Theirs Is the Glory (1946) User Reviews

British people were really like that.

[jmshogg · 8/10 · 4 September 2011]

One of my fellow-contributors giggled at the stereotypical British calmness displayed in this film. I was born in the UK before World War 2 and I can attest that, rightly or wrongly, most British people of that time were brought up to show restraint under pressure. It was a characteristic that served this country pretty well for a long time (though largely abandoned in recent years). So I found the level-headed attitude of the Arnhem participants entirely convincing (even if the acting was not up to professional standard). I knew plenty of people of that generation for whom making a drama out of their difficulties would have been anathema. Theirs Is The Glory is far truer to life as it was than any number of Hollywood war epics.

Great visually. Story is a little disjointed.

[boris891 · 7/10 · 2 November 2003]

This film was done with the real veterans reenacting the events of the battle of Arnhem. They used the real town and the real equipment. The story was sculpted by the rememberances of the soldier/actors. If you are not familiar with the story and characters this film may seem a bit confusing. The acting is often not great -- usually when they open their mouths. Yet they certainly knew how to handle the battle scenes. This film is typical of the period as there is no blood not gore. Look for the real Panther tank. It is a good contrast to A Bridge Too Far. I recommend you read a few books on the subject before watching the film.

It was so authentic

[wrthorne · 7/10 · 4 July 2005]

I saw this movie when I was a child back in the 1940's in England. Possibly when it was released, which I expect would have been about 1947, it would mean I was a Primary School child.

I have never forgotten the impact the film had. Sure there were wordy scenes, but I did not realise that it was recreated, so I thought "Well that's how adults talk!". It did not detract for a child from the impact of the movie.

We had seen lots of worse propaganda films during WWII which were so bad we could not believe them. So to see a film with the authenticity of that film was simply mind blowing.

The soldiers paid a terrible price but it was so true to life - one could have watched it over and over again. There should be more salutes to bravery like this film!

Good re-enactment of an heroic battle

[grantss · 7/10 · 24 July 2020]

September 1944. Operation Market Garden, the Allied plan to advance into Germany via Holland through the use of three airborne divisions and an armour-lead corps, is underway. The point of furtherest Allied advance is the town of Arnhem, held by the British 1st Airborne Division. This is its story.

Easily the most famous depiction of Operation Market Garden is A Bridge Too Far (1977). Grand in scale, lavish in production and featuring an all-star cast, A Bridge Too Far is a superb war drama, covering all facets of the operation and combining historical accuracy, action and character engagement.

Much less known is this film, Theirs Is The Glory, made over 30 years previously. Made shortly after the end of World War 2 in Europe and about a year after the actual battle, it is far less ambitious in scale, focusing just on the Arnhem battle. It shows well the heroic stand of the 1st Airborne Division, holding out for several days against overwhelming odds.

Great dramatisation of the battle, so well done at times you think you're watching documentary footage, rather than a re-enactment. Very realistic, helped by having on hand actual German tanks, Tigers, Panthers, Panzer IVs. One of the advantages of filming within months of WW2 ending! A Bridge Too Far had to make do with the usual pre-CGI thing of using US tanks as German ones.

On the downside, the acting is a bit wooden. The actors can be forgiven as they were often not professional actors but actual participants of the battle, playing themselves! The locations used were the actual locations of the battle, so you can't get much closer to the real thing: original participants playing themselves in the actual locations of the battle.

Overshadowed by A Bridge Too Far but still a good film to watch.

Grittily realistic wartime reenactment

[Leofwine_draca · 6/10 · 20 July 2017]

THEIRS IS THE GLORY is a straight wartime epic depicting the cruelty and horror of the infamous Battle of Arnhem, in which a cut-off airborne division of British soldiers had to hold out against overwhelming odds. A BRIDGE TOO FAR is the better-known version of the story, but this has much to recommend it too: it was made just after the war finished, while the events depicted were still fresh in the memory, and it features many real-life soldiers who were there in the battle. It comes across as more a re-enactment than a film, with some slightly stilted acting in places, but it generally gets the job done and for gritty realism I can think of few comparable movies from the 1940s.

