At the time he was writing Ernest Hemingway was regarded as one of America's finest literary assets, and virtually all his work was given a prestigious screen adaptation at some point in the 40s and 50s. Short on action but full of introspection, often set in exotic locations, his stories typically made for slow-moving but visually stunning motion pictures.
"Slow-moving" and "visually stunning" could also loosely describe the style of director Henry King, who helmed this version of Hemingway's short story The Snows of Kilimanjaro. King was by no means dull, and he never got hung up on imagery, but he certainly encouraged a thoughtful style from his cast and had a love of natural beauty. His shots of the outdoors are unique; never expansive, empty landscapes but always layered, detailed compositions that show off shape and contour. There is always a sense of closeness and intimacy in King's pictures, evident from the first few shots of The Snows of Kilimanjaro – a close-up of Gregory Peck, the shadow of a tree branch sweeping across his face, cut with close-ups of him watching the flight of a vulture – a haunting and compelling introduction to the story.
And Peck is very much the right man for this sort of thing – deep, serious, with an air of melancholy, but also handsome and charismatic. And of course, a very fine actor. He handles the lengthy stretches of dialogue well, putting character into Hemingway's words. And his women here are equal matches, especially Susan Hayward, who is all quiet confidence. From her voice to the way her arms lie as she sits next to Peck, everything says here is a strong-willed woman, every bit an equal partner in her relationship with Peck. And every bit an attractive woman too. One thing that The Snows of Kilimanjaro suffers from however is a lack of really outstanding supporting players.
I haven't read the original Hemingway story on which this is based. Apparently the central theme is supposedly Harry Street's sense of dissatisfaction with his own writing. However, whether it is differences in this adaptation or simply my own impression of it, I was struck far more by Street's rocky love life, in particular the series of disillusioned women he leaves behind him. It is to me the epitome of 1950s melodrama, from the stabbing score of Alfred Newman to the searing shot of Peck and Ava Gardner kissing before the stark backdrop of a tree. And it seems this is how the American public saw it too. Despite its hard-going literary roots, it became the third highest-grossing picture of the year.
"Slow-moving" and "visually stunning" could also loosely describe the style of director Henry King, who helmed this version of Hemingway's short story The Snows of Kilimanjaro. King was by no means dull, and he never got hung up on imagery, but he certainly encouraged a thoughtful style from his cast and had a love of natural beauty. His shots of the outdoors are unique; never expansive, empty landscapes but always layered, detailed compositions that show off shape and contour. There is always a sense of closeness and intimacy in King's pictures, evident from the first few shots of The Snows of Kilimanjaro – a close-up of Gregory Peck, the shadow of a tree branch sweeping across his face, cut with close-ups of him watching the flight of a vulture – a haunting and compelling introduction to the story.
And Peck is very much the right man for this sort of thing – deep, serious, with an air of melancholy, but also handsome and charismatic. And of course, a very fine actor. He handles the lengthy stretches of dialogue well, putting character into Hemingway's words. And his women here are equal matches, especially Susan Hayward, who is all quiet confidence. From her voice to the way her arms lie as she sits next to Peck, everything says here is a strong-willed woman, every bit an equal partner in her relationship with Peck. And every bit an attractive woman too. One thing that The Snows of Kilimanjaro suffers from however is a lack of really outstanding supporting players.
I haven't read the original Hemingway story on which this is based. Apparently the central theme is supposedly Harry Street's sense of dissatisfaction with his own writing. However, whether it is differences in this adaptation or simply my own impression of it, I was struck far more by Street's rocky love life, in particular the series of disillusioned women he leaves behind him. It is to me the epitome of 1950s melodrama, from the stabbing score of Alfred Newman to the searing shot of Peck and Ava Gardner kissing before the stark backdrop of a tree. And it seems this is how the American public saw it too. Despite its hard-going literary roots, it became the third highest-grossing picture of the year.