A Bridge Too Far |
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I got downright excited when I first saw the list of actors to grace the screen in A Bridge Too Far. Sean Connery. Michael Caine. Anthony Hopkins. Gene Hackman. Robert Redford. Laurence Olivier. Now that’s impressive casting if I’ve ever seen it. Of course, I was little less excited after I’d actually seen the movie. Based on the best-selling novel by Cornelius Ryan, A Bridge Too Far details the real-life World War II military endeavor dubbed Operation: Market Garden. The plan involved dropping 35,000 paratroopers behind enemy lines and capturing a series a German-held bridges, thus allowing the Allies to march unimpeded into the industrial heart of Germany and end the war. To say the plan was a failure would be an understatement, as it cost more Allied lives than the D-Day invasion. The movie itself shows the failure unfold in the field, as well as detailing military ineptitude behind the lines. From Lt. General Browning (the excellent Dirk Bogarde), who has a subordinate transferred because he introduced evidence which might have caused the mission to be called off, to Field Marshall Model, who had the arrogance to assume the thousands of paratroopers dropping out of the sky were being sent to capture him, we view the high-ranking incompetence on both sides of the war.
The movie jumps around a lot in order to show us the various sites of battle. While this gives the audience a lot of action to enjoy, it also ensures that all the acting firepower is never fully utilized. The characters never achieve the emotional depth of, say, the soldiers from Saving Private Ryan. We are instead left with one-dimensional characters fighting an epic battle. All action. No emotion. It’s kind of like watching a bunch of kids play war with a bigger budget. And while the action scenes are nicely done, modern audiences may find themselves slightly disappointed. A Bridge Too Far lacks the unflinching gore of more modern war movies like Private Ryan and Brotherhood of War. While this is simply a product of the era in which the film was made, many viewers may go in expecting otherwise and leave unsatisfied. But despite its shortcomings, A Bridge Too Far isn’t a particularly offensive film. It still boasts a great cast, and there’s something fun about watching so many huge stars on the screen at the same time. The battles were filmed on the actual sites, and period aircraft and tanks were used to create a greater sense of authenticity. War movie buffs will no doubt love it despite its flaws, and everyone else will probably come away feeling somewhere in the middle. Like Operation: Market Garden, the film is simply a good idea gone wrong. Grade: C If you like this film, you might also enjoy:
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Movie News
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Director Richard Attenborough does a credible job, especially
for someone who is known more for his acting than his directing. The scenes of the
paratroopers descending from the sky are truly impressive and give the viewer a good idea of what
it must have actually been like. No, the problem isn’t with Attenborough or the cast.
If there’s a villain to blame, it would have to be the script.
Richard Attenborough - A Bridge Too Far |
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