MOVIE ANALYSIS

American Studies Mid-term Assignment

-FOR WHOM THE BELL TOLLSBy: Chory Trisa Yuanilasari
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1. The movie
Title :
The movie is based on the novel written by Ernest Hemmingway which has the same title

For Whom the Bell Tolls

Characters :
a) Main Characters:
1. Robert Jordan is a american soldier who voluntered himself to be the side of
republican during the Spanish civil war. He portrays as good person, has good
leadership, and responsible.
2. Pablo is a leader of guerilla camp who fights to republican. He is describes as a
drunken man, only cares about himself, mad man.
3. Pilar is a Pablos wife who is more responsible than Pablo. She is independent, calm,
and firm at the same time.
4. Maria is a woman found by Pablo guerrilla team when they blew the train. Maria is a
victim of rape of the fascist. Maria portrays as dependent woman, calm, and beautiful.
She later in the movie falls in love with Jordan.
b) Supported Characters:
1. Anselmo is a member of Pablos band
2. Agustin is a member of Pablos band
3. Fernando is a member of Pablos band
4. Primitivo is a member of Pablos band
5. Rafael is a member of Pablos band-usually called as the gypsy
6. Andres is a member of Pablos band
7. Eladio is a member of Pablos band
8. El Sordo is a leader of another guerilla band who fought for republican
9. Joaquin is a member of El Sordos band
10. General Golz is general of International Brigades who gave the mission to Jordan
11. Kaskhin is ex Jordans partner in the previous mission who died in running from the
enemy.
12. Karkov is a well-connected correspondent
13. Captain Gomez is first commander in the battalion in which Andres was asked to meet
by Jordan.
14. Lieutenant-colonel Miranda is republican staff office brigades

Synopsis :
The story is about Robert Jordan who is an American who served in international brigades.
He is with the Republican to fight against the fascist during Spain Civil War. He is given a
mission by General Golz to bomb the bridge where the fascists truck-loaded with
reinforcements will make a way through that bridge. He joins Pablos band to accomplish
his mission as dynamiter and blew the bridge up by the help of Pablos band so that the
enemy had lost. Aside from external conflict, there is also internal conflict between Pablo
and Jordan in which make the process of blowing the bridge becomes more difficult and
chalenging. This movie, in all is about struggling and focuses to accomplish in their very
first aim

2. The historical events

What is the historical event?
Spanish civil war indicated as one of the pre-war of World War 2 which was happened
around 1939 to 1945. United States were mixed up with the war since it was counted as
Allies. World War 2 was primary about two all great powers millitary alliances in the
world-the Axis and the Allies. There is no exact reasons of why World War 2 begun. Some
says that World War 2 is the continuation of World War 1. The other says that World War 2
was happened when many countries fought to each other to expand their territory and show
their power to the world. For Whom the Bell Tolls used this background about the Spain

Civil war which is indicated as pre-war of World War 2 in which U.S was mixed up.
Evidence from the movie:
1. Characters: Robert Jordan as an American who volunteered in the international brigades
dynamiter exactly resembles a American who joined with the war. The international
brigades is a mixed millitary consists of British Battalion, Dimitrov Battalion, 6 fervier
Battalion, and Lincoln Battalion who are voluntary served in Spanish Civil War.
2. Utterances: there are some utterances which support the background of the movie
From the above interaction, we can conclude that Jordan was American soldier since the
girl said hi to Jordan by
uttering the word Americano.

From the utterances of Jordan which

says that hes here for the Republican.
That was the seal of the General Staff. They commanded for the Republic. It explains that Jordan
was fight for Republican, which belongs to Allies.

Elaboration of the events

Spain Civil War was
indicated as one of the preWorld War 2 where in both
Spain Civil War and World
War 2, U.S was concluded. In

Spain Civil War, U.S became one of the members of International Brigades who fought for
Republican in Spain. Robert Jordan (the main character from the movie) as American
volunteered himself to be a part of International Brigades during Spain Civil War which
was happened around 1936-1939. International Brigades was also made from XV
International Brigades consisted of 3 non Spanish battalion in which one of them is Lincoln
Battalion. Lincoln Battalion (battalion from U.S) was established for helping the Spain
Civil War to fight against the Fascist. Fascist is Spanish Falangist led by Fransisco Franco.
Lincoln Battalion consisted of 3.015 American volunteers and more than 300 American
soldiers were dead whether from war, sickness after the war, or post-war traumatic. There
were two reasons of why Americans fought under the Lincoln international brigades. First,
Africans-Americans soldier who were the member of the brigades had experienced
injustices back in U.S so they fought against injustice. Second, they had same aim that they
hated fascism.
3. Indonesia at that time
The setting of For Whom the Bell Tools is about Spain Civil War around late 1939, also
indicated as the beginning of World War 2. Meanwhile , there were some issues which
happened in Indonesia which happened same in the late 1939.
1) On May 1939, GAPI (Gabungan Politik Indonesia, Indonesian Political federation),
except PNI (Partai National Indonesia, National Indonesian Party), was formed. GAPI
was full parliament in which every Indonesia nationalist organizations joined. 2) On
December, GAPI was staged in Indonesia Peoples Congress (Kongres Rakyat Indonesia)
and was identified as the great success. But due to Volksraad, the Indonesia leadership
continued to split. 3) On September, 1st 1939, Hitler attacked Poland in which later was
identified as World War 2. Knowing the Fascism had been spreading broader, GAPI
pressed to Dutch to say war to Fascism, but, of course, without doubt, Dutch did not
respond it. However, at the end Indonesia stated to be non-block member who did not
support either Axis or Allies. In all, late 1939 was indicated as the trigger of World War 2,
both in Europe and also Asia.

4. Comment and opinion

Lesson learned and suggestion: from the movie and its relation with the American History,
we can learn that by having the same purpose and good teamwork, no doubt, we will get
our goal. Even we fail at the start, we, with the strong determined will get our goal. I
realized, that American people has strong characteristics. They are discipline, firm, and
fully determined. They joined many wars which happened both inside or outside United
States. In another words, they experienced in many failures which make them stronger.
Thus, we should learn from American that experiences and failures make us be better. We
learn from our experiences and failures, what make us fail, and how we fix it so that we
can success.