nominated for nine Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Actor and Best Actress; however, only the Greek actress Katina Paxinou won an Oscar for her portrayal of Pilar.
In 1959, a television adaptation, directed by John Frankenheimer, was broadcast in two parts on CBS's Playhouse 90, starring Jason Robards and Maria Schell as Robert Jordan and Maria, with Nehemiah Persoff as Pablo, Maureen Stapleton as Pilar, and Eli Wallach as the gypsy Rafael.
In 1965, the BBC produced another adaptation, as a four-part serial (miniseries in American English).
In 1978, the Takarazuka Revue adapted the novel as a musical drama, produced by Star Troupe and starring Ran Ootori as Robert Jordan and Kurara Haruka as Maria. Cosmos Troupe revived the show in 2010.
Metallica's second album Ride the Lightning (1984), features a song entitled "For Whom the Bell Tolls," which can be seen as a lyrical adaptation of a particular scene from the book (chapter 27).
In 1988, the film of 1943 was rereleased with the inclusion of scenes cut from the original release.
American rapper Canibus's 2010 album is titled "For Whom the Beat Tolls".
The 2012 film Hemingway and Gellhorn depicts Hemingway's time in Spain during Spanish Civil War when he was completing work on For Whom the Bell Tolls, and his relationship with the American novelist, travel writer and war correspondent Martha Gellhorn,[28] who he credited with having inspired him to write the novel, and to whom he dedicated it.[29]
In October 2014 the novel was dramatised in a two part series on BBC Radio 4.
J. Cole's fourth album 4 Your Eyez Only (2016), features a song titled "For Whom The Bell Tolls".
In 2014, power metal band Sabaton, made a cover of the song originally created by Metallica.
See also[edit]
Novels portal
Le Monde's 100 Books of the Century
"Yank" Levy, writer of Guerrilla Warfare who was in Spain at the time and endorsed this book
Footnotes[edit]
Jump up ^ Southam, B.C., Meyers, Jeffrey (1997). Ernest Hemingway: The Critical Heritage. New York: Routledge. pp. 35–40, 314–367.
Jump up ^ Meyers 1985, p. 326
Jump up ^ "Hunting for Hemingway in Yellowstone country | News". Bozemandailychronicle.com. Retrieved 2016-10-01.
Jump up ^ Mellow 1992, p. 516
Jump up ^ One source, however, says he began the book at the Sevilla Biltmore Hotel and finished it at "Finca Vigia"
Jump up ^ "History: For Whom the Bell Tolls Written at the Barclay".
Jump up ^ Meyers 1985, p. 334
Jump up ^ Meyers 1985, p. 339
^ Jump up to: a b Meyers 1985, pp. 335–338
Jump up ^ Oliver, p. 106
Jump up ^ Hemingway, Ernest (1940). For Whom the Bell Tolls. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons. p. 338.
Jump up ^ For Whom (p. 164)
Jump up ^ For Whom (pp. 207, 208)
Jump up ^ "The Homestead Act of 1862". Retrieved September 9, 2010.
Jump up ^ Hemingway, Ernest. For Whom the Bell Tolls. USA: Scribner, 1968. 223
Jump up ^ For Whom (p. 251, chapter 19)
Jump up ^ For Whom (p. 330)
^ Jump up to: a b For Whom (p. 349)
Jump up ^ Mount, Henry (2006). Hemingway's Tribute to Soil. iUniverse. pp. 132–3. ISBN 978-0-595-39758-7.
Jump up ^ Josephs, Allen (1994). For whom the bell tolls: Ernest Hemingway's undiscovered country. Twayne's masterwork studies. 138. Twayne Publishers. p. 104. ISBN 978-0-8057-8078-9.
Jump up ^ Ammer, Christine (2006). The Facts on File dictionary of clichés (2nd ed.). Infobase Publishing. p. 119. ISBN 978-0-8160-6279-9.
Jump up ^ Edmund Wilson, " Return of Ernest Hemingway" (Review of For Whom the Bell Tolls) New Republic, CIII (Oct. 28, 1940)
Jump up ^ E.g., For Whom (p. 83)
Jump up ^ Gladstein, M. R. (2006). "Bilingual Wordplay: Variations on a Theme by Hemingway and Steinbeck". The Hemingway Review. 26 (1): 81–95. doi:10.1353/hem.2006.0047.