Correction

[john205 · 7/10 · 24 April 2005]

Correction to the casualty figures given by previous commentator; approx 10,000 men were landed of which around 8200 saw serious action north of the river Lek. approx 1300 were killed, 2200 returned to British lines and almost all the rest were taken prisoner (with the exception of the Polish Brigade which dropped just south of the river Lek. The mortality rate was around 17%.

No option but to repeat (or comment does not get posted!!) Correction to the casualty figures given by previous commentator; approx 10,000 men were landed of which around 8200 saw serious action north of the river Lek. approx 1300 were killed, 2200 returned to British lines and almost all the rest were taken prisoner (with the exception of the Polish Brigade which dropped just south of the river Lek. The mortality rate was around 17%.

My Grandad

[gez_loves_jamie · 10/10 · 8 March 2007]

My grandfather starred in this film, as he was battling in Arnhem. In the opening scenes he is seen in the barracks, and a picture of my grandmother can be seen on the side of his bed. Throughout the film he played many roles, as all of the German roles were played by the troops. This film is so emotional for me as i never really knew my granddad. The film is available on DVD, so i have it to watch whenever i feel alone, or indeed close to my granddad at any particular time. I hope Theirs Is The Glory makes others understand what is was like in the war. The title is appropriate as it truly was Their Glory. A very emotional and true to life film. 10/10 From me.

Realistic account of the events in the big budget A Bridge Too Far is worth seeing simply because it shows the battle as it really was.

[dbborroughs · 6/10 · 4 November 2006]

This is what we would now call a docudrama about the battle in and around Arnhem during the closing days of the Second World War. Mixing actual footage of the battle with new footage shot a year after the war in and around the ravaged city with many of the surviving soldiers playing themselves, this tells the same story that was told in the big Budget A Bridge Too Far. Its very much a you are there sort of film that pretty much seems to tell it like it was.

I ran across this film in a budget collection of World War two films and since I'm a big fan of a Bridge Too Far I thought I'd pick it up. I'm not sure which is the better movie. One is a huge Hollywood financed production, the other is a small scale gritty in your face film that certainly shows what it must have been like. One I like because I like the story and the spectacle, the other I like because it shows what it was really like, and how Hollywood's version was too neat and clean.

As good as this film is it has two problems in my eyes. First off its a bit disjointed. The film is telling the whole story about what happened in and around Arnhem and things get lost, "characters" blend into one another. Part of this seems to be the result of the fact that the film seems to have been dubbed after the fact and it seemed to me that several people have the same voice. Its not bad but I began to feel awash in the proceedings.

The second problem with the film is that its awfully stereotypically "British". Everyone is low key and even keeled. Everyone takes everything in stride, even the fact that they are surrounded with seemingly no way out. Its all greeted with a levelness that seems wildly out of the "ideal" notion of the British soldier rather than reality. The attitude is fine for a while, but buy the half way point into the film I was shaking my head and giggling at the calmness of it all. For me it severely detracted from the proceedings and left me feeling very disappointed.

Flawed or not this is a must see, especially for those who like the later inflated epic film.

The True Story of Arnhem

[christine-veaseyconnolly · 10/10 · 26 August 2006]

Please do not compare this film with the fictionalised Hollywood account in 'A Bridge Too Far'. My father was one of the survivors of Arnhem and my second cousin was killed there. My father told me how accurate this account was. A Bridge Too Far just made him angry.

This was one of the most harrowing battles of World War Two. The First Airborne were split and the two parts could not reach each other yet were near enough to hear their comrades being shot. It had a devastating effect on my father for the rest of his life. The Division was decimated trying to do the impossible.

(For me, born after the war it is horrifying to see what my family went through and frightening to realise by what a slim chance my father survived and I existed.) This is a real testament to those soldiers and I hope will ensure that they are never forgotten.

