The Bridge at Remagen

Rating:
Summary: Invading the Reich!
Review: I bought this movie on DVD and I am glad I did. The Keep case is full of all sorts of cool info. This film was shot on location in Czechoslovakia in 1968, while being filmed the USSR invaded the country, MIGs buzzed the set and the Russians claimed that American spys were among the cast and crew. If you have ever seen photos or film of the bridge at Remagen you will be stunned to see how close the filming location looks to the real site. The setting is March 1945, the American Army is desperately trying to capture a Rhine crossing, that was true. The film slightly modifies history by showing the Americans as wanting to blow up the Ludendorf railway bridge at Remagen to trap a retreating German army, that is not how things happened in reality but this little bit of "Hollywood history" does not detract from the movie. The German attempt to demolish the bridge fails, that also is true. I wish the film had covered some of the unique measures taken by the Germans to destroy the bridge such as the use of frogmen/commandos carrying high explosives disguised to look like flows of logs, the attacks by Luftwaffe Arado Blitz bombers, and the firing of several V2 missiles, all of which failed. While the fate of the German commander is accurate, it is a little embelished. The uniforms, weapons and acting are all top notch, it would have been nice if they had Sherman tanks but that is a small detail. The fighting/action scences (and there are alot of them) are outstanding, small arms firefights in the countryside, in the villages and finally on the bridge, there is even a hitler youth kamakazi! The roving SS execution squads and the Volkstrum portrayals are (from everything I have read) accurate. Segal does a good job playing an exhuasted squad leader who keeps seeing his men blown away in an attempt to reach a bridge which both sides want to (thats the Holloywood version anyway) destroy. There is one short makeout scene in which breasts are flashed (nice ones too!) but this is truly a war movie, there is as you'd expect alot of violence. Ben Gazara is cast well as a bitter NCO in the squad. I think the finest acting is Robert Vaughn as German Major Krueger. The pyrotechnics will (no pun intended) blow you away, they blew some s**t up making this film! The movie does not show this but several days after it's capture the bridge finally collapsed taking over 2 dozen American with it. I would have given this film 5 stars except for the music, there is alot of that typical 1960's Hogans Hero's sounding music which really detracts from the power and realism in this film. This is a great flick, if you like action, fighting and explosions this is the ticket.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent movie
Review: I have seen the movie and have been to the "Real" bridge in the
town of Remagen, near Frankfurt, north of Weisbaden Germany.
The movie, although interrupted during shooting, depicts the events as best it could.
The acting was excellent and the set was picked for its
striking ressemblance to the actual bridge.

For those who have actually visited the real bridge and gone
up inside the bridge towers, which is all that remains of the original bridge,
to see actual pictures and read the plagues on the supporting walls, both inside and out, will agree that Hollywood was
very close to the events that took place. A terrific movie worth owning and watching again and again.

Rating:
Summary: NOT HIGH ON MY LIST
Review: I think it is one of the weaker of the WWII films. It does, however, portray an important incident in the defeat of Germany and is valuable from an historical point of view.
My main objection is in the depiction of the American soldiers. They sem to be a surly lot, bickering and throwing digs at each other; but who knows, oerhaps that was the case. The Germans seemed to be a better organized group even though they lost the battle.
But is it nowhere near s bad as "The Battle of the Bulge." That bummer rates a minus five stars.

Rating:
Summary: Action scenes combined with anti-war slant....
Review: I went into the epic WWII adventure "The Bridge at Remagen" with no preconceived notions. What a great surprise it was! Filmed in 1969 and based on a true story, the film is an example of a genre caught between two eras. It does not suffer for it.

For those raised on "The Devil's Brigade," "The Dirty Dozen" and "Kelly's Heroes," you're in for a surprise. "The Bridge at Remagen" combines genres, giving us superb action sequences combined with an anti-war slant. The film also attempts to show WWII from the viewpoint of the Germans. This had really not been done before, and perhaps was a precursor to Sam Peckinpah's fierce anti-war epic detailing the German/Russian front "Cross of Iron." In "The Bridge at Remagen," each side is human, attempting to follow ludicrous orders for the sake of political victory.