Jump up ^ McDowell, Edwin (11 May 1984). "Publishing: Pulitzer Controversies". The New York Times. p. C26.
Jump up ^ In Chapter 13, Robert Jordan thinks "The time for getting back will not be until the fall of thirty-seven. I left in the summer of thirty-six..." and then comments on an unusual snowfall in the mountains occurring "Now? Almost in June?"
Jump up ^ Ramon Buckley, "Revolution in Ronda: The facts in Hemingway's For Whom the Bell Tolls", the Hemingway Review, Fall 1997
Jump up ^ "A Spanish romance". The Olive Press. December 1, 2010. Retrieved December 14, 2015.
Jump up ^ For Whom (p. vii) - "This book is for MARTHA GELLHORN".
References[edit]
Baker, Carlos (1972). Hemingway: The Writer as Artist (4th ed.). Princeton University Press. ISBN 0-691-01305-5.
Meyers, Jeffrey (1985). Hemingway: A Biography. London: Macmillan. ISBN 0-333-42126-4.
Mellow, James R. (1992). Hemingway: A Life Without Consequences. New York: Houghton Mifflin. ISBN 0-395-37777-3.
Oliver, Charles M. (1999). Ernest Hemingway A to Z: The Essential Reference to the Life and Work. New York: Checkmark. ISBN 0-8160-3467-2.
External links[edit]
Bibliowiki has original media or text related to this article: For Whom the Bell Tolls (in the public domain in Canada)
Hemingway Archives, John F. Kennedy Library
Stamberg, Susan. "Robert Jordan, Hemingway's Bipartisan Hero." NPR. October 14, 2008.
For Whom the Bell Tolls (PDF)
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Novels
The Torrents of Spring (1926)
The Sun Also Rises (1926)
A Farewell to Arms (1929)
To Have and Have Not (1937)
For Whom the Bell Tolls (1940)
Across the River and into the Trees (1950)
The Old Man and the Sea (1952)
Non-fiction
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Green Hills of Africa (1935)
Posthumous
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Under Kilimanjaro (2005)
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"Soldier's Home" (1925)
"The Revolutionist" (1925)
"Mr. and Mrs. Elliot" (1925)
"Cat in the Rain" (1925)
"Out of Season" (1925)
"Cross Country Snow" (1925)
"My Old Man" (1925)
"Big Two-Hearted River" (1925)
"A Clean, Well-Lighted Place" (1926)
"A Canary for One" (1926)
"Fifty Grand" (1927)
"Hills Like White Elephants" (1927)
"The Killers" (1927)
"The Undefeated" (1927)
"Che Ti Dice La Patria?" (1927)
"In Another Country" (1927)
"On the Quai at Smyrna" (1930)
"Fathers and Sons" (1932)
"A Day's Wait" (1933)
"The Gambler, the Nun, and the Radio" (1933)
"A Way You'll Never Be" (1933)
"The Snows of Kilimanjaro" (1936)
"The Capital of the World" (1936)
"The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber" (1936)
Short story
collections
Three Stories and Ten Poems (1923)
In Our Time (1925)
Men Without Women (1927)
Winner Take Nothing (1933)
The Fifth Column and the First Forty-Nine Stories (1938)
The Snows of Kilimanjaro (1961)
The Fifth Column and Four Stories of the Spanish Civil War (1969)
The Nick Adams Stories (1972)
The Complete Short Stories of Ernest Hemingway (1987)
Ernest Hemingway: The Collected Stories (1995)
Story fragments
"On Writing"
Poetry
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journalism
Ernest Hemingway Selected Letters 1917–1961 (1981)
Dateline: Toronto (1985)
The Cambridge Edition of the Letters of Ernest Hemingway (2011)
Adaptations
The Sun Also Rises
1957 film
1984 film
Opera
The Select (The Sun Also Rises)
Ballet
"The Killers"
1946 film
1956 film
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Bukowski short story
A Farewell to Arms
1932 film
1957 film
1966 TV series
To Have and Have Not
1944 film
The Breaking Point (1950)
The Gun Runners (1958)
Captain Khorshid (1987)
For Whom the Bell Tolls
1943 film
1965 TV series
Metallica song
The Old Man and the Sea
1958 film
1990 miniseries
1999 film
Other film adaptations
The Macomber Affair (1947)