Theirs is the Glory

[CinemaSerf · 7/10 · 8 January 2023]

I suppose that nowadays we would call this a docu-drama, depicting - as it does - the real life efforts of British soldiers to take and hold the bridge at Arnhem in Holland for their advancing colleagues. As we see clearly here, this was a meticulously planned operation using thousands of men and tonnes of materiel and once begun, the full horrors of war are there for us to behold. It doesn't pull it's punches and though largely devoid of gratuitous gore, it still illustrates well just how dangerous it was, and just how well equipped and dug in their Nazi foe was - equally determined never to yield. The result of the battle is history, so what makes this all the more apposite is the use of survivors and other soldiers to participate in what could not be called a success - 10,000 go in, 2,000 come out - but that's what makes their efforts all the more remarkable and the film shies not from showing us the tragedy of this operation as it may have unfolded in 1944. There's a scene midway through in their makeshift hospital when someone asks "Are they still operating?" to which the reply "No, the theatre roof has just fallen in" is offered. No walk in the park!

This is a film to watch

[allan-e-smith · 10/10 · 21 October 2011]

Released in 1946 on the second anniversary of the Battle of Arnhem Theirs is the Glory became the biggest grossing war film for nearly a decade. It vividly recaptures the battle of Arnhem but there are no credits before or after the film. All we see at the start of the film is a short foreword Theirs is the Glory has been produced entirely without the use of studio sets or actors. Every incident was either experienced or witnessed by the people who appear in the film.

This is followed by a short statement by the narrator This film is a tribute to every man who fought at Arnhem and is an everlasting memorial to those who gave their lives.

Importantly and selflessly the men selected to star on the big screen received no individual credits as they were representing the 10,000 men of the 1st Airborne. The Director, Producer and crew also declined credits in the film for the same reason. Who were these men we see on screen? Did they really deserve the accolade Theirs is the Glory? The director of Theirs is the Glory was Brian Desmond Hurst, Northern Irelands greatest film director. As Brian's relative and biographer I have long realised the significance of Theirs is the Glory as both a piece of art (with film as the canvas as Brian was previously an artist) and a piece of military history (Brian was a veteran of the First Worl War) . Therefore at a blue plaque unveiling for Brian Desmond Hurst in Belfast (April 2011) I selected Theirs is the Glory as the film to be shown to help celebrate the event. The honour being bestowed on Hurst was only the fourth cherished blue plaque to be awarded by the Directors Guild of Great Britain. Before the film began I offered the audience one simple piece of advice Look into the eyes of the men as you watch the film unfold and those eyes will take you as close as you will get to experiencing Arnhem.

Interestingly A Bridge Too Far and Theirs is the Glory were compared in the battlefields magazine Against All Odds (published in October 2010) and the comparison is stark and revealing "A Bridge Too Far is a slow moving epic, well worth a viewing with some authentic scenes, but is unconvincing in its portrayal of the battle of Oosterbeek...'Theirs is the Glory' is the only feature film currently released that accurately portrays the events at Oosterbeek in atmospheric and chronological terms, despite its jerky portrayal of events. This is a film to watch.

Theirs is the Glory was jointly produced by the J. Arthur Rank Organization and the British Armys Film and Photographic Unit. The film had premiered on the second anniversary of the start of the battle, 17 September 1946, and became a blockbuster of its day. Dr Leo Enticknap based his thesis, in part, on Theirs is the Glory. During his research he discovered a poster for the 1956 film The Battle of the River Plate held by the British Film Institute describing it as The biggest-grossing was film since Theirs is the Glory implying that Theirs is the Glory held this distinction for a decade.

Brian, in his unpublished autobiography Travelling the Road, explains about the idea for the film. Castleton-Knight, head of Pathe News, came to me soon after the war ended and asked me if I would like to make a film about the Arnhem drop When I heard what the film company proposed to do with the story, using stock shots, and a few jokes, I said to myself: This is not on. It was also suggested to me by the producer of the Rank Organisation that we should use their most popular male star. I said No, he doesn't know one end of the rifle from another.

There was nobody who appeared in the film, officer or soldier, who had not fought at Arnhem it is a true documentary reconstruction of the event. In the scenario we just followed the battle day by day.

I hope you enjoy watching this film. As Brian Desmond Hurst said "it is a true documentary reconstruction of the event". Even more importantly I have had the pleasure of meeting many 1st Airborne veterans and they all agree! This is, indeed, a film to watch.

