The Pride and the Passion

I watched The Pride and the Passion last evening. It was a movie that I vaguely remembered from the 50s and I wanted to see it again. I wondered whether it was as good as I remembered it. It was not. Interesting but not terribly good. The story takes place during the Napoleonic War. France has invaded Spain. Miguel (Frank Sinatra), the shoemaker, has captured a immense cannon. He wishes to take it across Spain and attack the town of Avila. Sophia Loren plays the peasant girl who is Miguel’s lover. Cary Grant plays an English naval officer who also wants the cannon. He and Miguel come to an agreement. Grant will accompany the cannon to Avila and fire it; he is the only one who knows how. Then he can have the cannon and the manpower to muscle it back across Spain to the coast. Of course, Grant and Loren fall in love. Sinatra did not make a very good Spaniard. I remembered spectacular scenery. There wasn’t very much. But some of the scenes with the huge cannon were worth it. Dragged by hundreds of men up hill and down dale. Getting away while crossing the river and crashing downstream. Being repaired in a cathedral during holy week right under the eyes of the French. The music was composed by George Antheil and it is very good. I remember that I have an LP of the soundtrack somewhere in my collection. While the movie wasn’t as good as I remembered I don’t consider the time wasted. A cast of thousand, literally. I’m pleased that I belong to Netflix and can obtain films like this when I’m in the mood.