Luckily you reminded me ... 
But regretably, I have forgotten much about it ...

I recall vaguely that my "expectations" were probably wrong to begin with ... it wasn't exactly a "war" film or "soldiers" (i.e., military) kind of film ... hence, one would not really learn the details of the Spanish Civil War from this film ... it is more about humanity and "heroism" (interestingly articulated/defined eventually) ...

i.e., In war, there are no heroes, only victims ...

I recall that the pacing wasn't as intense as I had hoped ... Nonetheless, many of us would still be keen to know how the film would end, with the impending meeting of the writer and the "hero" who might have spare and save the poet's life ...

PS: The speech at the end is rather down to earth and touching ... definitely food for thoughts ...