A Bridge Too Far Movie

[Tojo72]

I was recently reading a book on Market Garden when I remembered thst I had this movie that I purchased decades ago.So I decided to wTch it with a little more knowledge of the campaign.I can't believe how many mega stars were in this movie.I thought it was pretty decent,lotsa of authentic American and British equipment to check out.I guess there's not much German equipment around to use because I thought it looked pretty strange.

But all in all the action was good,and the movie decent especially after reading up on the campaign.
So what do guys think of the movie,it's no Band of Brothers but not bad.

[reserve]

Dated, sure, but not bad at all for its time. Certainly better than the Battle of the Bulge where they had the krauts using M-48 A1's

[406 Silverado]

Ya know.....I remember my dad talking about this movie when I was younger but I can't remember seeing it and I watched alot of these types of movies with his through the years. I may have to check it all out.

[Leon]

I've seen it a few times and not a bad movie!

[Real G]

I also saw it in the theater with my dad.  I was stumped by the fact that the British lost.  But the movie inspired me to get an Italeri Horsa glider.  I bought the DVD many years later, and still found watching it enjoyable.  As a little kid, I had no idea what a PIAT launcher was.  But I did spot the T-34 tank disguised as a Tiger I.

[moramartht]

I may have to check it all out.

It's worth a watch, especially as several of the participants were still around to make an input.  Edward Fox provides a remarkably accurate portrayal of Brian Horrocks who was one of the advisors on the movie; the two developed a friendship which lasted until Horrocks death some eight years later.  On the other hand, Dirk Bogarde's portrayal of Fredrick "Boy" Browning was controversial, drawing criticism from Browning's widow, the novelist Daphne du Maurier.  To be fair, Bogarde later said he didn't like his part as written, having been acquainted with Browning during the period in question (he was the only actor in the film who had actually served in Montgomery's forces during the operation).  James M. Gavin was another advisor on the film and had a very low opinion of Browning, despite Browning trying to take responsibility for Gavin's failure to promptly seize the Grave and Nijmegen bridges which contributed to the failure of the operation.  Ironically, the most lambasted performance in the film was Ryan O'Neal's portrayal of Gavin...

There's a god review here:

www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1977/06/16/a-bridge-too-far-war-epic-at-the-head-of-its-class/77fb87b9-9870-4e17-ae4a-925090984bdb/

Regards,

M

[Joe Rix]

I really enjoy this movie. I've watched it several times over and simply enjoy it as a solid war movie depicting a complex operation gone wrong. Love the cast.

[stikpusher]

One of my favorite films. The airdrop scenes are the best ever filmed. All the good stuff was done with practical effects, high explosives, visual modifications of existing vehicles, and the proverbial “cast of thousands”. The battle scenes were probably some of the best done until Saving Private Ryan. When they showed it on network TV, the added several scenes not shown in the cinema release. I keep hoping that someday a directors cut will be released on disc that includes those scenes.

[Tobi]

I have the DVD and recently watched the movie with my wife for her first time. Beforehand I told her about all the star actors she will recognize but haven't seen like this before. And I gave her a short briefing about the circumstances at that point of the war, the involved forces and units, events before and after the operation, what the Allies will try and why and what difficulties they're facing. I believe with a little background it's more enjoyable and she keeps confirming that.
I've watched it easily more than 20 times since I was a kid and had it on VHS back then.
Now having the DVD I even decided to watch it one time with original sound and I was surprised that all the famous German actors actually spoke German without subtitles.

I think the cast of this movie was the best of the best from that time. The lack of proper German vehicles was already mentioned. At least they took a Leopard 1 instead of disguising something as German which totally doesn't fit.
What makes a movie also great is the soundtrack, and the music in this movie captures the emotions perfectly and suits the pictures so well.

Next war movie I want to show to my wife is the "Battle of Britain", or "Luftschlacht um England" how it is called in Germany.