A Bridge Too Far (1977)

A historic telling of the failed attempt to capture several bridges to Germany in World War II in a campaign called Operation Market-Garden.

Director:

Richard Attenborough

Writers:

Cornelius Ryan (book), William Goldman (screenplay)

Stars:

Sean Connery, Ryan O'Neal, Michael Caine

Won 3 BAFTA Film Awards. Another 4 wins & 4 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Siem Vroom	...	Underground Leader
Marlies van Alcmaer	...	Underground Leader's Wife (as Marlies Van Alcmaer)
Erik van 't Wout	...	Underground Leader's Son (as Eric Van't Wout)
Wolfgang Preiss	...	Field Marshal Von Rundstedt
Hans von Borsody	...	General Blumentritt (as Hans Von Borsody)
Josephine Peeper	...	Cafe Waitress
Dirk Bogarde	...	Lieutenant General Browning
Paul Maxwell	...	Major General Maxwell Taylor
Sean Connery	...	Major General Urquhart
Ryan O'Neal	...	Brigadier General Gavin
Gene Hackman	...	Major General Sosabowski
Walter Kohut	...	Field Marshal Model
Peter Faber	...	Captain 'Harry' Bestebreurtje
Hartmut Becker	...	German Sentry
Frank Grimes	...	Major Fuller

Storyline

This WWII film follows the perspectives of American, Polish and British soldiers attempting to capture key bridges behind German lines in a complicated parachute and armoured assault.

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Plot Keywords:

bridge | operation market garden | british soldier | paratrooper | allies | 

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Taglines:

Out of the sky comes the screen's most incredible spectacle of men and war!

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Genres:

Drama | History | War

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Certificate:

PG

Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

USA UK

Language:

English German Dutch Polish Latin

Release Date:

15 June 1977 (USA)

Also Known As:

Die Brücke von Arnheim

Filming Locations:

Bemmel, Lingewaard, Gelderland, Netherlands

Box Office

Budget:

$26,000,000 (estimated)

Gross:

$50,800,000 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Joseph E. Levine Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

175 min

Sound Mix:

Stereo (35 mm prints) 70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints)

Color:

Black and White (archive footage) Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Roger Moore was initially cast in 'A Bridge Too Far', but was unable to appear when problems surrounding the Bond franchise meant that The Spy Who Loved Me was made a year later than originally planned, therefore coinciding with the production dates.

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Goofs

When Lt. Col. J.O.E Vandeleur is riding in the car talking to the officer who is driving, you can see in one far away view that their lips are not moving, but you still hear them talking.

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Quotes

U.S. medical colonel: Sergeant Dohun pulled a gun on me and threatened to kill me unless I did precisely what he ordered. I want you to put him under arrest.
Lt. Rafferty: Yes sir.
U.S. medical colonel: I want you to keep him there. I want you to keep him there for at least ten seconds.
Lt. Rafferty: I'm not all that sure I understand, Colonel.
U.S. medical colonel: Count to ten, Lieutenant, fast.
Lt. Rafferty: One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten. Like that, sir?
U.S. medical colonel: [dismisses him] Thank you, Lieutenant.

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Connections

Referenced in The Fairly OddParents: A Wish Too Far!/Tiny Timmy! (2001)

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Soundtracks

"3rd Movement"
(from Brandenburg Concerto No. 6 in B-Flat Major, BWV. 1051) (uncredited)
Music by Johann Sebastian Bach

User Reviews

A FAILED GAMBLE

This video portrays with great precision in an almost acted documentary way the failed attempt in September 1944 to end WWII early based on the plan conceived by Field Marshall Bernard Law Montgomery of El-Alemain (with Eisenhower's approval).The Allies by this time had advanced deep into Belgium almost to The Dutch border but the advance suddenly slowed due to their out-running lines of supply and their inability to take a servicable port intact nearer their front line.Supplies were still being transported from the won Normandy beachheads a distance of over 500miles.

The Plan involved dropping British, American and Polish paratroopers at strategic bridges in the Netherlands such as The Son, The Grave, Nijmegen, to be taken by the American 82nd and 101st Airborne and the prize, Arnhem to be taken and held by British paratroops.Once all these bridges were captured and held, The British 1st Army would drive up the road linking them, thus giving the Allies a springboard to the Rhine and Germany.It was code-named "Operation Market Garden", Market being the airborne drop and Garden the drive up the road.That was the theory. The planners overlooked,by ignoring seemingly on purpose aerial reconnaisance photos which indicated that Dieter's SS Panzers were resting and re-equipping in the Arnhem area. The Allies' communications equipment had not been tested thoroughly enough e.g. "walkie-talkies" worked in open country but what about in built-up areas?Did they have the right sort of crystals fitted?The daily air drops to re-supply lightly armed paratroops could not work if the paras were not in their coded/designated drop zones. Amazingly after the strategic withdrawal from Arnhem, Montgomery is purported to have said it was "90% successful"!

This film, directed by Richard Attenborough, was made in 1977 with a galaxy of well known stars i.e.:Dirk Bogarde as General Boy Browning,Lawrence Olivier, Liv Uhlman,Ryan O'Neal, James Caan, Robert Redford, Gene Hackman,Anthony Hopkins, Sean Connery and Michael Caine.They all play historical figures but for me the most effective was Edward Fox playing General Sir Brian Horrocks.The latter presented a UK TV series on WWII in the 1960's and Fox's mannerisms and speech patterns were unerringly similar.Please bear in mind that since the recent film "The Saving of Private Ryan", special effects in war films have gone up a quantum leap, e.g. the havoc that bullets/bombs/morters etc can wreak on the human body.So you are looking at 1977 special effects.Nevertheless the equipment including the DC3's and filming of the actual paratroopers drop into The Netherlands was most impressive.Sometimes the dialogue is a little stilted to modern tastes but this is or should be speech patterns from 1944.It was General Boy Browning who stated "...but sir, I think we may be going a bridge too far" when he met with the Allied top brass to oversee the plan which he had to execute.This is certainly one of the seminal WWII war films and the only one which concentrates on this failed strategy to liberate the Low Countries.

If you can forget the famous actors and get into their characters and have a sense of modern history, this long film will stimulate you.