This respectful adaptation of Ernest Hemingway's novel of the Spanish Civil War was one of the most sensational and popular films to come out of wartime Hollywood. Gary Cooper and Ingrid Bergman were Hemingway's personal choices for the roles of Robert Jordan, the soldier of fortune who comes to blow up a Falangist bridge, and Maria, the brutalized peasant girl he falls in love with. Perhaps more impressive are the performances of Akim Tamiroff and Katina Paxinou as the Partisan guerilla leaders Pablo and Pilar.