The Snows of Kilimanjaro (1952)
Hemingway's Adventures of a Young Man (1962)
Islands in the Stream (1977)
See also
Nick Adams
Michigan cottage
Idaho house
Key West home
Hotel Ambos Mundos, Havana home
Finca Vigía, Cuba home
Pilar (boat)
The Spanish Earth (1937 film)
Bacall to Arms (1946 cartoon)
Hello Hemingway (1990 film)
In Love and War (1996 film)
Hemingway & Gellhorn (2012 film)
Cooper & Hemingway: The True Gen (2013 documentary)
Papa: Hemingway in Cuba (2015 film)
Hemingway Foundation/PEN Award
Kennedy Library Hemingway collection
Family
Elizabeth Hadley Richardson (first wife)
Jack Hemingway (son)
Pauline Pfeiffer (second wife)
Patrick Hemingway (son)
Gregory Hemingway (son)
Martha Gellhorn (third wife)
Mary Welsh Hemingway (fourth wife)
Grace Hall Hemingway (mother)
Leicester Hemingway (brother)
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The Breakfast Club
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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This article is about the 1985 film directed by John Hughes. For other uses, see The Breakfast Club (disambiguation).
The Breakfast Club
Theatrical release poster
Directed by
John Hughes
Produced by
Ned Tanen
John Hughes
Written by
John Hughes
Starring
Emilio Estevez
Paul Gleason
Anthony Michael Hall
Judd Nelson
Molly Ringwald
Ally Sheedy
Music by
Keith Forsey
Gary Chang
Cinematography
Thomas Del Ruth
Edited by
Dede Allen
Production
company
A&M Films
Channel Productions
Distributed by
Universal Pictures
Release date
February 15, 1985 (1985-02-15)
Running time
97 minutes[1]
Country
United States
Language
English
Budget
$1 million[2]
Box office
$51.5 million[3]
The Breakfast Club is a 1985 American coming-of-age comedy-drama film written, produced, and directed by John Hughes, starring Emilio Estevez, Paul Gleason, Anthony Michael Hall, Judd Nelson, Molly Ringwald and Ally Sheedy. The storyline follows five teenagers, each members of different high school cliques, who spend a Saturday in detention together and come to realize that they are all more than their respective stereotypes, while facing a strict disciplinarian.
The film premiered in Los Angeles on February 7, 1985. Universal Pictures released the film in cinemas in the United States on February 15, 1985. It received critical acclaim and earned $51.5 million on a $1 million budget. Critics consider it one of the greatest high school films of all time, as well as one of Hughes' most memorable and recognizable works. The media referred to the film's five main actors as members of a group called the "Brat Pack".
The title comes from the nickname invented by students and staff for morning detention at New Trier High School, the school attended by the son of one of John Hughes' friends. Thus, those who were sent to detention before school starting time were designated members of "The Breakfast Club". In 2016, the film was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".
The film was digitally remastered and was re-screened throughout 430 theaters in celebration of its 30th anniversary in 2015.[4]
Contents
[hide]
1 Plot
2 Cast
3 Production
3.1 Casting
3.2 Filming
3.3 Poster
4 Themes
5 Release
5.1 Home media
6 Reception
6.1 Critical response
6.2 Box office
6.3 Award
6.4 American Film Institute lists
7 Legacy
8 Soundtrack
8.1 Track listing
8.2 Critical reception
9 References
10 External links
Plot[edit]
On Saturday, March 24, 1984, five students report at 7:00 a.m. for all-day detention at Shermer High School in Shermer, Illinois. While not complete strangers, each of them comes from a different clique, and they seem to have nothing in common: the beautiful and pampered Claire Standish, the state champion wrestler Andrew Clark, the geekish intellect Brian Johnson, the introverted outcast Allison Reynolds, and the rebellious delinquent John Bender.
