A far more sanguine recreation of Operation Market Garden than the star-studded seventies version, 'A Bridge Too Far', with a rather light-hearted musical accompaniment by Guy Warrack on the soundtrack.
Considering the pasting the First Airborne Division had taken at Arnheim, the British took their routs as in their stride as their victories. As many of those in this film were original participants, the 'acting' is inclined to be rather stilted, with lines like "Oh give me a cigarette, Sidney, this pipe's gone out!" being characteristic (although the close-ups of disappointed faces when a cache of parachuted supplies falls short is far more eloquent than any dialogue could be).
The joins often show in the grain of the original footage, actually complementing the terrific combat photography: both original and some obviously staged later since combat cameramen couldn't have exercised such visual finesse under battlefield conditions.
Considering the pasting the First Airborne Division had taken at Arnheim, the British took their routs as in their stride as their victories. As many of those in this film were original participants, the 'acting' is inclined to be rather stilted, with lines like "Oh give me a cigarette, Sidney, this pipe's gone out!" being characteristic (although the close-ups of disappointed faces when a cache of parachuted supplies falls short is far more eloquent than any dialogue could be).
The joins often show in the grain of the original footage, actually complementing the terrific combat photography: both original and some obviously staged later since combat cameramen couldn't have exercised such visual finesse under battlefield conditions.