Simply put, the bridge at Remagen is the final structure connecting Europe with Germany. During the waning days of the war, German soldiers are frantically crossing the bridge to get home. Hitler wants it destroyed to keep Allied forces out, but a few military leaders postpone the order to save soldiers' lives. Meanwhile, American forces are closing in and they attempt to destroy the bridge to trap German forces. Once there however, American generals decide to capture the bridge so Allied forces can swarm in to Germany. Thus, there's a moral quandary on both sides as to whether or not the bridge should be destroyed.

This is great stuff, and we are introduced to the first American troop arriving on the scene, led by a grizzled George Segal. I know, Segal is known for comedies and playing the ukulele on the Johnny Carson show, but he gives one of the finest performances of his career. He's burned out, cynical and pissed off. He forms a bond within his troop with Ben Gazzara, a spirited street tough who steals rings and watches from dead soldiers. But Gazzara's dependable, and together they are forced to take the bridge before it's destroyed. Robert Vaughn is also terrific as the German officer attempting to save the bridge for retreating comrades.

There is a genuine attempt in this film, similar to such later works as "Band of Brothers" and "Saving Private Ryan," to detail the futility of war and the life of the dog soldier. Never for a moment is "The Bridge at Remagen" heavy-handed, and you even have a surprise resurrection of an important character. In addition to the interesting story, the film has a notable supporting cast including E.G. Marshall, Bradford Dillman and Bo Hopkins. The location photography in Europe and the musical score by the great Elmer Bernstein are also superb.

"The Bridge at Remagen" is not only a fine action film, but an early attempt at portraying the harsh realities of WW II. It's an undiscovered gem.

Rating:
Summary: Beware of war films starring George Segal
Review: I've read many of the reviews posted previously about this film, and I'm actually suprised by the wide range of opinions, good and bad. After careful consideration of other arguments I still have to say that this movie is a real STINKER. This film is one of the worst WWII films ever made, really. Despite it's feeble attempt to portray the more "realisitic" battle weary, lassiez-faire attitudes towards the end of the war, the characters remain stiff, overacted, transparent, and just plain stereotypical by today's standards. As usual, the portrayl of the Germans is laughable. Robert Vaughn's (plays the lead German role) forced aristocratic German accent is so bad you find yourself wondering why the producers didn't just cast a German actor (as they did for some of the more competent supporting cast). Ben Gazzara's "Angel" character is just plain ridiculous, and George Segal should have stayed with comedy, because you'll laugh at his authority role, and supposed "apathy" towards almost every event in the film. The conflict set-up between Segal' character and his superior officer (also badly acted) is painful to watch, and I don't mean in the emotional sense. The movie was truly doomed after watching the young actress who was thrown in for <5 minutes simply for meaningless frontal nudity - she should feel very exploited... it's the kind of stuff shoveled in history classes taught by the victors. If you want to see a truly "gritty" war film, try the German perspective, as in "Stalingrad" or "Das Boot," or the Finnish film "Winter War." They're not sappy, overly-patriotic, and won't pull their painful punches, the kind you won't see in relatively older Hollywood films like "The Bridge at Remagen."

Rating:
Summary: A quick closure of the war?
Review: It would be unfair to label this movie as a classic however to its credit, 'The Bridge at Remagen' relies on its outstanding historical content more so than the actors and its direction ability. Although there are some creditable battle scenes, i feel the ending was a little anti-climatic and at times there seemed to be a unauthentic side to the whole script. On the whole, id say that the film is a good overview of the concluding stages of world war 2 and a must see for all war film enthusiasts, if only to judge for yourself.

Rating:
Summary: Dramatic account of the Rhine crossing
Review: Rivals 'The Triumph and the Glory' (the novel)and The Thin Red Line as one of the best films or books dealing with epic battles of the Second World War. Very well done for its time.

Rating:
Summary: Thoughtful, Well-Made WWII Film
Review: Sticklers for accurate portrayals of history on screen may find elements to grumble about in this terrific fact-based yarn about the taking of a key bridge into Germany over the Rhine River in early 1945. The cast is a stellar one, with George Segal and Ben Gazzara acting as the dogface principals given the assignment, along with Robert Vaughn as a valiant German officer determined to try to hold the bridge as long as possible to help save thousands of retreating German soldiers, planning to then blow the bridge up rather than letting it fall into Allied hands. Bradford Dillman plays the morally amusical American Army commander so interested in furthering his own ambitions that he routinely and recklessly endangers the welfare and safety of his men. E.G. Marshall plays the commanding general who recognizes the strategic importance of the bridge and tries to do all he can to ensure the Allies succeed in taking it.