They gather in the high school library, where assistant principal Richard Vernon instructs them not to speak, move from their seats, or sleep until they are released at 3:00 p.m. He assigns them a thousand-word essay, in which each must describe "who you think you are." He then leaves, returning only occasionally to check on them. Bender, who has a particularly antagonistic relationship with Vernon, ignores the rules and frequently riles up the other students, teasing Brian and Andrew and harassing Claire. Allison is initially quiet, except for an occasional random outburst. Over the course of the day, Vernon gives Bender several weekends' worth of additional detention and even locks him in a storage closet, but he escapes and returns to the library.
The students pass the hours by talking, arguing, and, at one point, smoking marijuana that Bender retrieves from his locker. Gradually, they open up to each other and reveal their deepest personal secrets: Allison is a compulsive liar; Andrew cannot easily think for himself; Bender comes from an abusive household; Brian was planning suicide with a flare gun due to the inability to cope with a bad grade; and Claire is a virgin who feels constant pressure from her friends to be a certain way. They also discover that they all have strained relationships with their parents, which are a key cause for their personal issues as well: Allison's parents ignore her due to their own problems; Andrew's father constantly criticizes his efforts at wrestling and pushes him as hard as possible; Bender's father verbally and physically abuses him; Brian's overbearing parents put immense pressure on him to earn high grades; and Claire's parents use her to get back at each other during frequent arguments. The students realize that, even with their differences, they face similar pressures and complications in their lives.
Despite their differences in social status, the group begins to form friendships as the day progresses. Claire gives Allison a makeover, to reveal just how pretty she really is, which sparks romantic interest in Andrew. Claire decides to break her "pristine" virgin appearance by kissing Bender in the closet and giving him a hickey. Although they suspect that the relationships will end with the end of their detention, their mutual experiences will change the way they look at their peers afterwards.
As the detention nears its end, the group requests that Brian complete the essay for everyone and John returns to the storage closet to fool Vernon into thinking he has not left. Brian writes the essay and leaves it in the library for Vernon to read after they leave. As the students part ways outside the school, Allison and Andrew kiss, as do Claire and Bender. Allison rips Andrew's state champion patch from his letterman jacket to keep, and Claire gives Bender one of her diamond earrings, which he attaches to his earlobe. Vernon reads the essay (read by Brian in voice-over), in which Brian states that Vernon has already judged who they are, using simple definitions and stereotypes. One by one, the five students' voices add, "But what we found out is that each one of us is a brain, and an athlete, and a basket case, a princess, and a criminal." Brian signs the letter as "The Breakfast Club." Bender raises his fist in triumph as he walks across the school football field toward home.
Cast[edit]
Judd Nelson as John Bender
Molly Ringwald as Claire Standish
Emilio Estevez as Andy Clark
Anthony Michael Hall as Brian Johnson
Ally Sheedy as Allison Reynolds
Paul Gleason as Assistant Principal Vernon
John Kapelos as Carl Reed
Ron Dean as Mr. Clark
Production[edit]
Casting[edit]
Molly Ringwald and Anthony Michael Hall both starred in Hughes' 1984 film Sixteen Candles. Towards the end of filming, Hughes asked them both to be in The Breakfast Club. Hall became the first to be cast, agreeing to the role of Brian Johnson. Ringwald was originally approached to play the character of Allison Reynolds, but she was "really upset" because she wanted to play Claire Standish. She eventually convinced the director and the studio to give her the part.[5] The role of Allison ultimately went to Ally Sheedy.
