CONSENSUS # 39. A Bridge Too Far (1977)

SYNOPSIS: "A Bridge Too Far" is an all-star battle epic from the subgenre founded by "The Longest Day". It is the story of Operation Market Garden in WWII Europe.  This was an attempt to seize several bridges leading into Germany.  The movie covers both the British and the American effort and also gives the German perspective.  It tends toward being command-centric, but has a lot of combat.

BACKSTORY:
“A Bridge Too Far” is basically a sequel to “The Longest Day” and suffers a bit in the comparison. They are both based on books by Cornelius Ryan. ABTF was released in 1977, three years after the book. It has a similar format as its sister film – the all-star cast in a war epic. The movie was something of a flop which should not have been a surprise given that it was about a mostly British affair and a loss at that. Given the odds stacked against it, the movie mirrors the event it portrays in that respect.

TRIVIA:  wikipedia, imdb, TCM

1.  It is based on the book by Cornelius Ryan.  He also wrote The Longest Day.

2.  One thousand paratroopers using Dakotas were used in the drop scenes.

3.  Dirk Bogarde had been on Montgomery’s staff .  He was an intelligence officer who was sent to Arnhem during the battle.  He took issue with the portrayal of Gen. Browning, as did Browning’s family.

4.  All the lead actors agreed to work for “favored nation” fees which was $250,000 per week.  Robert Redford was an exception.  He was paid $2 million for two weeks work.

5.  Director Richard Attenborough shot 2.7 million feet of film, equivalent to more than 500 hours.

Belle and Blade  =  2.5

Brassey’s              =  4.0

Video Hound       =  4.4

War Movies         =  3.1

Military History  =  #94

Channel 4             =  #7

Film Site                =  yes

101 War Movies  =  yes

        Rotten Tomatoes  =  no

 
OPINION:
The obvious thing to do is to compare this movie to “The Longest Day”. In some ways it is a sequel and we all know about sequels – they seldom live up to the original. However, ABTF has some big shoes to fill and it is probably asking too much for it to surpass or even equal its parent. Technically, it is a superior film. The airborne landing scene and the fighting in Arnhem are superior to any action in TLD. Compare the combat in Arnhem specifically to the scenes in Ouistreham and you will see what I mean.
Another comparison is ABTF is more command-centric than TLD. There is only one grunt character – Dohun. TLD is full of privates. I do not know if it reflects the difference, but Sean Connery portrays a private in TLD and he has been promoted to general by ABTF ( think on that ). It does not have to be either/or as TLD proves with its blend of scenes showing the strategic ( the generals ) and the tactical

( the foot soldiers and their officers ). ABTR does not blend as well.

I admire the guts of the producers in making a movie that is a history lesson and a downer at that. I cannot believe the marketing people were thrilled with that. Kudos for swimming upstream.

The movie came out in the mid-seventies and reflects the transition from old-school war movies ( like TLD ) to the more cynical modern war film ( Patton ). It clearly reflects the post-Vietnam view of the military and warfare in general. The emphasis on SNAFU, clueless strategists, the waste of human lives, and pressing on with flawed plans are apparent in the movie.

"A Bridge Too Far" is sadly underrated, but not here. It is fairly treated on this list.  I can see why people who don't care about history might not be excited about it, but as a war movie lover it is a real treat.