Hemingway by Ken Burns and Lynn Novick is a deep documentary on the famous writer. We see the man and not the myth that has grown throughout the years. Hemingway unlike his writing peers of the time is legendary, we know more about the mythical character and less about the actual writer and his works. He transcends his works. He was truly a character. Hemingway premieres on PBS on April 5, 2021, but you can own it on DVD/Blu-ray and the soundtrack.
Hemingway, a three-part, six-hour documentary film by Ken Burns and Lynn Novick, examines the visionary work and the turbulent life of Ernest Hemingway, one of the greatest and most influential writers America has ever produced. Interweaving his eventful biography — a life lived at the ultimately treacherous nexus of art, fame, and celebrity — with carefully selected excerpts from his iconic short stories, novels, and non-fiction, the series reveals the brilliant, ambitious, charismatic, and complicated man behind the myth and the art he created.
Hemingway examines the visionary work and turbulent life of one of the greatest and most influential American writers – Ernest Hemingway. Intimate and insightful, the series weaves together Hemingway’s biography with excerpts from his work. The film penetrates the myth of Hemingway to reveal a deeply troubled and ultimately tragic figure.
Episode One – “A Writer” (1899-1929)
Hemingway enjoys an idyllic childhood in Oak Park, Illinois but, yearning for adventure volunteers for the Red Cross during World War I. He marries Hadley Richardson, moves to Paris and begins his life as a writer, publishing In Our Time and The Sun Also Rises. He finds critical and commercial success with his second novel, A Farewell to Arms.
Episode Two – “The Avatar” (1929-1944)
Hemingway, having achieved a level of fame rarely seen in the literary world, settles in Key West with Pauline Pfeiffer and spends his time seeking new conquests in the natural world – marlin fishing in the Gulf Stream and hunting in Africa. Inspired by the fight against Fascism, he reports on the Spanish Civil War and begins a tempestuous romance with Martha Gellhorn.
Episode Three – “The Blank Page” (1944-1961)
Hemingway, reeling from his split with Martha, attaches himself to the U.S. Army as it moves through Normandy and liberates Paris. After the war, he tries to start a new life with Mary Welsh but is beset with personal tragedies and professional mishaps. He publishes The Old Man and the Sea and wins the Nobel Prize but eventually is overcome by addiction, physical trauma and depression.
Hemingway: Original Soundtrack Music CD
Produced by Grammy® award-winning producer and violinist, Johnny Gandelsman, it features all 9 tracks of original and evocative music heard in the film.
Track List: Gyan Riley – El Torito
Shanir Blumenkranz, Johnny Gandelsman, Mathias Kunzli, Michael Nicolas, Gyan Riley – Flor De Mayo
David Cieri – After The Storm
Shanir Blumenkranz, Jeremy De Jesus, Mathias Kunzli, Michael Nicolas, Gyan Riley – La Plenitud
Shanir Blumenkranz, Jeremy De Jesus, Johnny Gandelsman, Mathias Kunzli, Michael Nicolas, Gyan Riley – Un Gitanito En La Habana
David Cieri – Villalta
Shanir Blumenkranz, Mathias Kunzli, Michael Nicolas, Gyan Riley – The Garden of Eden
Shanir Blumenkranz, Johnny Gandelsman, Gyan Riley – Flor De La Noche Mirando A Las Estrellas
Shanir Blumenkranz, Johnny Gandelsman, Gyan Riley – La Despedida