Emilio Estevez originally auditioned for the role of John Bender. However, when Hughes was unable to find someone to play Andrew Clarke, Estevez was recast. Nicolas Cage was considered for the role of John Bender, which was the last role to be cast, though the role was narrowed down to John Cusack and Judd Nelson. Hughes eventually cast Cusack, but decided to replace him with Nelson before shooting began because Cusack did not look threatening enough for the role. At one point, Hughes was disappointed at Nelson because he stayed in character by harassing Ringwald off-camera, and the other actors had to convince Hughes not to fire him.[5][6]
Rick Moranis was originally cast as the janitor but left due to creative differences and was replaced by John Kapelos.[7]
Filming[edit]
In 1999, Hughes said that his request to direct the film met with resistance and skepticism because he lacked filmmaking experience.[8] Hughes ultimately convinced the film's investors that due to the modest $1 million budget and its single location shoot, he could greatly minimize their risk. Hughes originally thought that The Breakfast Club would be his directorial debut. Hughes opted for an insular, largely one room set and wrote it about high school students, who would be played by younger actors.[9]
Principal photography began on March 28, 1984, and ended in May. Filming took place at Maine North High School in Des Plaines, Illinois, shuttered in 1981. The same setting was used for interior scenes of Hughes' 1986 film Ferris Bueller's Day Off, which featured exterior shots from nearby Glenbrook North High School. The library at Maine North High School, considered too small for the film, prompted the crew to build the set in the school's gymnasium.[10] The actors rehearsed with each other for three weeks and then shot the film in sequence.[11] On the Ferris Bueller's Day Off DVD commentary (featured on the 2004 DVD version), Hughes revealed that he shot the two films concurrently to save time and money, and some outtakes of both films feature elements of the film crews working on the other film. The first print was 150 minutes in length.[12]
During a cast reunion in honor of the film's 25th anniversary, Ally Sheedy revealed that a Director's Cut existed but Hughes' widow did not disclose any details concerning its whereabouts.[6]
In 2015 the first draft of the film's script was discovered in a Maine South High School cabinet as district employees were moving offices to a new building.[13]
Poster[edit]
The film's poster, featuring the five characters huddled together, was photographed by Annie Leibovitz toward the end of shooting. The shot of five actors gazing at the camera influenced the way teen films were marketed from that point on.[14] The poster refers to the five "types" of the story using slightly different terms than those used in the film, and in a different sequence, stating "They were five total strangers with nothing in common, meeting for the first time. A brain, a beauty, a jock, a rebel, and a recluse." The poster itself was so influential, it was parodied in The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 a year later.
Themes[edit]
The main theme of the film is the constant struggle of the American teenager to be understood, by adults and by themselves. It explores the pressure put on teenagers to fit into their own realms of high school social constructs, as well as the lofty expectations of their parents, teachers, and other authority figures. On the surface, the students have little in common with each other. However, as the day rolls on, they eventually bond over a common disdain for the aforementioned issues of peer pressure and parental expectations.[15][16] Stereotyping is another theme. Once the obvious stereotypes are broken down, the characters "empathize with each other's struggles, dismiss some of the inaccuracies of their first impressions, and discover that they are more similar than different."[17]
The main adult character, Mr. Vernon, is not portrayed in a positive light. He consistently talks down to the students and flaunts his authority throughout the film. Bender is the only one who stands up to Vernon.[15]
Release[edit]
The film premiered in Los Angeles on February 7, 1985. Universal Pictures released the film in cinemas on February 15, 1985 in the United States. On February 18, 1985 it was released in the Soviet Union, making it one of the rare west films to be shown. [18]
Home media[edit]
In 2003, the film was released on DVD as part of the "High School Reunion Collection".[19] In 2008, a "Flashback Edition" DVD was released with several special features, including an audio commentary with Anthony Michael Hall and Judd Nelson.[20] A 25th Anniversary Edition Blu-ray was released in 2010,[21] and the same disc was re-released with a DVD and digital copy in 2012 as part of Universal's 100th Anniversary series.[22][23] On March 10, 2015, the 30th Anniversary Edition was released. This release was digitally remastered and restored from the original 35mm film negatives for better picture quality on DVD, Digital HD and Blu-ray.[24]
On October 16, 2017, The Criterion Collection announced that the film will be released in a special edition in January 2018.[25]
Reception[edit]
Critical response[edit]
The film received high critical acclaim. The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes gives the film an 89% approval rating based on 56 reviews with a critical consensus that states "The Breakfast Club is a warm, insightful, and very funny look into the inner lives of teenagers".[26] Kathleen Carroll from the New York Daily News stated, "Hughes has a wonderful knack for communicating the feelings of teenagers, as well as an obvious rapport with his exceptional cast - who deserves top grades."[27] Review aggregator Metacritic assigned the film a weighted average score of 62% based on 11 reviews from mainstream critics, considered to be "generally favorable reviews".[28]
Box office[edit]
In February 1985, the film debuted at #3 at the box office (behind blockbuster film Beverly Hills Cop and Witness starring Harrison Ford).[29] Grossing $45,875,171 domestically and $51,525,171 worldwide, the film is a box office success, given its alleged $1 million budget.[30]
Award[edit]
Anthony Michael Hall, Judd Nelson, Molly Ringwald, Paul Gleason and Ally Sheedy won a Silver Bucket of Excellence Award at the 2005 MTV Movie Awards in 2005.
