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A Bridge Too Far
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Editorial Reviews:
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An epic film that "re-creates in stunning detail one of the most disastrous battles of World War II" (The Hollywood Reporter), A Bridge Too Far is a spectacular war picture. Painstakingly recreated on actual battlefield locations and boasting a remarkable cast that includes Sean Connery, Anthony Hopkins, Sir Laurence Olivier and Robert Redford, A Bridge Too Far accurately recaptures the monumental scope, excitement and danger behind one of the biggest military gambles in history. In September 1944, flush with success after the Normandy Invasion, the Allies confidently launched Operation Market Garden, a wild scheme intended to put an early end to the fighting by invading Germany and smashing the Reich's war plants. But a combination of battlefield politics, faulty intelligence, bad luck and even worse weather led to disaster beyond the Allies' darkest fears.
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This massive 1977 adaptation by director Richard Attenborough (Gandhi) of Cornelius Ryan's novel features an all-star cast in an epic rendering of a daring but ultimately disastrous raid behind enemy lines in Holland during the Second World War. A lengthy and exhaustive look at the mechanics of warfare and the price and futility of war, the film is almost too large for its aims but manages to be both picaresque and affecting, particularly in the performance of James Caan. The impressive cast includes Robert Redford, Gene Hackman, Anthony Hopkins, Laurence Olivier, Dirk Bogarde, Sean Connery, and Liv Ullmann among others. While not a classic war film, it nevertheless manages to be a consistently interesting and exciting adventure. --Robert Lane
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A Bridge Too Far
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User Comments About A Bridge Too Far
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But the price made it worth it. It was originally filmed in great quality. I viewed it on a 720p 42" LCD. Nice reproduction. Not real sure if the Blue-ray version is that much better.
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A Bridge Too Far and Lessons Too Close
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Anyway this is a small fault. It proves that war is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury and blood, and accomplishing nothing. Let me explain why this is a good movie and why I give it only four stars. An officer asks his aide if his golf clubs are packed for the invasion. It certainly showed the character flaws of some of our great men. Pros: Hollywood doesn't intrude too much, in fact hardly at all.
Thankfully John Wayne is not here defeating the Germans single-handed. The con: I had trouble keeping track always where we were and who was fighting. One thing hard to believe today is that a war thirsty leader would disregard intelligence because it doesn't fit his plan for making a battle. This movie is one of my favorite anti-war movies. Being assured that this is certainly done, the officer inquires after his dinner jacket.
Of course nothing like that would happen now, but it did then. Generals who are so involved in stealing glory from each other that a half-baked plan with poor preparation is put into effect so Montgomery can get to Berlin before Patton. This work, like the book, is fair in its characterizations of the forces involved and their humanity.
The criteria I use to judge a movie is Do I like it. If you want descriptions of camera angles or photographic woners/failures then don't waste your time on this review. Who needs to worry if the radios work when you have the necessary social amenities.
Maybe the length of the movie was too much for my attention deficit resulting from commercial television. The response for this movie is YES. I am no movie critic.
I found the long movie very interesting and even humorous at one point.
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The Airborne scenes were top notch. This is a story about the invasion of the netherlands that was supposed to bring a quik end to Nazi resistance in the ETO. The special effects were supprisingly well done considering the time it was filmed (1977). The title says it all. For the most part it is historically accurate, and has an all star cast.
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Both pictures involve the stupidity of politics in fighting a war and not necessarily good military strategy and planning (think Iraq). What seems to be missing here and was stated at the beginning of the field was the distrust between Patton and Montgomery. In Gallipoli, after the massacre at Suvla Bay, Churchill quit the government. Ike gave in to this operation not because he wanted it (he didn't) but because he was pressured from the higher echelon to placate Montgomery. So, we haven't progressed one inch since these disasters. It was a massive failure and a great massacre. I watched this movie after watching Gallipoli last night. This was all Montgomery's botched idea (although no one seems to have questioned it and if they did they could only obey it).
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