Allan Esler Smith

Docudrama of the Battle at Arnhem.

[rmax304823 · 5/10 · 30 August 2012]

This rather rough movie mixes documentary footage with reenactments by the same men who fought to keep control of the bridge at Arnhem. The focus is exclusively on the First Airborne who landed by glider and parachute and ultimately managed an escape from the hellish battle by crossing the Rhine. They'd lost 80% of their original 10,000 men. We see nothing of the Allied armor, the Poles, the Americans, or the Germans.

A harrowing story, vitiated by the fact that none of the men who recreate their experiences are actors and by the fact that production values were evidently low, although the tanks we see are apparently genuine German Panthers.

I admire the film, it's technical quality aside, because it deals openly with an unqualified Allied defeat. It was released only a year or so after the battle itself and the true horrors of war, including the failures, were only given serious treatment a few years later, when enough time had passed for passions to cool. It's the story of an heroic stand but, unlike Dunkirk or Wake Island, it was not a necessary one. It was originally designed as part of a successful and innovative attack. In a way, it's a film that was ahead of its time.

The actual attack was known to be risky from the beginning. It was Montgomery's main dare. The airborne would capture various bridges across Holland and the armored column would race along the single available road and gain a foot hold in the Ruhr, German's industrial area, which would bring the war to a quicker end.

The attack suffered from poor planning and bad luck, none of it detailed here, possibly because in 1946 not all the pieces had been put together. I'll give just one example of bad planning and one of bad luck. Intelligence underestimated the strength of the German forces that were in the immediate area. A German soldier investigating a wrecked glider found a briefcase containing the entire plan of attack.

Many years later, Richard Attenborough tried again with "A Bridge Too Far", much more splashy and expensive but equally confusing.

The weaknesses of films like these can't be thought of as comments on the men who fought at Arnhem or along that narrow corridor across the Netherlands. They fought as valiantly as any men have fought anywhere. Still, the end result was a tragedy for everyone involved, including the Germans. The failure simply meant that the war would be extended that much longer, and many more lives and treasure would be spent before it ended.

Unique war film made with men from a battle one year later

[SimonJack · 9/10 · 13 November 2015]

"Theirs is the Glory" is a unique film, indeed. It doesn't have a single professional actor, but its cast is made up solely of men of the British 1st Airborne Division who fought in the Battle of Arnhem. It is the only film ever made of a major war battle on the site and within a short time after it took place. The Battle of Arnhem was part of Operation Market Garden, the largest airborne assault in history. Market Garden involved more than 35,000 troops of the British 1st Airborne Division, the Polish Airborne Brigade attached to the Brits, and the American 82nd and 101st Airborne divisions. Market Garden took place from Sept. 17 to 25, 1944.

One year after the battle – just four months after the end of the war in Europe, survivors of the 1st Airborne Division collected at Arnhem to stage a reenactment of the bloody battle. Every single man who appears in the film had been part of the operation. Many of the Bits donned German uniforms for the film. Along with reenactment scenes, the movie incorporates actual combat footage shot during the battle by the British Army. This film was a joint effort by the British Army film and photographic unit and the J. Arthur Rank Organization. Noted Irish filmmaker Brian Desmond Hurst directed the film. He was a World War I veteran and protégé of Hollywood director John Ford. The film premiered a year later – two years after the battle, on Sept. 17, 1946. It was a tremendous box office success, in spite of its rough production qualities.

This film shows battle scenes as they actually occurred to the best recollection of the men who took part in the battle. Those who were killed and many wounded of course, were not in the reenactment scenes. As an original work, that captured a real event with the actual participants, this film is a valuable historical record. I highly recommend it for movie fans, and those interested in war films and history. And, for further understanding of the battle, one should watch this film along with the 1977 movie, "A Bridge Too Far."

I appreciate the fact that no film could ever capture the reality or horror of bloody combat one may experience. Yet, I was surprised at the negative comments by some reviewers regarding the later film. I thought it paid great homage to the 1st Airborne Division and its men in the heavy fighting scenes and valiant stand they made. Of course, the 1977 film covered the whole operation as conceived by Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery. So, it necessarily showed much more of the background, and the many problems with the planning and carrying out the operation.