Award
Nominee
Result
Silver Bucket of Excellence Award Anthony Michael Hall
Judd Nelson
Paul Gleason
Molly Ringwald
Ally Sheedy Won
American Film Institute lists[edit]
AFI's 100 Years...100 Songs:
"Don't You (Forget About Me)" – Nominated[31]
AFI's 100 Years...100 Cheers - Nominated[32]
AFI's 100 Years...100 Movies (10th Anniversary Edition) — Nominated[33]
AFI's 100 Years...100 Movie Quotes:
Principal Richard Vernon: "Don't mess with the bull, young man. You'll get the horns!" – Nominated
Legacy[edit]
The Breakfast Club is known as the "quintessential 1980s film" and is considered as one of the best films of the decade.[34] In 2008, Empire magazine ranked it #369 on their The 500 Greatest Movies of All Time list.[35] It then rose 331 places to rank at #38 on their 2014 list.[36] Similarly, The New York Times placed the film on its Best 1000 Movies Ever list[37] and Entertainment Weekly ranked the film number 1 on its list of the 50 Best High School Movies.[38] In the 2001 parody film Not Another Teen Movie, Gleason reprised his role as Assistant Principal Vernon in a short scene that parodies The Breakfast Club.[39]
In 2005, the film received the Silver Bucket of Excellence Award in honor of its 20th anniversary at the MTV Movie Awards. For the event, MTV attempted to reunite the original cast. Sheedy, Ringwald, and Hall appeared together on stage, with Kapelos in the audience; Gleason gave the award to his former castmates. Estevez could not attend because of other commitments, and Nelson appeared earlier in the show but left before the on-stage reunion, prompting Hall to joke that the two were "in Africa with Dave Chappelle". Yellowcard performed Simple Minds' anthem for the film, "Don't You (Forget About Me)", at the awards. At the 82nd Academy Awards (March 7, 2010), Sheedy, Hall, Ringwald, and Nelson all appeared in a tribute to John Hughes — who had died a few months prior — along with other actors who had worked with him, including Jon Cryer from Pretty in Pink, Matthew Broderick from Ferris Bueller's Day Off, and Macaulay Culkin from Home Alone.
Soundtrack[edit]
The Breakfast Club (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
Soundtrack album by various artists
Released
February 19, 1985
Recorded
1984
Genre
Rock, new wave
Length
38:02
Label
A&M Records
Producer
various artists
Singles from The Breakfast Club (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
"Don't You"
Released: February 20, 1985 (US), April 8, 1985 (UK)
Audio sample
Simple Minds—Don't You (Forget About Me)
file
help
The Breakfast Club soundtrack album was released on February 19, 1985 by A&M Records. The album peaked at No. 17 on the Billboard 200 album chart. The song "Don't You (Forget About Me)" performed by Scottish rock band Simple Minds was released on February 20, 1985 in the United States and on April 8, 1985 in the United Kingdom as a single and reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Track listing[edit]
"Don't You (Forget About Me)" – Simple Minds
"Waiting" – E.G. Daily
"Fire in the Twilight" – Wang Chung
"I'm the Dude" (instrumental) – Keith Forsey
"Heart Too Hot to Hold" – Jesse Johnson and Stephanie Spruill
"Dream Montage" (instrumental) – Gary Chang
"We Are Not Alone" – Karla DeVito
"Reggae" (instrumental) – Keith Forsey
"Didn't I Tell You?" – Joyce Kennedy
"Love Theme" (instrumental) – Keith Forsey
Critical reception[edit]
In a June 25, 1985 review for The Village Voice, music critic Robert Christgau gave the album a "D−" and said that it has "utterly negligible" songs, and he commended Simple Minds for trying to distance themselves from their song, "Don't You (Forget About Me)," best known for being played during the film's opening and closing credits.[40] In a retrospective review for AllMusic, Stephen Thomas Erlewine gave the soundtrack three out of five stars and wrote that, apart from Simple Minds' "undisputed masterpiece," the album is largely "disposable" and marred by "'80s artifacts" and "forgettable instrumentals".[41]
References[edit]
Jump up ^ "The Breakfast Club". Bbfc.co.uk. Retrieved July 30, 2014.