For those of us interested in such things, the film does take considerable pains to replicate both the look and the atmosphere of the events that transpired during the final Allied push into Germany, when the 27th Armored infantry attempted to seize and hold the bridge in order to cut off more than 50,000 retreating German troops over the Rhine where they could then regroup to prepare for the battle of Germany in the following months. The Allies knew the taking of the bridge could shorten the war by allowing rapid crossing of the Rhine by large number of Allied troops more forcefully than could be repelled by the retreating Germans. Time was of the essence.

All that said, this is an excellent dramatization of the actual events, although one is left at the end not understanding the bridge eventually collapsed only a few weeks after being taken. Yet by then it had been replaced for both tactical and strategic purposes by many more temporary structures hauled into place by the Army Corps of Engineers. The film is very well done, and provides a quite realistic, gritty and sympathetic portrayal of life as a soldier in the final frantic days, when millions of young Allied soldiers forced their way through the portals into the "Fatherland" to finally end the greatest armed struggle of the 20th century. Enjoy!

Rating:
Summary: One of the great war films of the 1960's
Review: The Bridge at Remagen is an excellent World War II movie based on a true story. Set in the closing days of the war, the story is about a battle for the last remaining bridge over the Rhine river. The Americans want it intact so they can cross over into the heart of Germany while the Germans want to blow it up to prevent the Allies a foothold. However, the Major placed in command of the bridge won't blow it up because there are still 50,000 German troops on the other side that will be captured if the bridge is destroyed. This is an excellent movie that shows the battle from both the American and German side. Excellent action sequences and great characters make this a must have. As well, the movie succeeds in showing the chaos on the German side as the Allied forces began to close in late in the war.

George Segal stars as(get this) Lt. Phil Hartman, the leader of the American troops trying to take the bridge intact. He plays the role perfectly as the officer who refuses to see his men massacred in a pointless attack. Ben Gazzara is great as Sergeant Angelo, the soldier who picks valuable items off of dead soldiers for his own profit. Robert Vaughan plays Major Krueger, the German major placed in command of the bridge. He does a great job as the officer trying to buy time for the trapped German divisions. Also starring Bradford Dillman, E.G. Marshall, Peter Van Eyck, and Bo Hopkins. This is an excellent war movie that doesn't shy away from showing all aspects of war. Elmer Bernstein also gives an excellent musical score that at times sounds like The Magnificent Seven or The Great Escape. The DVD is a great buy with a collectible booklet, theatrical trailer, and widescreen presentation all included. Check out this great and true war tale set late in WWII!

Rating:
Summary: One of the great war films of the 1960's
Review: The Bridge at Remagen is an excellent World War II movie based on a true story. Set in the closing days of the war, the story is about a battle for the last remaining bridge over the Rhine river. The Americans want it intact so they can cross over into the heart of Germany while the Germans want to blow it up to prevent the Allies a foothold. However, the Major placed in command of the bridge won't blow it up because there are still 50,000 German troops on the other side that will be captured if the bridge is destroyed. This is an excellent movie that shows the battle from both the American and German side. Excellent action sequences and great characters make this a must have. As well, the movie succeeds in showing the chaos on the German side as the Allied forces began to close in late in the war.

George Segal stars as(get this) Lt. Phil Hartman, the leader of the American troops trying to take the bridge intact. He plays the role perfectly as the officer who refuses to see his men massacred in a pointless attack. Ben Gazzara is great as Sergeant Angelo, the soldier who picks valuable items off of dead soldiers for his own profit. Robert Vaughan plays Major Krueger, the German major placed in command of the bridge. He does a great job as the officer trying to buy time for the trapped German divisions. Also starring Bradford Dillman, E.G. Marshall, Peter Van Eyck, and Bo Hopkins. This is an excellent war movie that doesn't shy away from showing all aspects of war. Elmer Bernstein also gives an excellent musical score that at times sounds like The Magnificent Seven or The Great Escape. The DVD is a great buy with a collectible booklet, theatrical trailer, and widescreen presentation all included. Check out this great and true war tale set late in WWII!