This film's focus is on the close combat of the British paratroopers. Most of the problems with the operation probably were not known to the troopers then. The 1977 film is able to give us the larger picture of the entire operation and the answers as to why there were problems and why the ultimate goal failed. Or, as Monty is said to have said in the 1977 film, why it was just "90 percent successful." Perhaps some of the veterans were disgusted with the 1977 film for what it showed about the poor planning and preparation that left the British airborne forces dangling without relief.

In this film, we never see a questioning of plans, and never hear a concern about lack of communications or failure of the units to meet. Nor anything about the failure of the 2nd British Army to join up at all. It was supposed to be there within two days. Rather, we see the persevering and persistent British officers and men going forward as best they can. It's a good picture of a wonderfully dedicated bunch of men for that time. So, after or before watching this film, one should watch "A Bridge too Far" for the background and understanding of why things went awry. And movie buffs should know that that 1977 film gives much more time to the British forces, especially the 1st Airborne Brigade, and the operation planning and leadership, than it gives to the American 82nd and 101st Airborne divisions combined. "A Bridge Too Far" was based on a book by Irish author Cornelius Ryan. It was directed by Richard Attenborough, the multi-award winning and eminent English actor, director and producer. And it had a host of prominent movie stars – mostly leading British actors of the 20th century.

"Theirs is the Glory" should be a part of any serious war film collection. And, alongside it should be "A Bridge Too Far."

War history buffs may be interested to know a couple of details about Oosterbeek, Holland, which was where part of the Battle of Arnhem took place. British airborne commander, Major General Roy Urquhart made his headquarters in the Hotel Hartenstein. Today it houses the Airborne Museum, dedicated to the Battle of Arnhem. Every year on the first Saturday in September, Oosterbeek holds the annual Airborne March (Airborne Wandeltocht). It is a commemorative walk that passes by the hotel and the Airborne Cemetery were 1,750 British and Polish paratroopers are buried. It goes by the landing and drop zones, the battle woods, and the Old Church where the troops gathered during their retreat. People can do varying lengths of this walk, from five kilometers to 40. Nearly 35,000 people took part in the 2014 Airborne March.

My father was at the bridge

[normanshaftnasty · 10/10 · 2 October 2015]

I am writing this as I saw that the film only had a 6.9 rating on IMDb and would like to input something personal. My father was one of the first at the bridge and one of the last to be captured.

Many years ago we went to see A Bridge Too Far. (The night it opened, free tickets! As a young man I was impressed. After the film we driving home and my father said that had felt like walking out halfway through. "Their's is the Glory was an account of what happened at Arnhem; this is not a patch on that, and the way they portrayed Boy Browning ans was truly disgusting)

From a cinematic perspective ABTF is a fantastic film, but Their's is the Glory is not only a great film but historically accurate.

I hope you enjoy it and remember the sacrifice that so many made to give you the freedom to watch it.

Better than a Bridge Too Far

[astroian · 9/10 · 10 June 1999]

One of my all time favourite war movies. The film re-enacts the famous paratroop landing at Arnhem by the British and Canadians the agonising and bitter fight while surrounded by the Germans.

What makes this film of interest is that the actors in this film are the actual Allied troops who fought the battle. As an added bonus the re-enactment was filmed on location in Arnhem and features the local inhabitants playing themselves.

The films opening sequence was shot in a Nissan hut and as the camera pans down a row of beds with soldiers lying on them while the narrator introduces them by name, occupation and town of residence.

Most of the movie proper is a series of re-enactments combined with actual footage shot during the battle. The standard of acting is pretty good but a couple of the speaches made to the men are well wooden to say the least. But by the same token I've seen a lot worse.

One thing that amazes me is how closely many scenes in the famous movie A Bridge Too Far resemble those in Theirs is the Glory. A co-incidence perhaps?