Jump up ^ "The 80's: 'The Breakfast Club'". Retrieved September 29, 2014.
Jump up ^ Gross data for the film The Breakfast Club from movie data base site Box Office Mojo
Jump up ^ "Breakfast Club 30". BreakfastClub30.com.
^ Jump up to: a b Itzkoff, Dave (September 17, 2010). "She Won't Forget About Him: Molly Ringwald Remembers John Hughes". The New York Times. Retrieved September 4, 2011.
^ Jump up to: a b Steinberg, Julie (September 21, 2010). "‘The Breakfast Club’ Cast Reunites, But Where’s Emilio? ‘Working on ‘Mighty Ducks 5". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved March 28, 2012.
Jump up ^ Gora, Susannah (2010). You Couldn't Ignore Me If You Tried. Three Rivers Press. pp. 56–57.
Jump up ^ "Premiere, December 1999, Oral history "Breakfast Club"". comcast.net.
Jump up ^ Gora, Susannah (2010). You Couldn't Ignore Me If You Tried. Three Rivers Press. p. 47.
Jump up ^ Gora, Susannah (2010). You Couldn't Ignore Me If You Tried. Three Rivers Press. p. 58.
Jump up ^ Gora, Susannah (2010). You Couldn't Ignore Me If You Tried. Three Rivers Press. pp. 59, 69.
Jump up ^ Dameron, Emerson (August 11, 2009). "John Hughes: The Director’s Cut". Newcity Film. Retrieved March 28, 2012.
Jump up ^ Johnson, Jennifer (April 21, 2015). Chicago Tribune http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/park-ridge/news/ct-prh-breakfast-club-script-tl-0423-20150420-story.html. Retrieved January 20, 2017. Missing or empty |title= (help)
Jump up ^ Gora, Susannah (2010). You Couldn't Ignore Me If You Tried. Three Rivers Press. pp. 79-80, 325-326.
^ Jump up to: a b Loukides, Paul (1996). Beyond the Stars 5: Themes and Ideologies in American Popular Film. Popular Press. pp. 30–32. ISBN 9780879727017.
Jump up ^ Barsanti, Chris (2010). Filmology: A Movie-a-Day Guide to the Movies You Need to Know. Adams Media. p. 49.
Jump up ^ "The Breakfast Club". Oup.com. Retrieved September 9, 2013.
Jump up ^ http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0088847/releaseinfo?ref_=tt_ql_dt_2
Jump up ^ "The Breakfast Club (High School Reunion Collection): Molly Ringwald, Emilio Estevez, Anthony Michael Hall, Judd Nelson, Ally Sheedy, John Kapelos, Paul Gleason, John Hughes, Ned Tanen: Movies & TV". Amazon.com. Retrieved July 30, 2014.
Jump up ^ "The Breakfast Club (Flashback Edition): Emilio Estevez, Anthony Michael Hall, Molly Ringwald, Ally Sheedy, Judd Nelson, Paul Gleason, Mercedes Hall, John Kapelos, Ron Dean, Perry Crawford, Fran Gargano, John Hughes, Tim Gamble, Jackie Burch, Thomas del Ruth: Movies & TV". Amazon.com. Retrieved July 30, 2014.
