The Pride and the Passion (1957)

Intro.
As February was going to be focused on leading men we adore, I thought the perfect film would be one starring both Cary Grant and Frank Sinatra.  I mean, two of my favorite guys in one film - how could I go wrong?  Well, it turns out there was a reason I had never heard of The Pride and the Passion until I went hunting for Sinatra films I hadn't seen yet. 

Overview
Cary Grant plays a British officer named Anthony, who is sent to Spain during the Napoleonic Wars to salvage a huge cannon that the French army has discarded.  What he finds is a group of Spanish resistance fighters who have not only found the cannon, but have fixed it and are trying to take it cross country to the town of Avila, which is protected by a fortress now occupied by the French.  Anthony is only interested in getting the gun back to England, but he needs the Spanish group to help him move it (that sucker is heavy!).  So he and the Spanish leader Miguel (Frank Sinatra) make a deal - Anthony will help them take the fortress with the gun (because he knows all about artillery) and they in turn will help him haul the gun to a ship bound for England.  The rest of the story is pretty solid - lots of pushing, lots of hiding from the French, lots of Anthony hooking up with Miguel's girlfriend, Juana (Sophia Loren).  The love triangle affects the whole film and we are finally drawn from Anthony's dilemma to Juana's as she has to choose between the two men (what a choice to have!!).  The ending is pretty spectacular as hundreds upon hundreds of Spaniards rush the fortress in order to save the town of Avila from the French.  I won't ruin it, but let's just say that Juana finally learns that she can't have it all.

Highlights (and some Low Points too)
First of all, there is an undeniable chemistry between Cary Grant and Sophia Loren.  I thought at first I was imagining it, since it was on the set of this movie that Cary supposedly proposed to Sophia.  Those shots where we see Anthony watching Juana, you can't help but wonder how much of that look is love and how much is just darn good acting.  It makes the film much more interesting to watch at that point, particularly for the, how shall I say it, "well censored" love scene between the two.  Oh I love when films subtly hint at sex and just as the couple embraces, the camera cuts to something like trees and then later comes back to the couple after the fact.  Such is the case here. 

This is not one of Frank Sinatra's best roles, though it is still much better than The Kissing Bandit.  His accent comes and goes (which is actually kind of endearing) and that haircut just doesn't look right on him.  But it is pretty neat to see him hold his own with Sophia and Cary.  Sophia Loren didn't seem as polished, but it could be because this was her first English film (although another film, Boy on a Dolphin was released sooner).  And Cary is good, but not his usual scene-stealing self (except when he's charming Sophia, of course!).   

Most importantly, the ending is really well done.  For a film that didn't hold my attention much, I was glued to the screen once they reach the fort and Juana must choose to either stay behind with Anthony and the cannon (where she'd be safe) or to go with Miguel and risk her life for her country.  I also enjoyed the scene before it where they ask for the help of the church in Avila - there is a beautiful mass that is held and the music and color fills up the screen.  That scene, particularly the statue of "The Pieta," is echoed in the film's ending in a delicate way.  It made me wonder if the film I had started to watch was really the same as the one that I was finishing.        

Review
While there are some good moments to this film (aside from those mentioned above, there is a great part where Anthony must explain to a puzzled Miguel why the cannon will "weigh" more going downhill and tries to use the laws of physics to show the math behind it), it feels long and heavy, as if you're pushing the cannon along with that mob of people.  It's a cool piece of Hollywood history because of Sophia Loren's earliest US work and her off-screen relationship with Cary Grant.  I didn't like the film, but I liked the history and really, any chance to watch Sinatra (even in awful roles) is still a chance I'll take.  

Want to read more?  Check out IMDb.  Also, if you are interested in a Cary Grant love triangle film, try The Philadelphia Story or The Grass is Greener.  Both films are fantastic - look for write-ups on those in the weeks to come!