During the closing scenes of the movie it is mentioned that of the 10,000 troops who landed, scarcely 2000 survived. Bearing this in mind the closing scene is not only harrowing but also one of the most moving I've ever seen as the view pans down the same barracks but showing empty beds and a few disheveled tired men with the haunting words 'just ordinary men'

My Dad was in it

[humphre · 10/10 · 10 June 2006]

My Father was one of the soldiers that was used in the film. He took me to see it in a local movie theater when I was quite young (6 or 7 years old). He was a sergent major in the Royal Canadian Engineers. His company, using Evinrude powered storm boats, evacuated the survivors of the British Airborn units across the Rhine from Arnhem. There is a closeup of his face and he says something to the effect that he guesses that they are glad to be across the river or something to that effect. I took him, before he died to see the movie "A Bridge too far". His comment was that it was typically American. He always felt that their movies downplayed the roles of the Comonwealth allies. I have not seen the movie "Theirs is the Glory" since then. I would love to get a copy so that my children and grandchildren could see it.

Arnhem resident

[nickmethorst · 10/10 · 26 July 2018]

As a resident I am, logically, interested in the history of my city. And knowing what went on here, I heard the stories from my grandmothers/fathers, they were just children at that time, it was so inspiring and emotional too watch this. It made me realize what my grandparents went trough. And realizing the fact that people, who probably never heard of Arnhem, risked there lives to liberate us, i don't know, it moves me a lot. I'm so glad that every year our city and our local football club(Vitesse) pays our respect tho what those people did, every year during the airborne remembrance, Vitesse plays a special airborne match, during the league(no friendly) on this day they have a special kit, in the colors of the 1st airborne division, all the veterans that fought in this battle are invited to come over, including family, and a lot of other British tourists, and it's amazing to see how my city still pays their tribute.

Lest we forget!

A film that must be preserved

[mbd_mj · 8/10 · 27 December 2019]

This film was made within a year or so after the real event with many "actors" being the actual survivors. It shows a very narrow slice of Operation Market Garden, but, think of it in the context of one of the participants - they had a very limited view of the big picture - they were just trying to survive and achieve objectives. Yes, a few errors, but what film doesn't? Some reviewers say the acting in stilted, but it was not acting, they look like real men doing real feats of staying alive and bravery, not some polished actor-twit. One of the most important reasons for keeping this film preserved as well as any supplemental film cuts, both real combat archival and re-enactments, is that the uniforms, personal gear, weapons are period correct. Nothing worse than seeing a 1950's rifle in a WWII film. The dialog is period correct, again, not some script writer's idea of what was said. Breathtaking film of close packed airborne formations, how tight they really were. The use of real film to show the parachutist sticks in close form, not the staged and safety mandated situations. It allows those of us who are history buffs or perhaps collectors of memorabilia a source where we can stop the film and closely inspect items of interest. And the re-enactments using real men versus stunt-men, were eerily dangerous and realistic, something that could not be pulled off in today's regulated world. The accuracy of the radio procedure, including the radio telegraph key proper usage and background code being actual message segments, is heartily appreciated. Some may say it is stilted, dry and not a real action "shoot-em up" but that is precisely this film's value. The big screen "A Bridge Too Far", with all of its faults, gives a better story line of the extent of the operation and lets viewers understand why the poor blokes in "Theirs Is the Glory" were seemingly left to be hung out and dry (die). I personally think for a modern student of military film, "A Bridge Too Far" should be viewed first, followed by "Theirs Is the Glory" and a few other earlier films to get the real nitty gritty close in action. The use of the field reporters and skewed information represent at-the-moment situations. No one has a hidden foregone conclusion. It just happens. Kudos to the Dutch civilians who were able to participate so soon after the horror, it brings a real sense of understanding to the trauma of their private war-hell. Love the classic and understated British "stiff upper lip" tenacity. The lines that may have seemed cheesy and poorly delivered - well, they are closer to reality than what most Hollywood directors would ever allow. (Incidentally, I am a Yank, not British - so I can slam Hollywood quackery all I want without a perceived national bias) After all, these were the men, the real men - "those filthy, grimy, wonderful gentlemen who dropped from the clouds to fight where they stand... ... ... Just ordinary men."