Jump up ^ "The Breakfast Club (25th Anniversary Edition) [Blu-ray]: Emilio Estevez, Paul Gleason, Anthony Michael Hall, Judd Nelson, Molly Ringwald, Ally Sheedy, John Hughes: Movies & TV". Amazon.com. Retrieved July 30, 2014.
Jump up ^ "The Breakfast Club (Blu-ray + DVD + Digital Copy) : Universal's 100th Anniversary". Amazon.com. Retrieved March 26, 2013.
Jump up ^ "Celebrating 100 years of iconic movie moments". Universal 100th. Retrieved July 30, 2014.
Jump up ^ "The Breakfast Club 30th Anniversary Edition Blu-ray". Blu-ray.com. Retrieved December 30, 2014.
Jump up ^ Nordine, Michael (October 16, 2017). "The Criterion Collection Announces January 2018 Titles, Including ‘The Breakfast Club’ and ‘I, Daniel Blake’". IndieWire. Penske Business Media, LLC. Missing or empty |url= (help); |access-date= requires |url= (help)
Jump up ^ "The Breakfast Club Movie Reviews, Pictures". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved February 16, 2013.
Jump up ^ The Breakfast Club, retrieved 2017-10-20
Jump up ^ "The Breakfast Club, Movie Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved July 14, 2010.
Jump up ^ "Weekend Box Office: February 15-18, 1985—4-day President's Day Weekend". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved September 3, 2011.
Jump up ^ The Breakfast Club at Box Office Mojo
Jump up ^ "AFI's 100 Years...100 Songs" (PDF). American Film Institute. Retrieved October 12, 2012.
Jump up ^ AFI's 100 Years...100 Cheers Nominees (PDF)
Jump up ^ AFI's 100 Years...100 Movies (10th Anniversary Edition) Ballot (PDF)
Jump up ^ Dunkleberger, Amy (2007). So You Want to Be a Film Or TV Screenwriter?. Enslow Publishers, Inc. p. 73.
Jump up ^ "Empire's The 500 Greatest Movies of All Time". Empire. Retrieved August 5, 2010.
Jump up ^ "The 301 Greatest Movies Of All Time — Empire — www.empireonline.com". Empire.
Jump up ^ "The Best 1,000 Movies Ever Made". The New York Times. April 29, 2003. Retrieved August 5, 2010.
Jump up ^ "Entertainment Weekly's The 50 Best High School Movies". AMC Filmsite.org. Retrieved August 5, 2010.
Jump up ^ Scott, A. O. (December 14, 2001). "FILM REVIEW; Pretty in Prank: A Spoof of a Lampoon of a Satire of...". The New York Times. Retrieved March 28, 2012.
Jump up ^ Christgau, Robert (June 25, 1985). "Christgau's Consumer Guide". The Village Voice. New York. Retrieved December 16, 2016.
Jump up ^ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "The Breakfast Club [Original Soundtrack]". AllMusic. Retrieved December 16, 2016.
External links[edit]
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Wikiquote has quotations related to: The Breakfast Club
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[hide]
v
t
e
John Hughes
Director
and writer
Sixteen Candles (1984)
The Breakfast Club (1985)
Weird Science (1985)
Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986)
Planes, Trains and Automobiles (1987)
She's Having a Baby (1988)
Uncle Buck (1989)
Curly Sue (1991)
Writer only
National Lampoon's Class Reunion (1982)
Mr. Mom (1983)
National Lampoon's Vacation (1983)
Nate and Hayes (1983)
National Lampoon's European Vacation (1985)
Pretty in Pink (1986)
Some Kind of Wonderful (1987)
The Great Outdoors (1988)
National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (1989)
Home Alone (1990)
Career Opportunities (1991)
Dutch (1991)
Beethoven (1992)
Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (1992)
Dennis the Menace (1993)
Baby's Day Out (1994)
Miracle on 34th Street (1994)
101 Dalmatians (1996)
Flubber (1997)
Home Alone 3 (1997)
Reach the Rock (1998)
Just Visiting (2001)
Maid in Manhattan (2002, story)
Drillbit Taylor (2008, original character)
Related
Don't You Forget About Me (2009 documentary)
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_Breakfast_Club&oldid=808067572"
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1985 films
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