What happened to Paco in Hemingway and Gellhorn?

In the film Hemingway & Gellhorn, Paco, a character who serves as a translator and friend to Ernest Hemingway and Martha Gellhorn, was executed as a suspected traitor by the Republican forces during the Spanish Civil War.

The Tragic Disappearance and Execution

Paco initially acts as a crucial link for Hemingway and Gellhorn to the Spanish Republican cause, facilitating their understanding and reporting of the conflict. He is portrayed as a loyal and intelligent individual deeply invested in the anti-fascist struggle. However, amidst the escalating paranoia and internal purges within the Republican ranks, Paco mysteriously disappears.

It is later revealed that he was arrested and subsequently executed by the Republic under charges of treason. This tragic event deeply impacts Hemingway and Gellhorn, highlighting the brutal realities and the internal conflicts that plagued the Republican side, where suspicion and political infighting could lead to swift and fatal consequences.

Historical Basis and Significance

The character of Paco is loosely based on the real-life José Robles Pazos. Robles was a highly respected Spanish academic and translator, and a close friend of American writer John Dos Passos. Like Paco, Robles was executed by the Republican government during the Spanish Civil War. The veracity of the charges against Robles were highly doubtful, and his death became a significant point of contention and disillusionment for many foreign observers and intellectuals, including Dos Passos himself. This event contributed to a major rift between Dos Passos and Hemingway, who held differing views on the legitimacy of such actions by the Republican government.

Paco's fate in the film serves to illustrate several critical aspects of the Spanish Civil War:

• Internal Purges: It underscores the severe internal purges and counter-espionage activities that occurred within the Republican faction, often targeting perceived dissidents or traitors.
• Moral Ambiguity: It highlights the complex moral landscape of the war, where even those fighting against fascism could commit grave injustices.
• Personal Toll: It emphasizes the profound personal toll the conflict took on individuals, both combatants and civilians, as well as the foreign correspondents observing it.

Key Details Regarding Paco's Fate:

Paco's execution in Hemingway & Gellhorn stands as a poignant reminder of the darker, less heroic aspects of the Spanish Civil War, reflecting the historical complexities and the tragic human cost beyond the battlefield.