A Bell for Adano Reviews

At the end of WW II, Hodiak is a tough Army major who is given the job of reestablishing civil administration in Adano, a small Italian town. The town has been ravaged by the war, its citizens starving and in rags. Hodiak must feed the people as well as instill in them trust of the Americans. He stops the lynching of the former Fascist mayor but deals harshly with others who have backed Mussolini. His life is further complicated when he falls in love with a local girl, stunning Tierney. Strong support comes from Bendix, who gives a superbly understated performance as the kind-hearted major's orderly, and Conte, one of the returning POW Italian soldiers. As a gesture of understanding and affection for the people in his charge, Hodiak goes to great lengths to retrieve the huge church bell which symbolizes the town's spirit and which has been stolen. It is replaced in the tower and tolls upon Hodiak's departure, one which is attended by the grateful citizens. A well done adaptation of Hersey's powerful novel.