Hemingway Collection - The Fifth Column. For Whom the Bell Tolls

Author: (USA) Hemingway / Feng Yidai / Dong Hengsun
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-08-01
Features: The play The Fifth Column is set against the backdrop of the Battle of Madrid. At that time, a Spanish rebel general claimed that four columns were surrounding Madrid, while a group of sympathizers inside the city were to cooperate with the troops in a joint operation, which he called the Fifth Column. The protagonist, an American journalist, assists the Spanish government army in counter-revolutionary work, infiltrates enemy reconnaissance posts, and apprehends spies for trial. His girlfriend is a somewhat cynical American university student who travels to Spain to report on the war. The play also features a German anti-fascist fighter, the leader of the Spanish government's defense bureau, and a Black prostitute, all of whom appear in the Florida Hotel, where a series of vivid dramas unfold. Spanish Earth is a documentary shot on location in Spain by Dutch director Julien Duvivier and Hemingway, with Hemingway writing the narration and personally voicing it. Together with The Fifth Column, it stands as a remarkable contribution made by Hemingway in his dedication to the anti-fascist struggle.