Real Soldiers, True Heroes

[javifranceschi · 10/10 · 6 April 2019]

Real soldiers that survived the battle play roles in the film. Brilliant idea! Incredible true story!

A really big mistake

[nickenchuggets · 9/10 · 26 February 2024]

Anyone who's ever watched the film A Bridge Too Far should know the subject this one talks about is one of the most somber of World War II. Operation Market Garden was a failed plan to secure a roughly 60 mile push into Nazi German territory via a bridgehead on the lower portion of the Rhine River. In order to accomplish this, Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery put together a plan which involved taking control of 9 bridges quickly followed up by British ground forces crossing them. While paratroopers were able to successfully capture the Dutch cities of Nijmegan and Eindhoven, the real tragedy happened at Arnhem, where an airborne division could not seize the bridge, was forced back by an overwhelming amount of german soldiers and armored vehicles, and ultimately went down in a desperate defense of Arnhem. They were eventually surrounded and scores of them were killed or captured. This film from right after the war highlights the british efforts to fight during operation market garden, but only the british aspect of it. American and Polish forces also participated. Theirs Is the Glory uses actual locations where the fighting took place against Hitler's forces, and shows most of the important parts of the operation, such as british paratroopers getting into gliders and cargo planes so that they can initiate the airborne assault. After jumping out over their objectives, the troops split up into squads and proceed to their goals, all the while being harried by german artillery, rifle and machine gun fire. The british advance carefully across the countryside and occasionally encounter german Panther medium tanks, which are a serious threat. Squad members use a man portable mortar weapon called a PIAT (Projectile, Infantry, Anti-Tank) to blow them up. Eventually, a division of airborne soldiers reaches the road bridge at Arnhem, but many of them are stopped on the outskirts of the town and can go no further. Within a couple of days, a small british force is trapped north of the river, and reinforcements arriving from the southern bank can't be brought across. War correspondents documenting the fighting for the BBC are just as at risk of getting shot as the men they trail behind. The men at Arnhem are now surrounded on three sides by nazi controlled territory. A nearby hotel named Hartenstein is used as a field hospital for an ever increasing number of wounded soldiers. Things become worse when on the ninth day, the germans begin an attack on the british perimeter using Tiger tanks, probably their most feared ground vehicle. While they don't want to, plans are drawn up to pull out. By 9 that night, units trapped in Arnhem began to fall back across the river. The germans were still shooting at them, thinking it was a resupply attempt. The next day, german forces completely isolate the bridgehead and round up the rest of the british soldiers trapped in Arnhem. Montgomery's plan to end ww2 by Christmas 1944 ends in total disaster, but we must never forget the sacrifices made by those who were fighting in a collapsing urban area, knowing there was no way to get out. This was the very last film on a set of world war 2 related films I have, and it's taken me forever to get around to talking about it (let alone watching it). I already discussed Great Battle of the Volga (which focuses on Stalingrad) 2 years ago, so it's about time. I was surprised at how well made it is. Not just that it doesn't resemble a low quality bootleg print, but the production of the thing itself contains a lot of attention to detail and action. As I said, it takes place in roughly the exact spots the real fighting was done in, but it also contains veterans who participated at Arnhem. If you're like me and ww2 is the historical subject you spend the most time reading and watching things about, there's no doubt you will get something out of this. It really does feel like a real war going on with all the gunfire and communication between the men fighting at Arnhem. It doesn't showcase the german sides of things really at all, but this is to be expected since it's only a year after. Conversely, the fact that it's so soon after the war also means a prevalent problem that infests tons of world war 2 movies and tv shows is completely bypassed: they have actual german tanks here, not american ones painted to look like it. Overall, this film may live in A Bridge Too Far's shadow, but it is another important look at what is usually considered the biggest Allied blunder of the Second World War.

Well worth watching.

[rxelex · 10/10 · 30 October 2021]

Very realistic pre-drop and post-drop footage including burning gliders.

Lots of believable action in the street and with guns and flamethrowers.

Lots of footage using captured Tiger tanks.

Knights of Arnheim

[richardchatten · 8/10 · 20 February 2021]

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.